Ep 9. Comedy Roast

In episode 9 of season 7 of The Next Food Network Star, the remaining contestants are tasked with a unique challenge: a comedy roast. Hosted by Gilbert Gottfried, the contestants must prepare and deliver a humorous roast of one of their fellow competitors.

Before the roast begins, the contestants receive some coaching from comedian Jessica Kirson on how to craft a good roast. She encourages them to focus on specific details about their target, and to be clever without being too mean-spirited.

The contestants then draw straws to determine the order in which they will roast each other. They are given 30 minutes to prepare their material, and the roast begins.

The first contestant up is Vic Vegas, who roasts his friend and fellow competitor, Susie Jimenez. He pokes fun at her tough demeanor and her tendency to wear cowboy boots, but overall delivers a fairly gentle roast.

Next up is Penny Davidi, who takes aim at Justin Balmes. She uses her time to make a series of jokes about Justin's penchant for using the same ingredients in all of his dishes. While some of her jokes fall flat, she manages to get some laughs from the judges.

Justin is the third to roast, and he chooses to target Penny. He makes fun of her loud personality and her tendency to use too much garlic in her dishes. His delivery is a bit awkward, but he manages to get some laughs.

Mary Beth Albright is up next, and she roasts the always-smiling Whitney Chen. Mary Beth makes a series of jokes about Whitney's bubbly personality and her tendency to use non-traditional ingredients in her dishes. She manages to get some good laughs from the judges.

Finally, Susie Jimenez takes the stage to roast Vic Vegas. She makes a series of jokes about his cowboy hat and his tendency to be loud and boisterous. Her delivery is confident and relaxed, and she gets some big laughs from the judges.

After the roast is over, the judges deliberate on the contestants' performances. They praise Vic and Susie for their strong deliveries, but criticize Penny and Justin for not having strong enough material. Ultimately, Justin is sent home, leaving just four contestants left in the competition.

The comedy roast challenge provides a welcome break from the typical cooking challenges, and allows the contestants to showcase a different type of talent. It also demonstrates the importance of having a sense of humor when it comes to being a successful chef and television personality. Overall, this episode is a fun and entertaining addition to the season.