Posted: Tue., Nov. 10, 2009, 8:28pm PT

Food Net gives 'Worst Cooks' a chance

Five-episode competition series to launch in January

By Stuart Levine

Food Network is giving culinary misfits their own competition series with "Worst Cooks in America."

Five-episode skein premieres at 10 p.m. Jan. 3. Anne Burrell of net's "Secrets of a Restaurant Chef," and Beau MacMillan, exec chef at Elements restaurant in Phoenix, will host.

Contestants are split into two teams and one player is eliminated each week. For the finale, two wannabe chefs will have to prepare a meal for a panel of food critics. The winner receives $25,000.