Top Chef’s Season 20, with World All-Stars, Features Some “Really, Really Serious” Competition
Padma, Tom, and Gail are heading to London for Top Chef Season 20, premiering in March.
London’s calling and Bravo’s Top Chef is answering the call. Top Chef returns for a milestone Season 20 with World All-Stars in the famed British city. Season 20 features 16 of the greatest competitors from Top Chef iterations around the globe, facing off in the fiercest showdown the culinary series has seen when the new season kicks off this March.
And as Tom Colicchio notes in the above trailer for Season 20, “The competition just got really, really serious.” He later adds in the first look that the food has been “beyond our expectations.”
Find out what he means by pressing play on the video above. And scroll down for all the details on the new season.
When Does Season 20 of Top Chef premiere?
Top Chef Season 20 premieres on Thursday, March 9, on Bravo with — wait for it — an entire season of supersize episodes airing Thursdays from 9-10:15/8-9:15c. Episodes will be available the next day on Peacock.
Host Padma Lakshmi, head judge Tom Colicchio, and Gail Simmons are back for the landmark season of the Emmy, James Beard, and Critics’ Choice Award–winning series.
Where Does Season 20 Take Place?
This special All-Stars season features winners and finalists from 11 different Top Chef versions around the world competing for the ultimate World All-Stars title. This time the chefs return to the kitchen to battle it out throughout London before moving on to the grand finale in Paris. This epic showdown marks the first time the flagship edition of Top Chef has gone abroad for an entire season.
Who Are the Top Chef Season 20 cheftestants?
Samuel Albert (winner, Top Chef France, Season 10)
Luciana Berry (winner, Top Chef Brazil, Season 2)
Sara Bradley (finalist, Bravo’s Top Chef, Season 16: Kentucky)
Dawn Burrell (finalist, Bravo’s Top Chef, Season 18: Portland)
Ali Ghzawi (winner, Top Chef Middle East & North Africa, Season 3: Lebanon)
Tom Goetter (finalist, Top Chef Germany, Season 1)
Nicole Gomes (winner, Top Chef Canada, Season 5: All-Stars)
Victoire Gouloubi (finalist, Top Chef Italy, Season 2)
Charbel Hayek (winner, Top Chef Middle East & North Africa, Season 5: Saudi Arabia)
Buddha Lo (winner, Bravo’s Top Chef, Season 19: Houston)
Dale MacKay (winner, Top Chef Canada, Season 1)
May Phattanant Thongthong (finalist, Top Chef Thailand, Season 1)
Begoña Rodrigo (winner, Top Chef Spain, Season 1)
Gabriel Rodriguez (winner, Top Chef Mexico, Season 2)
Amar Santana (finalist, Bravo’s Top Chef, Season 13: California)
Sylvia Stachyra (winner, Top Chef Poland, Season 7)
Who Are the Top Chef Season 20 Guest Judges?
Throughout the competition, Padma, Tom, and Gail will be joined by distinguished judges from the international versions, including Aquiles Chavez (judge, Top Chef Mexico), Hélène Darroze (judge, Top Chef France), Lorna Maseko (host, Top Chef South Africa), Martha Ortiz (judge, Top Chef Mexico), and Dave Zilber (judge, Top Chef Canada). The chefs must also strive to impress a rotation of esteemed global culinary experts, including Gaggan Anand, Sam Bompas, Tom Brown, Jeremy Chan, Brett Graham, Max Halley, Adam Handling, Angela Hartnett, Graham Hornigold, Judy Joo, Asma Khan, Santiago Lastra, Greg Marchand, Clare Smyth, Kirk Westaway, Andrew Wong, and Paul A. Young. Tottenham legend Ledley King and Evening Standard restaurant critic Jimi Famurewa contribute to the table. Alain Ducasse also makes a rare appearance with the finalists in Paris.
Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen Returns: Details
Beginning Thursday, March 16, Bravo’s Emmy-winning digital companion series is back, and Tom Colicchio returns to host Season 12 of Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen. Last Chance Kitchen will allow the eliminated chefs to go head-to-head to try to cook their way back into the competition. Presented by BMW of North America, each week’s episode will be available on BravoTV.com, on demand, or wherever you stream Bravo’s Top Chef at the conclusion of each week’s episode.
(Peep a throwback Last Chance Kitchen clip above!)
More Details on Season 20 of Top Chef
According to a press release, “With national pride and the title of World All-Stars on the line, the chefs are at the top of their game as they compete on a global stage. They have access to the finest U.K. ingredients as they showcase their culinary skills, diverse roots, and international influences in a series of high-pressure challenges. From prepping a picnic at Highclere Castle to going head-to-head at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the chefs will compete in iconic locations throughout London and the surrounding areas. These highly decorated chefs will put their spin on iconic British staples from Beef Wellington and biscuits to pub food and afternoon tea.
“This season’s Restaurant Wars also continues to up the ante when Michelin-starred chef Clare Smyth hands over her restaurant and staff so that each team can deliver a meal worthy of a star. The teams are in for a surprise, however, when they find out a secret critic will be joining the judging panel. To rise above the pack, the cheftestants will have to bring their A-game for the fastest Elimination Challenge in Top Chef history and hit all the right notes cooking Indian food for Padma and the judges. With the best of the best competing, the stakes are higher than ever before as they fight to cook in the finale in Paris to claim the ultimate title of Top Chef World All-Star.
“In the finale meal in Paris, the chefs must cook for guest judge Hélène Darroze, who has six Michelin stars across her three restaurants, as well as a daunting table of international juggernauts, including May Chow, Angel Leon, Hunter Lewis, Gwendal Poullennec, Simon Rogan, Marcus Samuelson, Clare Smyth, and Daniela Soto-Innes.
“The winning chef will be crowned Top Chef World All-Star, taking home the grand prize of $250,000 provided by the Saratoga® Brand, a feature in Food & Wine, and an appearance at the 40th-annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen.”
More on All Things Top Chef
According to a press release, “Top Chef is a global phenomenon with over 100 winners across 29 international versions. Licensed by NBCUniversal Formats globally, locations include France (14 seasons), Canada (10 seasons), Middle East & North Africa (seven seasons), and Brazil (three seasons), to name a few. The original U.S. series launched in 2006 and has been sold to over 175 territories worldwide. Last year, Top Chef Middle East was nominated for an International Emmy Award, marking the first Middle Eastern unscripted series to be recognized.”
