Pond hopping: `Top Chef' heads to London for `World All-Stars'
Few shows manage to stay on the air for more than a decade without some kind of “jumping the shark” moment or a noticeable decline. Fortunately, “Top Chef” is one of those exceptions.
Since 2006, the awardwinning series has remained consistent through 19 seasons of creative challenges that reflect evolving tastes and trends. It has come to be regarded as a cultural touchstone and a star-maker, with many of its cheftestants – such as celebrity chefs Carla Hall and Richard Blais and restaurateur Brian Malarkey – establishing themselves as influential voices in the culinary world.
So, it’s no surprise that “Top Chef” would cook up something big for its landmark 20th season, which gets underway Thursday, March 9, on Bravo.
For the first time in the show’s history, the entire season was shot abroad, mostly in London, England. There, 16 winners and finalists from various international versions of “Top Chef” will battle it out for the title and prize.
“We’ve always wanted to do a season of ‘Top Chef’ with winners, finalists and frontrunners,” Ryan Flynn, senior vice-president of current production for NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, said in a statement. “But to take that concept for the 20th season one step further with cheftestants from localized versions across the world has been a dream come true. And what better place to host ‘World All-Stars’ than London, a global stomping ground and renowned food city, offering our cheftestants access to the U.K.’s exceptional ingredients and international flavors.”
Padma Lakshmi will once again serve as host, alongside head judge Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons. They’ll be joined by “distinguished judges from the international versions, as well as esteemed global culinary experts” who will judge the competition as it unfolds throughout the city of London, culminating in a grand finale set in Paris.
Ready for an epic showdown and a full season of supersized episodes? “Top Chef: World All-Stars” begins Thursday, March 9, on Bravo.