Tournament of Champions Season 5 brings even more competition twists
Food Network and Guy Fieri changed the culinary competition space when they launched Tournament of Champions. For Tournament of Champions Season 5, the competition has more randomized twists that will keep everyone on their toes. Can anyone predict which chef will eventually claim the coveted championship belt?
Throughout the Food Network programming, the popular shows need elements to keep them fresh. While some programs bring new faces to the screen, other programs rely on updating the format to keep viewers engaged.
With Tournament of Champions Season 5, the slight change in format keeps the outcome unpredictable. Even though some viewers cheer for their favorite chef, the ingredients and combinations might not be in their wheelhouse. How they adapt, create, and execute that dish is vital to moving onto the next round.
Speaking about the new season, Guy Fieri said, "As the wildest, most anticipated culinary competition year-after-year, you know that we had to go big for season five. So here’s the deal, in order to win, you’ve gotta either be a past champ or take down a champ, as all the winners from previous seasons are back to defend their titles. We're crankin’ up the already fierce competition with heated culinary rivalries, wild cards, and of course, off-the-charts flavor on Tournament of Champions V!”
Which chefs are competing on Tournament of Champions Season 5?
With every season, the competition gets more intense as celebrated chefs and fan favorites look to test their skills. The list of well-known chefs is long. This year, all the former champions are returning to face the randomizer and its unpredictable spins. In addition, new chefs step up to the challenge.
Competing for East Coast are: Eric Adjepong, Karen Akunowicz, Kelsey Barnard Clark, season 2 champion Maneet Chauhan, Tobias Dorzon, season 3 champion Tiffani Faison, Amanda Freitag, Jose Garces, Stephanie Izard, Marc Murphy, Britt Rescigno, Jonathon Sawyer, and Dale Talde.
Competing for the West Coast are: Carlos Anthony, Shirley Chung, season 4 champion Mei Lin, Antonia Lofaso, Crista Luedtke, Brian Malarkey, Shota Nakajima, Joe Sasto, Adam Sobel, Casey Thompson, Jet Tila, Michael Voltaggio, season 1 champion Brooke Williamson, and Lee Anne Wong.
In addition, the eighth place seeds, The Qualifiers, will battle for the four remaining spots. 16 chefs vie for the opportunity. As seen in previous seasons, those Qualifiers can cause chaos in the main bracket competition. Could one of those chefs raise the belt at the end of the tournament?
All the action begins on February 7 and February 14 with the Qualifier rounds. The main season begins on February 18 at 8 p.m. ET. 32 chefs will compete for the title with the winner announced after eight weeks of competition on April 7.