12-Year-Old Newtown Girl to Compete on 'Chopped Jr.'

Newtown, CT — An 8th grader at Newtown Middle School will be competing on the Food Network's hit show, Chopped Junior. Eliza Roth, 12, will make her television debut on the Season 3 premier on Tuesday, July 26 at 8 p.m. EST.

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"She's been interested in cooking every since she started watching cooking shows on Food Network when she was a toddler," her mother Dana told Patch. "Her science teacher, Valerie LeBlanc, jokingly suggested she apply, so she filled out an online application, and then went through a long phone and in person interview process. They told her she was chosen out of thousands of kids."

Eliza said that she is inspired to cook because "cooking allows her to combine her love of food, art, theater and science."

Her future plans include taking a Molecular Gastronomy class next summer and of course, continue cooking. She made some friends on the set, her mother said, and they are talking about opening a restaurant or food truck some day.

Photo by Dana Roth, used with permission