Spring Baking Championship season 11 — Meet the host

Jesse Palmer returns as the host of Spring Baking Championship season 11 on the Food Network, which premiered on March 10, 2025. This season, the competition takes place in "The Little Shop of Spring Magic", where 13 bakers face creative challenges that test their skills in flavor, technique, and presentation.

The winner will receive $25,000, a Food Network Magazine feature, and the Spring Baking Champion title. Palmer, a former professional football player and seasoned television host, has been a familiar face on the Food Network, leading multiple baking competitions. Throughout the Spring Baking Championship season, he guides contestants as they navigate each challenge.

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Everything to know about the Spring Baking Championship season 11 host Jesse Palmer

Background and personal life

Born October 5, 1978, in Toronto, Canada, according to his Food Network profile, Jesse Palmer grew up with his two younger brothers, Christian and Billy, in a suburb of Ottawa. His father played pro football, and his mother modeled and co-founded a modeling agency.

The host of Spring Baking Championship played football as a child and later became the Florida Gators' quarterback at the University of Florida, earning degrees in marketing and political science.

He received academic honors and was a team captain in his final year. Palmer played for the San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants in the NFL before finishing his career with the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes. After retiring, he moved into broadcasting and television hosting.

Palmer met his wife, Brazilian photographer and model Emely Fardo, in a boxing class in 2017. The two got married in 2020 in Connecticut in an intimate wedding ceremony and then had a second wedding ceremony in France. The couple has a child, Ella, who was born on January 8, 2024.

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Career and other ventures

Palmer was recognized in the television world after being featured as the lead on The Bachelor in 2004. He was the first non-American, first sports professional, and youngest contestant to play the lead of the show back then. He was appointed as the permanent host of The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, and other franchise-related series, such as Bachelor in Paradise and The Golden Bachelor, in 2021.

Palmer established a career as a sports broadcaster, doing work for networks such as Fox Sports, ABC, and ESPN. He has been a college football analyst and has worked in the past on Good Morning America and ABC News. He hosted DailyMail TV from 2017 to 2020. Other hosting assignments include The Ultimate Surfer, The Proposal, and Disney Parks holiday specials.

Palmer is a regular Food Network host, leading shows like Holiday Baking Championship, Summer Baking Championship, Food Truck Face Off, and Bakeaway Camp with Martha Stewart. On Spring Baking Championship, he guides contestants through themed challenges and interacts with the judges.

Beyond TV, Palmer supports charitable causes and brand sponsorships. He is a sponsor for Good Sports, a nonprofit providing sports equipment to disadvantaged youth, and has worked with brands like Rooms to Go, Great Clips, Avocados from Mexico, and Fairfield by Marriott.

The Spring Baking Championship host's clothing line, J. Palmer Luxe Sportswear, is manufactured in collaboration with Fanatics and has been targeting professional and athleisure menswear.

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Watch Spring Baking Championship season 11 every Monday at 8 PM ET on Food Network, with streaming available on Max the same day.