Cresaptown woman to appear on 'Worst Cooks in America'

Dec. 28—CUMBERLAND — Leona Chapman said her cooking skills have come a long way since she doused undercooked chicken with vodka to "kill germs."

That culinary disaster almost sent her and her husband to the hospital.

The experience, and other equally bad ones, however, made Chapman realize she needed serious help in the kitchen so she wouldn't burn it down.

"Nobody ever really showed me how to cook," she said.

That changed when she became a competitor on "Worst Cooks in America: Spoiled Rotten."

The show's seven-episode season kicks off with a two-hour premiere at 8 p.m. on Jan. 7 on Food Network.

Chapman, 48, is a Cresaptown resident and 1993 Allegany High School graduate.

She said she never learned to cook because her father managed a Burger King, which made fast food a staple at her house, and her mother "heavily safeguards her recipes."

After her son was born 28 years ago, Chapman said his formula and baby food years were followed by restaurant meals.

She said she's been a fan of the Worst Cooks reality show since its first season in 2010.

Chapman said she applied to be on the show "to learn from the greatest chefs."

She was excited to learn she was chosen to be on the show.

"It didn't really hit me until I walked onto the set," Chapman said.

Per show rules, she couldn't say how long she stayed on the show.

But Chapman benefited from time in the kitchen with professionals.

"I actually own a meat thermometer now," she said.

Chapman and her fellow recruits, who come from cities including New Orleans, Houston and Los Angeles, formed a bond, she said.

At the end of the season, the most improved recruit will be awarded a $25,000 grand prize.

When asked what she would do with the cash, Chapman said she would buy new appliances.

In the past, she melted an air fryer by setting it on a hot cooktop.

Last year, Chapman set fire to ready-to-bake rolls she set directly on her hot oven rack.

"One slid through," she said of dough that landed on a heating element. "That thing lit up ... I didn't know those things were flammable."

Chapman also said if she were to win the show's competition, she'd spend the prize money on cosmetic surgery, specifically on lip work to complement her Botox injections and face fillers.

She said she had "an amazing experience" on the show.

"I learned a lot of things about the kitchen," Chapman said. "It was actually one of the best times of my life."

Chapman's husband Michael said he wasn't bothered by his wife's lack of cooking skills.

"I didn't really think about it," he said and added he worked in restaurant management for 20 years and the two ate out a lot.

Since her appearance on the show, his wife is more confident and organized in the kitchen, Michael Chapman said.

"I was happy for her and proud that she had the courage to go through with it," he said. Now, "she's excited to cook."

This season, Chef Tiffany Derry joins Chef Anne Burrell to guide culinary boot camp for the show's competitors.

The chefs will lead their teams in basic training drills including an Army crawl, obstacle course and calisthenics.

Other challenges involve a seafood-inspired game, farm-themed competition, and supermarket speedway challenge.

"This season's worst cooks have never had to take care of themselves, and they are hilariously inept in the kitchen," Betsy Ayala, head of content and food for Warner Bros. Discovery, said via press release. "Anne and Tiffany have their work cut out for them and along the way, the recruits gain independence and confidence along with their cooking skills."

See a clip for the show here.

Teresa McMinn is a reporter for the Cumberland Times-News. She can be reached at 304-639-2371 or tmcminn@times-news.com.