I just love Kristen so much. I can't imagine a better host. She's such a great ambassador for the show. Cute interview relative to Emmy nominations. So, what location do we think she's so excited about? Could it be Orlando as previously suggested?

• She's excited for Mariska Hargitay to host (also mentioned her as one of her dream Top Chef judges in another interview). Wonders why it took so long (15 years) to have a woman host.
• Busy arranging the glam for her and her wife
• She's competitive and wants Top Chef to "beat" Traitors, but also really respects everyone on that show (she's so classy!)
• Gives a shout out to the Magical Elves lighting director who perhaps created custom filters
• Re: season 24, "Oh my God, I'm so excited. I can't say anything, Marcus. I really am not allowed. But when I tell you my excitement — I am beaming for the news to come out, because I am so excited. Full stop."

On the show:

• "... it's an incredible show that has changed the landscape of how people eat and talk about food and food television over 23 seasons. It's a hard show not to want to give credit to, because it impacts all of our lives."
• "Top Chef translates beyond TV once the episode ends. It continues the conversation about food and the importance of it, and it generates so many spotlights on incredible chefs who perhaps wouldn't otherwise have had that chance. It celebrates their food and the work they put into it. Our communities and our cities don't run without great restaurants. So, I think it's just: thank you for going to the restaurants and supporting the chefs, and also for watching our show."

Couple of excerpts. In addition to wanting more prize $, she has an idea of where they're going for season 24 and is excited.

“I was just talking with some folks from Bravo, and I was like, ‘We need to increase the prize money.’ On my season, Season 10, it was $125,000. Now it’s $250,000, but with inflation, we should be creeping up near a million,” she said during a conversation at Deadline’s Contenders Television: The Nominees Studio. “Eggs are expensive these days. We need to like up the ante a little bit, but I do understand that it’s far more complicated than just saying give us a million bucks.”

Top Chef, produced by Magical Elves, has already been renewed for Season 24. Kish wouldn’t give much away as to where it will be set. “I have heard rumblings. I have a general idea of where we’re going, and all I can say is I’m very, very excited for the entire plan,” she said.

Bam! Thought others might enjoy this article. Seems like Emeril is trending on the socials. Would be great if Food Network recognized we want more than competition shows.

Tagged as spoiler as they talk about the format of the show. I really enjoy Antonia so excited to give this a try. I like that they get four days of "undercover" experience before they formulate the recommendations. Also love that she's open to returning to competition!!

Very touching. He seems like a class act. Really interesting that he almost didn't do Top Chef. So glad he did!

I thought this was a really nice article. Love that Gail and Kristen were there for the final service.

Received BI RADS 3 evaluation after mammogram and ultrasound. The mass they're watching is oval shaped and smooth and does not currently have any blood flow. I trust their analysis. Recommendation is to check again in six months. I'm wondering why I wouldn't just do a biopsy and resolve this now? Worst case I get a six-month head start on a problem. Would love to hear from anyone else who has been in this position. Thanks.

I thought this was so good and I just love Kristen so much.

• Sees show through lens of both host and former competitor
• Relative to Sieger's elimination "it was definitely felt" and she was taken aback by it a bit
• Goes on to say that in coming up in kitchens, there are a lot of male egos so she was not completely stunned
• Says she's "lived through this" and did not take offense
• Believes it is everyone's choice to say what they want, behave how they want, question what they want and that you're "allowed to do all of you."
• Says how that plays out on TV is on the person doing it
• Says the snake was more upsetting :)
• Thinks her sense of compassion/empathy comes from having been kicked off.
• She finds it the hardest to eliminate the first chef b/c she knows they've just hoped to not be the first.
• Mentions how every elimination challenge is staggered so they can taste the food as intended
• Mentions the food often looks better in person than the beauty shot ... I didn't really catch why
• Her favorite Top Chef meltdown is, "I'm not your bitch, bitch."
• Says judges table decisions have to be unanimous or at least someone has to begrudgingly concede ... if not they'll go all night. Says there were sometimes she didn't fully agree but could acknowledge the counter point.
• Says she'd love for fans to see the unedited version of judges table! YES, PLEASE
• In terms of guests, she really loves non-food professionals who are really into food. She shouts out Danielle Brooks "Hook, Line, and Dinner" episode
• Her dream guest judges: Julia Roberts, Beyonce, the Obamas, Mariska Hargitay
• Really wants to host a queer dating show
• Would love to host Amazing Race too

I enjoyed this interview. He's really so impressive. I'd love to eat at Huso one day. And I really want the dog biscuits for my dog!!

