Three-year North End resident Jen Royle along with French Chef Ludo Lefebvre’s four-member team will be appearing on ABC’s popular show “The Taste” this Thursday, January 1 at 8 p.m. Now in it’s third season, this is the fourth episode of a seven-episode Prime Time series.
Jen began her quest to compete and possibly win the competitive food challenge last September when she traveled to Los Angeles for a grueling four-week taping.
The author of the cookbook “Bullied Into Cooking,”a charitable book that raised funds for an anti-bullying campaign for the Boston Public School System, and now “Dare To Taste,” her second publication, was one of 24 original participants. The 24 chefs were immediately reduced to 16 in Episode 1, and are now down to 11. Jen was chosen by two judges on Episode one, but chose to go with the loud and emotional, to say the least, Lefebvre who spends most of his time yelling at Jen.
“Jen is a strong competitor who loves a challenge,” said her mother Dianne Royle, the President of the North End Music and Performing Arts Center. “I hope everyone will watch the show.”
Jen, a 12-year professional sports reporter, currently works for the Boston Herald spending most of her time conducting interviews with the Red Sox and Bruins.
She is also the owner of arguably the most famous Bulldog in the North End, Truman, who has been barking in favor of his proud owner since the competition began.
“Competing on The Taste was the best thing I ever did and I’ve done a lot of cool things in my career having covered MLB and the NFL for as long as I have,” says Jen. “It was stressful, but if I could do it all over again, I would in a heartbeat.”
“We are all so proud of Jen,” added Dianne. “She cooked her tail off on the show and I know she looks back on the whole experience with nothing but fond memories.”
Since the program has already been taped, the results will not be made public until the finale on January 22 has aired.
ABC’s “The Taste” is broadcast on Thursdays at 8 p.m. or watch the shows online.
Congratulations to Jen. Have had a good time watching the show, Dianne.