Top Chef season 20 is known as Top Chef: World All-Stars. It brought together the best chefs from different international editions of the show. Unarguably, it was the selling point for audiences as they watched the best chefs from all over the world compete for the title of Top Chef.
Top Chef season 20 was created with a unique twist. It became the first time the show was filmed entirely outside the United States. Here’s all that went down on Top Chef season 20.
Top Chef Season 20 Contestants
Unlike the previous season with 15 contestants, Top Chef season 20 had 16 contestants from its international editions. The contestant pool was drawn from winners, runner-ups, and other who finished among the top ranking of their respective seasons. The list is reflective of the top editions of the franchise, and includes:
- Samuel Albert was the winner of Top Chef (France) season 10.
- Luciana Berry was the winner of Top Chef Brazil season 2.
- Sara Bradley was runner-up in Top Chef (USA) season 16.
- Dawn Burrell was runner-up in Top Chef (USA) season 18.
- Ali Ghzawi was the winner of Top Chef (MENA) season 3.
- Tom Goetter came 3rd on Top Chef Germany season 1.
- Nicole Gomes came 5th on Top Chef Canada season 3 and won in season 5.
- Victoire Gouloubi was the runner-up in Top Chef Italia season 2.
- Charbel Hayek was the winner of Top Chef (MENA) season 5.
- Buddha Lo was the winner of Top Chef (USA) season 19.
- Dale MacKay won Top Chef Canada season 1.
- Phattanant “May” Thongthong was runner-up in Top Chef Thailand season 1.
- Begoña Rodrigo won Top Chef (Spain) season 1.
- Gabriel “Gabri” Rodriguez won Top Chef Mexico season 2.
- Amar Santana was a runner-up in Top Chef (USA) season 13.
- Sylwia Stachyra was the winner of Top Chef (Poland) season 7.
Top Chef Season 20 Host
Padma Lakshmi was again the host of Top Chef: World All-Stars. She has hosted Top Chef since she joined in 2006, on the show’s season 2. However, Top Chef season 20 is Lakshmi’s last season as host. Besides her work as a TV host, the Indian-American is also an actress, model, author, activist, and philanthropist.
Filming And Locations Of Top Chef Season 20
The idea for an international all-star competition was conceived after the success of season 17, Top Chef: All-Stars L.A. The showrunners and executive producers generally agreed that it was best to film the season outside of the United States to eliminate bias and an unnecessary advantage for American chefs.
After considering several cities in the world, the team ultimately settled for London. According to Lakshmi, London was chosen for a variety of reasons. Beyond its rich cultural diversity from its ever-growing immigrant population, London has abundant food ingredients, meat, and produce. However, the season’s finale was set in Paris.
The London kitchen was designed on a 620 m2 (7,200 square foot) set around Richmond, London. Filming began in August 2022 but had one episode affected by the death of Queen Elizabeth II. “Thali Time” (Episode 10) was initially scheduled at the Taj Hotel. Last-minute changes saw the episode filmed at the original Top Chef kitchen. The change was as a result of the Taj Hotel’s proximity to Buckingham Palace.
Top Chef Season 20 Winners
The season attracted some of the show’s most dedicated audience. It was the first time the best chefs from around the world (under the franchise) would compete for an ultimate winner. The winning prize for Top Chef season 20 was $250,000. Three notable winners were crowned, with two runner-ups and the main winner.
Sara Bradley from Top Chef (USA) season 16 ranked third as the second runner-up. Sara had an impressive run throughout the season. However, she lost the Elimination Challenge in Episode 11 (“Battle of the Wellingtons”) as part of the Red Team with Amar. She returned to the competition after winning the second Last Chance Kitchen re-entry challenge, defeating Charbel.
Gabriel “Gabri” Rodriguez, who won Top Chef Mexico season 2, was Top Chef season 20 first runner-up. Surprisingly, Gabriel was selected among the bottom entries at the Elimination Challenge in six of the show’s 14 episodes. The Top Chef season 20 winner was Buddha Lo. Buddha also had the highest number of episode wins amongst the other contestants, winning four. He also had the highest number of wins in the Quickfire Challenge. As the winner, Buddha Lo walked away with Top Chef season 20 $250,000 price.
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