At the conclusion of Cooking Under Fire, the one tireless and talented contestant who best handles the heat will win a life-altering culinary prize — a chef position at one of celebrity chef Todd English's New York City restaurants.

Get to know our 12 finalists:

FINALIST NAME	AGE	OCCUPATION
John Paul Abernathy	26	Sous chef
William "Billy" Barlow	25	Cook/Butcher
Michael Duronslet	27	Head chef
Katie Hagan-Whelchel	26	Student
Blair King	33	Sous chef
Sara Lawson	23	Line cook
Matthew Leeper	27	Cook/Sushi chef
Autumn Maddox	27	Line cook
Yannick Marchand	42	Caterer
Jennifer McDermott	24	Line cook
Russell Moore	37	Restaurant consultant
Katsuji Tanabe	24	Sous chef