Guy Fieri adds bigger stakes to Tournament of Champions II on Food Network
Food Network and Guy Fieri are back with Tournament of Champions II. After last year’s highly successful first competition, the ultimate chef driven culinary competition has returned. With a few new twists and turns, Food Network fans will be ready for the new season premiere on Sunday, March 7. What does fate will the randomizer hold for these chefs?
Sometimes the most memorable culinary competitions have the most unexpected ingredients. As seen in last year’s Tournament of Champions, a group of 16 talented celebrity chefs battled for supremacy in the bracket style competition. Even as Brooke Williamson was crowned the winner, many people were left wondering, how long would she hold that title?
In a recent announcement from Food Network, the popular culinary competition is back for another round. While the format is similar, East Coast vs West Coast chefs, in a winner take all format, the challenges will most certainly be harder in round two.
Tournament of Champions II pushes chefs to the limits.
According to Courtney White, President, Food Network. “The new season is like a pressure cooker and will captivate audiences with intense rivalries, redemptions, and rematches. There’s no way to predict what will happen in this sudden-death competition.”
While the culinary competition is the reason for Food Network fans to watch every Sunday night, another aspect makes this competition more meaningful than just the culinary creativity on a plate. There is a charitable aspect to this new season.
As everyone appreciates, the restaurant industry has been decimated in the past year. Food Network and Guy Fieri are using this competition to give back to restaurants in need.
Fieri said, “This year, the stakes are even higher because every time a chef wins a round, we are donating $10,000 in their name to their favorite local restaurant that is in need.”
The chefs competing in Tournament of Champions II are:
East Coast: Madison Cowan, Maneet Chauhan, Darnell Ferguson, Amanda Freitag, Marc Murphy, Christian Petroni and Bryan Voltaggio.
West Coast: Cat Cora, Antonia Lofaso, Brian Malarkey, Aaron May, Jet Tila, Michael Voltaggio, and defending champion and last season’s winner Brooke Williamson.
Looking at the list of chefs, their pedigree is quite impressive. While randomizer might be the great equalizer, any chef could take that champion’s belt away from Williamson. Sometimes it pays to be a little lucky in a bracket style competition.
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The competition kicks off on Sunday, March 7 at 9 p.m. ET on Food Network. Additional behind the scenes clips will be available on Discovery+.
Which chef do you think will win Tournament of Champions II? Could a first round upset be brewing?