The fourth season of the American reality television series The Next Food Network Star premiered on Sunday, June 1, 2008. Food Network executives, Bob Tuschman and Susie Fogelson, were joined by Bobby Flay as the Selection Committee for this season, which was filmed early 2008 in New York, New York and Las Vegas, Nevada. Aaron McCargo, Jr. was announced as the winner on the season finale, which aired on Sunday, July 27, 2008. His show, Big Daddy's House, premiered on August 3, 2008. In addition, runner-up Adam Gertler was given a show, Will Work for Food, which premiered January 19, 2009 and Kelsey Nixon, who finished fourth, began hosting her show, Kelsey's Essentials, on the Cooking Channel on November 6, 2010. According to a 2017 D Magazine interview, runner-up Lisa Garza was also offered a contract on Food Network, but she declined.

Contestants

(In order of elimination)

Runners-Up

Winner

Contestant progress

Episodes

Week 1: Star Quality

Original Air Date: June 1, 2008

Week 2: FN Star On the Go

Original Air Date: June 8, 2008

Week 3: You ... In a Jar

Original Air Date: June 15, 2008

Week 4: Being an Expert

Original Air Date: June 22, 2008

Week 5: Enticing and Easy with Bon Appétit

Original Air Date: June 29, 2008

Week 6: Into the Studio

Original Air Date: July 6, 2008

Week 7: Vegas Throwdown

Original Air Date: July 13, 2008

Week 8: Ultimate Vegas

Original Air Date: July 20, 2008

Week 9: Finale

Original Air Date: July 27, 2008

Early announcement of winner

Food Network made an error on July 24, 2008, in which the winner, Aaron McCargo, Jr., was inadvertently revealed on the show's website. His profile on the site, videos of his winning moment and of the production of his series, Big Daddy's House were available for viewing. When you visited the runners'-up profiles, their exit interviews and failed pilots were also available.

Footnotes