Inside The On-Set Reunion When Celebrity Chef Jamika Pessoa Filmed Her General Hospital Appearance
Jamika Pessoa is a talented celebrity chef who first entered the public eye in 2009 as a contestant on "The Food Network Star." She has been no stranger to television sets since her time on the Food Network competition show, and has been featured many times on popular morning and talk shows such as "Good Morning America," "USA Today," "The Chew," "The Wendy Williams Show," and even a weekly segment on "The Dish on Oz," among others. Pessoa is often invited as a judge for popular food-related shows such as "Chopped Junior," "Family Food Showdown," "Guy's Grocery Games," and was the co-host of "The Good Dish." In summer 2022, Pessoa was asked to add a new type of show to her roster — a soap opera.
The chef will appear as herself on an episode of "General Hospital" in early August, according to Soaps in Depth. When she received the call inviting her to appear Pessoa said, "Before they even finished the offer I was like, 'Yep, sure! Let me know what time and I will be there with my chef coat, ready to do this!" Pessoa has a personal connection to soap operas and shared that she bonded with her grandmother as a child when they would watch her "stories" together (via Soaps). She said she was "losing her mind" at the idea of appearing on such a classic show.
Jamika Pessoa ran into former co-host Cameron Mathison on the GH set
While filming "General Hospital," Jamika Pessoa admitted that she was intimidated by the new medium, according to Soaps in Depth. She explained in an interview with Soap Opera Digest, "I'm accustomed to being on sets where it's food-related. It's a competition show, it's a reality show, it's a daytime talk show. I've never done scripted [TV] before, so this is my acting debut, if you will." However, she soon ran into a familiar face on the "General Hospital" set which put her nerves at ease.
Cameron Mathison, who plays Drew Cain on the sudser, is an old pal of Pessoa's. The two have previously appeared together on the Hallmark Channel show "Home & Family," and as judges on the Food Network's competition show "Clash of the Grandmas," (via Soaps). "That was so great. It was comforting to see a familiar face," the chef said of seeing Mathison.
Pessoa went on to gush about how friendly the entire cast and crew of "GH" were and how they welcomed her with open arms (per Soaps in Depth). She said, "It was just a great experience — it delivered on everything that I anticipated and then some!" She has also made it clear that she's more than open to returning to the soap someday. Viewers should keep their eyes peeled on Monday, August 8 to see this woman of all trades in action!