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Bravo’s hit series Top Chef is getting a new culinary competition spinoff – Top Chef Amateurs. Top Chef Amateurs features talented home cooks testing their skills to compete in the Top Chef kitchen. Longtime Top Chef judge Gail Simmons will host the show, coming to Bravo in 2021.
Each week on Top Chef Amateurs, two amateur chefs will go head-to-head for a chance to win the coveted Top Chef title. The spinoff will also feature some Top Chef fan favorites: Eric Adjepong, Richard Blais, Jennifer Carroll, Shirley Chung, Stephanie Cmar, Tiffany Derry, Joe Flamm, Gregory Gourdet, Melissa King, Kwame Onwuachi, Dale Talde, and Isaac Toups, according to the Daily Dish.
The series also wants to hear from fans about what they’d like to see on the show. Fans can help choose which of the two past Top Chef challenges should be featured on Top Chef Amateurs. Fans can vote via Twitter between the Seven Deadly Sins Challenge – where chefs create a seven-course meal reflecting the seven deadly sins – or the Aphrodisiac Challenge – where the chefs prepare menus based on aphrodisiac ingredients. Voting takes place from Tuesday, October 20 through Friday, October 23 and the winner will be revealed on Monday, October 26.
‘Top Chef’ Will Return for Season 18
Top Chef fans will get lots of content, with both Top Chef Amateurs debuting as well as the classic Top Chef. Bravo announced the culinary competition show would return for season 18. The new season will take place in Portland, Oregon and the show will also air in 2021. Padma Lakshmi will continue to host, alongside judges Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons.
Similar to seasons in the past, Top Chef will maximize their time in Portland by incorporating the city into chef challenges. Bravo hinted that the chefs will cover the Hood River Fruit Loop, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon’s Mt. Hood Territory, Tillamook Bay, Tualatin Valley, and Willamette Valley wine country, according to the Daily Dish.
“Portland has been on our radar for the last few years as a burgeoning culinary destination known for its innovative dining scene driven by independent, chef-owned restaurants, local farms and purveyors,” Shari Levine, Executive Vice President, Current Production, Bravo, said in a statement, as reported by the Daily Dish. “The city’s unique culture alongside Oregon’s natural pantry of indigenous ingredients and incredible scenic beauty makes it the ultimate chef’s playground and an ideal destination for Top Chef to explore.”
Top Chef season 18 is currently in production and adhering to COVID-19 safety guidelines. The show has a, “comprehensive health and safety plan developed in accordance with CDC guidance, all state and local orders, as well as NBCUniversal’s own safety guidelines,” according to the Daily Dish.
Bravo Recently Debuted Another Spinoff Show
Top Chef Amateurs is the newest Bravo show, but it’s not the only one the network has debuted. In September, Bravo announced that they would be launching its newest series, Bravo’s Chat Room. The series – which premiered September 27 – aires every Sunday and Monday night after Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.
The show features four Bravo-lebrities: Below Deck’s Kate Chastain, Summer House’s Hannah Berner, Real Housewives of Atlanta’s Porsha Williams, and Real Housewives of Potomac’s Gizelle Bryant. The four ladies chat via video about the latest Bravo news, shows, and gossip. Bravo’s Chat Room originally had the go for six episodes, but they recently announced it will be renewed for ten more episodes.
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