Halloween Wars 2022 (Season 12): Meet the judges

Halloween Wars is back for another dangerously delicious season, with nine teams competing for a $25,000 grand prize and the title of Halloween Wars champion. It will premiere on the Food Network on September 18 at 9 p.m. ET.

The synopsis of the show reads:

"Halloween Wars is back for season 12, and the search is on for brave and supremely talented cake, sugar and pumpkin artists who can handle challenges inspired by paranormal investigator Zak Bagans’ haunted travels. Competitors from across America show off their skills and try to prove that they have what it takes to claim the $25,000 grand prize."

The show will see teams of bakers, sugar experts, and pumpkin carvers living up to challenges inspired by Zak Bagans’ paranormal adventures to impress the judges.

---

Meet the judges who hold the key to success in Halloween Wars

Three judges sit between the contestants and the show's grand prize, each judging the contestants based on a variety of factors. The judges want to be scared, but they also want their tastebuds to explode with delight.

The contestants thus will have a difficult time impressing Eddie Jackson, Shinmin Li, and Aarti Sequeira, but they will give it their all. As a result, every little detail counts.

---

Eddie Jackson

The NFL player turned chef is a “fierce competitor” in the kitchen and on the field. Eddie's delectable food eliminates the need for a cheat day because he is committed to making healthy food taste delicious. His food is flavorful and does not leave you feeling deprived.

Eddie was signed by the Carolina Panthers in 2004 and retired in 2008. Eddie went on to become a personal trainer and to launch his own food truck, Caribbean Grill. He entered the MasterChef kitchen in season 4 in 2013.

Eddie has since appeared as a contestant and host on numerous food shows. He is now set to return as a judge for another season of Halloween Wars.

---

Shinmin Li

Shinmin Li, the founder of Kora Community and a decorated pastry chef, is set to return to the terrifying sets of Halloween Wars. Kora's mission statement reads:

"We represent the growing trend of busy bees in our country — dual working families, single parents, aging adults, caregivers, and everyone who is just trying to keep their heads above water and enjoy this thing called — Life Moments."

Shinmin has previously appeared on several Food Network competition series and has a wealth of experience, which allows her to effectively critique contestants' skills and talents. Li’s favorite dish is her mother’s homemade chicken noodle soup with fat rice noodles, spicy radish, and bok choy.

---

Aarti Sequeira

This Halloween Wars judge was born in India and brought up in Dubai. Aarti's upbringing, combined with her education at a British school, provided her with a tapestry of food cultures.

During the first Gulf War, Aarti decided to pursue journalism and worked for CNN after graduating from Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism. The cookshow host, author, journalist and TV producer became a regular name on the Food Network after winning Food Network Star Season 6. Aarti's style of cooking is “American favorites with an Indian soul."

Aarti cooked alongside some of the best chefs in the country on the Guy’s Ranch Kitchen. She also produced Sand and Sorrow, an HBO documentary about the genocide in Darfur, amongst other productions.

She is now set to return to the Food Network show to analyze and critique the contestants’ baked goods.

---

The show is set to premiere on the Food Network on Sunday, September 18 at 9 pm ET.