UPDATE:
She did it!!
Congratulations to North East ISD’s very own Lila Smethurst – who has been crowned the CHAMPION of the Kids Baking Championship on Food Network!
Lila is a seventh grader at Tex Hill Middle School. Her journey started in January, where she was one of 12 bakers from around the country competing on the hit show. She persevered and wowed the judges week-by-week and was named the champion of season 12 Monday night.
As the winner, Lila won $25,000 and a feature in Food Network Magazine. Way to go Lila!!
Posted on 2-27-24
UPDATE: North East ISD’s very own Lila Smethurst has made it to the final four on the Food Network’s Kids Baking Championship!
Lila is a seventh grader at Tex Hill Middle School. She’s been watching Kids Baking Championship for as long as she can remember and still can’t believe she’s living out her dream to be on her favorite show.
“This experience has been an incredible blessing in every way,” said Lila. “As we are coming close to the show being over, I am feeling bittersweet. It has been so fun to watch the episodes back and have everybody watch along with me.”
As season 12 comes to a close, Lila says she grateful for all of the support she’s received from her friends, family, and community.
“I am so grateful for the way that my family, my friends, my school and the entire city of San Antonio have rooted for me during my time on KBC! I hope that I made everyone proud and that I represented the city well. This was definitely an experience I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I am so thankful for my time on KBC and every moment thereafter!”
All of NEISD is rooting for you, Lila! Tune into Food Network Monday night to cheer Lila on #theNEISDway
Posted on 2-23-24
Not many people get the opportunity to be on their favorite TV show.
But Lila Smethurst, a seventh grader at Tex Hill Middle School, will soon make her Food Network debut in season 12 of the Kids Baking Championship.
“I remember thinking at 5-years-old while watching if maybe I could be on the show one day,” said Lila. “And now I am! I don’t think it’s going to sink in for me until I see it on TV.”
She’s been watching the show for as long as she can remember. She’s seen every episode and has taken inspiration from many of the show’s challenges, even attempting to recreate some of the dishes in her family kitchen.
“In 2018, when my mom got cancer, we were all at home for a while so I used that time to bake a lot. We would watch the show, and maybe they would bake cookies, and I would kind of take that as a challenge to try and bake cookies too.”
As a big fan, stepping on set and meeting show hosts Valerie Bertinelli and Duff Goldman was a surreal moment for Lila. But it’s one she’s been practicing for her whole life.
When she isn’t at school, you’ll likely find her at home whipping up cookies, cakes, biscuits or homemade eggrolls in the kitchen. That’s where her love for baking started. She remembers starting with box cake mixes, and in kindergarten, she made chocolate cupcakes from scratch. In third grade, she made her dad’s birthday cake. From there she progressed to molten lava cakes, fruit tarts and key lime macarons, her personal favorite.
Soon, she’ll be sharing those talents on a television screen near you! No matter the results, Lila plans to keep baking and spreading joy.
“Baking makes me happy,” said Lila. “I love the overall process of it, and I just like being in the kitchen. It really has been a dream come true to be on my favorite show.”
You can watch Lila face off against 11 other contestants when the new season of Kids Baking Championship premieres on Food Network on Monday, Jan. 1, 2024 at 7 p.m.
Good luck, Lila!
*Photos courtesy of Food Network
