Wells Adams Talks Twisty New Baking Show & 10 Years on Bachelor Nation

Food Network’s Sweet Empire: Winter Wars is a brand-new show that combines holiday dessert-making with a sprinkle of Game of Thrones. The series, hosted by Wells Adams. welcomes 14 bakers as they team up and battle it out to avoid elimination and win a prize of $50,000. 

Each participant has the arduous task of winning over judges Jacques Torres and Yolanda Gampp with their edible creations. During the November 9 premiere, the sugary masters are tasked to create a holiday showpiece that represents how they celebrate at home.  Gampp and Torres choose the top six to become empire leaders, who will then pick their partners to form six empires of two. 

Adams is no stranger to competition, first on The Bachelorette and then on The Traitors. He technically lost in both, although one would argue he won at life being married to actress Sarah Hyland. These days Bachelor Nation members know him as the loveable bartender on Bachelor in Paradise. 

Before the Yuletide Lodge opened its doors, we caught up with the busy television personality to set the table for the festive competition to come. 

What were thoughts on this show concept? 

Wells Adams: I’ve hosted cooking shows before. I hosted Best in Dough, which was on Hulu. This show is done through the same production company Alfred Street Studios and different in it’s not baking pizzas. It’s creating absolute works of art that are also edible in terms of these cakes and sugar sculptures they are making. It was one of the most fun shoots I’ve ever had the pleasure of being on. The idea for the show is different and fun where we’re not just having bakers go against different bakers, but we are having them forming teams. 

There is a hierarchy structure to it, which is very interesting. There is a little bit of political gameplay that is being thrown into this. And of course it’s happening during the holidays, so it’s very holiday-driven and puts  you in the spirit. Listen, I’m like every man, but we have Jacques Torres and Yolanda Gampp. They are the judges and juggernauts either being a chocolatier or cake designer. 

Not a bad gig…

I got to sit back and watch these masters at work. I could not believe some of the stuff they made. It’s Christmas time and the holidays, so I’m asking them to make toys, something they’d find underneath the tree. All of a sudden, I think, “well, that looks like an actual toy. I’m not sure if I’m supposed to eat it or play with it or both.” It was so much fun. I gained 10 pounds doing it. It was definitely worth it. Anything for the craft. I was so excited for everyone to watch Sweet Empire: Winter Wars. It’s going to be fun and an easy watch and put everyone in the holiday spirit. I think it’s something we need these days with all the crazy news swirling around us. 

What are the judges looking for? 

I present to them what the challenge is, and what I’m looking for and what we’re looking for. If I say hey listen make presents under the tree. Something we want to unwrap on Christmas morning. It needs to look like a present and then there are other things that they can and can’t do, maybe some movement is required. There is something we throw in there, but it also has to taste good. They all tasted amazing, but some were mind-blowing. We asked them to put their own personal flair into these works of art, and they totally did. These bakers come from all corners of the world and their perspective of the holidays is very different. That also falls into their state profile. Things I don’t consider the holidays, they might. Then all of a sudden I have this new perception of what the holidays are like in the Middle East or Africa or Toronto. It was wonderful. I got to go on this culinary tour of the world via the Yuletide Lodge we filmed in. It was so cool. 

Wells Adams, Yolanda Gampp, Jacques Torres, and Cast (Food Network)

How was it getting to know the participants? 

They were all seasoned professionals. Most of them have won or done different television shows. It was interesting to meet the GOATS of the baking world and see them perform under the gun, under a lot of pressure, and also have to go up against the best, which brought out the best. Great work creates more great work. Competition does that. It was crazy. Every week it got more and more artistic and every week flavors got better. They all just pushed each other to put together amazing works of art. Some of the things they made absolutely blew my mind. 

What went into the strategy? 

