NEW YORK, September 6 — Actor Josh Peck is trading his usual comedy for a fork, a knife, and a healthy dose of suspicion. Food Network has announced its new baking game show, Sweet Deceit, hosted by Peck, which will premiere with back-to-back episodes on Monday, October 5th at 10pm ET/PT. The series puts teams of three to the test as they hunt for hyper-realistic, deceptive sweets hidden in plain sight across real-world locations.
The catch? The cakes, crafted by world-class artists, look exactly like everyday objects.
Teams confirm their guesses by biting into the items, competing for a total prize of up to $12,000. “Sweet Deceit has all my favorite things: food, fun, and deception,” Peck said in a press release dated September 3. “The craftsmanship our cake artists put into their creations was unlike anything I’ve ever seen — the edible creations are unbelievable, watching teams literally put their money where their mouths are made every reveal a blast.
It’s a must watch for the whole family.”
Two themed blocks, one spooky start
The show launches with Sweet Deceit: Trick or Treat, an eight-episode Halloween block premiering October 5th. That run sets contestants loose in locations including real-life haunted houses, a sinister movie set morgue, a kindergarten classroom Halloween party, and the world-famous Magic Castle. A second block, Sweet Deceit: Holiday, begins Monday, November 16th at 9pm ET/PT, with eight more episodes staged at a cozy cabin, a festive ice rink, and Santa’s workshop.
Peck will be joined throughout by a rotating roster of cake artists specializing in edible illusions, including Jose Barajas, Jonny “Jonny Cakes” Manganello, Andrew Fuller, Ashley Holt, April Julian, and Liz Marek. The difficulty escalates round by round as the teams try to identify the masterfully disguised cakes.
“Sweet Deceit is a funny and highly visual new game show that puts a hilarious twist on the art of illusion and is the perfect addition to Food Network’s baking lineup,” said Betsy Ayala, President of Food Network.
“Josh Peck is the perfect host to bring humor to every reveal and fans will be amazed and shocked by what turns out to be edible as they guess alongside the teams from home.” Produced by Lando Entertainment for Food Network, the series will stream the day after each broadcast on HBO Max. Viewers can follow #SweetDeceit on Food Network’s social platforms for behind-the-scenes clips, with updates also available at FoodNetwork.com.
Food Network, part of Warner Bros. Discovery, reaches more than 58 million U.S. households and carries a social footprint of 77 million, with its magazine reaching 14.3 million readers. The stakes, for those involved, are as simple as they are delicious: find the fake, take a bite, and walk away richer — or end up chewing on something that was never meant to be eaten.