• The $675 referenced is in Australian dollar (USD $485)
• I didn't realize he initially turned down Eleven Madison Park's offer
• ~a year later he reached back out and they started his visa paperwork immediately ... that's pretty impressive that they not only remembered him but were that eager to hire him. He was 24 at the time!
• He's working toward a second Michelin star
• He sees himself as more “creative director” than as a chef and is obsessive over details such as the lighting and audio levels – which he tweaks from his phone while we talk – as well as the paper stock of the menu, and the 26-hour playlist that flows from Bob Marley to Bad Bunny.
• His most recent innovation is wagyu, sweet potato and oatmeal dog biscuits for pet-owning shoppers at the Marky’s Caviar counter
• He wants to do Survivor?!?!
• When his dad was sick, he wrote up all the recipes (that were previously just in his dad's head) and also taught his brother to cook ... and now the restaurant is doing well

Short interview with Rhoda in People magazine. She says that, while not aired, Tom, Gail and Kristen talked with the remaining chefs about Sieger's reaction to his elimination, Gail was surprised it doesn't happen more, and that it eased the tension. She also says she does not yet have plans for her prize money.

“It's all raw emotion and there's a lot of things that we all feel as chefs, especially when we put ourselves out there to be just so vulnerable and be judged,” Magbitang tells PEOPLE about rge (sic) Top Chef experience and Bayer’s now-viral outburst.

Following the tense altercation, Mabitang says there was a raw emotional moment while filming that viewers didn’t get to see.

“What I thought was really heartfelt and just very genuine was the infamous exit of Sieger on that episode. The Quickfire Challenge that happened right after Tom, Gail, and Kristen were in the studio and we were just kind of talking. I totally thought that they were going to air it, but they basically addressed it,” says Magbitang, who spoke to PEOPLE at the 2026 Food & Wine Classic in Aspen. “Even Gail Simmons said that she's surprised that it doesn't happen more often, that chefs flip out and just get their emotions be put out there for the world to see. And she's so right.”

The chef says that the judges’ willingness to address the situation helped keep the other contestants on track and softened the blow of the tenseness.

“I thought that was really nice. I thought it was really great that they addressed that and they made us feel comfortable with the situation and try to move past it,” she says

I wouldn't have thought it possible, but Laurence seems even nicer, cooler, smarter, and funnier than he did on the show! I can't wait to see what he does next. Some tidbits:

• He had a friend who's a super fan help him prepare and they had "an Excel spreadsheet with 87 tabs"
• He was not expecting whole hog challenge -- didn't think they'd film for 24 hrs straight
• He'll be doing his finale meal in some pop-ups around Boston!!
• He would love to do Tournament of Champions
• Lots of plans in the work for his future and "this is just the beginning"
• The Beat Bobby Flay episode was filmed way before Top Chef
• He was tightest with Anthony and Rhoda but they're all friends (including Sieger, LOL)
• Top Chef actually flew his wife in from Switzerland to participate in that family meal
• Kristen is as amazing as we think she is

Interesting comment about diners being less adventurous now. If anything, I would have thought people were more adventurous now with so much food tv exposing people to new things.

“Twenty-five years is a long time in New York,” he said in a phone interview on Thursday. “I’m grappling with the situation,” he said. “Things have changed, rents and expenses for everything keep going up. You can’t function.”

He has not relinquished the space but isn’t sure what the next step will be for it and for him. He also plans to close his Italian restaurant, Vallata, next door to Craft. It shares some of Craft’s facilities, including the dishwasher.

Mr. Colicchio, a familiar face to many as a judge on Bravo’s “Top Chef,” where he is also an executive producer, said that Craft survived the pandemic reasonably well. But he said that the nature of running a restaurant in New York had changed, as had the clientele. “Diners were more adventurous when we opened,” he said. “Back then, I could sell 26 squab a night. Now, I’m lucky to get two orders.”

Hootie Hoo! Wish I lived close enough I could see this. Fun interview. I've been loving her on Chewed Up on YouTube (resurgence of ABC's The Chew - this time uncensored with Carla, Clinton Kelly and Michael Symon). She's just a delight. I still think about her excitement over chicken potpie in the Jimmy Fallon challenge.

I love Maneet and enjoyed this conversation. Fun hearing her talk about Chopped Castaways and BBQ Brawl. I've only had it on in the background and so haven't watched very closely but I'm curious about the BBQ Brawl moment she says made her excuse herself and cry.