It’s $50,000 for the empire that ends up winning. You can start with one empire, and it could crumble. You can get other people from crumbled empires to come into your empire. The empire can change. Who is leading the empire can change. The power dynamic of it. You also want to think about how you want to form your team. Let’s say you are a great chocolatier. Well, okay, I need a sugar sculpture and someone amazing at fondant. You have to create your team as strong as humanly possible. That was interesting too. You really get to see how intricate and difficult this whole cake building world really is. 

Judges Jacques Torres, Yolanda Gampp and host Wells Adams at the judging table with contestant Aaron Davis’s dish: Christmas Tree, as seen on Sweet Empire, Season 1

Do you and Sarah have any holiday traditions? 

This is going to be an interesting holiday for us because Sarah is doing a Broadway show in New York, so we’re not going to be in L.A. at home. Usually, we do all holidays here and we bring everyone together, whether it’s friends or family. I am the cook. I do all the cooking. She does all the baking. She does this amazing mold that looks like a piece of firewood that she makes the pumpkin bread in, and it’s always a hit. She always makes her world-famous whiskey drink she makes in a big punch bowl, which is a popular thing. It’s funny because I’m the one who plays a bartender on TV. I’m fancy. I have a little bit of cavalier for everyone. I break out the charcuterie board. I’ll do all the cooking whether it’s turkey or a goose. One year we did all Cornish game hens where everyone got like their own turkey, which was nice. This year is different. We’re going to be in a tiny apartment in Hell’s Kitchen and I don’t know, probably ordering out of some Boston Market or something. 

Have you taken anything from this competition?

It’s funny because I’m a savory person and my wife is the sweets person. So every time we go out, she is the one who always wants dessert, and I’m always like, ‘I’m having whatever you’re having.’ It has completely rewired my stomach to where every time we go out I’m like we have to get some dessert and try this. It has definitely changed me in a good way and bad way. Good because I get to try new things. Bad because my waist is getting larger. 

Jesse Palmer is also on Food Network. How would you compare you two as hosts? 

To be fair, I think I hosted a cooking show before he did. So I would say he comes to me for inspiration. No, he is so good. We both do things differently. In Paradise, he is the host and the leader of it where I’m kind of like the funny sidekick. So it’s fun to put on the host hat for a little bit and be in charge, but I still have to be the funny sidekick. I can’t not be silly. Getting to make the show with Yolanda and Jacques, who is so funny. The back and forth we got to have. There is so much stuff on the cutting room floor that would be inappropriate because there is the language barrier Jacquie’s got, but I told the Food Network, “please, this stuff needs to be sent to me. I will put it on my social media. It needs to be seen.” It’s nice because I have a summer job in Paradise making drinks for everyone and now I have a winter job at the Yuletide Lodge making cakes. It’s a good deal. 

Related

Food Network's 2025 Holiday Lineup Includes New Series & Festive Favorites

Next year marks 10 years since everything changed for you being on The Bachelorette and you have been part of this world ever since. How do you reflect on that? 

Before I went on, I was a radio host and did a bunch of radio shows in Nashville, so I never thought about this. I would just assume my career in entertainment would just be radio and interviewing people like you are doing now. I did the whole Bachelor thing because I got dumped and thought it would be a fun experiment. I never thought it would turn into what it has turned into, which is hosting all these different shows and podcasts and getting married to my wife, who is this amazingly talented actress. I’m eternally grateful for Bachelor Nation. I’m amazed they haven’t gotten rid of me yet. At some point, I’m going to be the old weird bartender. I’m not there yet, but it’s coming soon. 

With all this talk of competition, you last competed on The Traitors and were among the first banished. Are you looking for redemption if ever given the opportunity? 

I think I’m going to pass doing Traitors again. I’m much better in terms of hosting and being on the production side of things than apparently I am with the gameplay stuff. Who knows? If they have a season of rejects and idiots, then maybe that’s the show I’ll go on. A season with people who got kicked off like the first three episodes of the show like me, Johnny Bananas, Dorinda [Medley]. That might be an interesting show. I think my Traitors days are done. 

Sweet Empire: Winter Wars, Series Premiere, November 9, 9/8c, Food Network