TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS
- By PAIGE PETRONE
I’m very excited about the return of Tournament of Champions (season six) this month on the Food Network. I must admit I’ve become a bit obsessed with cooking competition shows and I can’t seem to get enough. I watch the Food Network all day long, enjoying episodes I’ve already seen, so I guess I’m the only one who could write this story with the enthusiasm it deserves.
TOC’s new season has some interesting changes. The previous champions (Brooke Williamson, two-time winner Maneet Chauhan, Tiffani Faison, and Mei Lin) have hung up their knives and are not competing. That opens up the bracket to the many up-and-coming chefs being featured all over the network’s shows. The next stars will emerge with the champs out of way.
So, to set the scene — there are several exciting qualifying rounds (in front of a live audience) to add eight “hopefuls” into the competition (aka TOC Arena), making a total of 32 top chefs! The premise of the show is similar to Wimbledon or US Open tennis with the bracket of players. The match-ups are ranked by their accomplishments in the food world. Host Guy Fieri is on fire as he leads the network into its next level of success with his latest series. Guy says that watching the chefs is like watching ballet dancers. Clearly, he really loves what he does and being around all this great food.
TOC showcases the best-of-the-best chefs in sudden death, head-to-head cooking battles with random ingredients and tools. Their masterpieces must be completed in limited time periods as well. Then, they will be judged (with a blind tasting) by the veteran chef judges. All these elements bring this cooking show to another level for the network. But in the end, it is Fieri’s shenanigans, games, and corny jokes that make him, well, downright adorable. Along with hatching this concept, he has come up with the “randomizer,” a wheel he spins, landing on random proteins, vegetables, kitchen tools, and a whammy (with a must-use whammy ingredient). It’s not only impressive, but also fun!
Also this month: look for new show House of Knives featuring Chopped’s Judge, Chef Scott Conant, debuting March 18, 2025. Then the hit Ciao House with Iron Chef Alex Guarnaschelli and Chef Gabriel Bertaccini returns in April.
Catch TOC on Food Network and streaming on MAX. Click here.
