Getty Chef Brian Malarkey attends Vegas Uncork'd by Bon Appetit presented by Chase Sapphire Preferred 10th anniversary Grand Tasting at Caesars Palace on April 29, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Top Chef season 17 is underway, and one of the competitors still in the competition is Chef Brian Malarkey.
While many searches about Malarkey center around his skills as a chef and his numerous restaurants, curious fans have spent the past several years wondering if Malarkey has gotten plastic surgery; Malarkey is 47 years old. On Twitter, Malarkey went so far as to respond to an outright suggestion that he’d had work done, denying it publicly.
In 2013, Andrew Zimmern took to Twitter to wonder if Malarkey had plastic surgery to alter his physical appearance. In a tweet, he wrote “Watching The Taste..Did Malarkey get plastic surgery? I think so! Am I wrong?”
Since Zimmern had tagged Malarkey, Malarkey saw the message and responded, refuting his suggestion that Malarkey had any cosmetic surgery done. Instead, he explained “It’s HD makeup,” jumping at the opportunity to take a dig at his critic, adding “but at least I have hair! Oh!”
Zimmern sent another message back, adding “True enough! Gotta tell them to back off the mask look tho! The gingham shirt saved you … Show looks great. Good luck.”
Malarkey Was Dropped as a Judge on ‘The Taste’ After Only One Season
Zimmern’s tweet about Malarkey’s face and possible plastic surgery was in response to Malarkey’s appearance as a judge on ABC’s The Taste. Brian Malarkey served as a judge on the show for its first season; however, when it was renewed for a season 2, he was not asked back.
As news spread that Malarkey would not be returning to the primetime show, Hollywood Reporter interviewed Malarkey about his experience working on The Taste and his reaction to getting fired. When asked why they didn’t ask him back for season 2, he said “No one really said why. It was depressing for a little while but I had a great time and I have other opportunities coming through. On the show, I was loud, I got into it with Ludo [Lefebvre, the fourth mentor], I dressed silly. My restaurants are called Herringbone and Searsucker because we like to laugh and have a good time. I wore a green jacket and bow tie. Some people loved me, some people hated me, but at the end of the day, The Taste wanted to get a bigger-name chef. I just found out who it is and I’m flattered who it is… I respect him immensely.”
Over the Years, Brian’s Appearance Has Stayed Consistent on Social Media
Brian stays active on social media, sharing updates with his over 24,000 followers on Instagrams. He is featured in many of those photos, and over the years that haven’t been any noticeable differences in his appearance that would suggest plastic surgery.
When he’s not promoting his restaurants or his involvement in Top Chef season 17, Malarkey uses the platform to share personal photos and videos, often including his wife and kids.
New episodes of Top Chef season 17 air on Thursday nights at 10/9c on Bravo.
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