Tournament of Champions premiered on Food Network in 2020. Hosted by Guy Fieri, the show brings together highly accomplished chefs from across the culinary world to compete in a single-elimination bracket tournament.
The show is defined by its brutal “sudden death” format. Chefs are seeded into brackets and must face off in head-to-head matches. Before each battle, a large on-set randomizer determines key cooking variables such as required protein, produce, cooking equipment, style, and time limit. The chefs must create dishes that meet all randomly selected criteria within the allotted time.
The pressure is compounded by the fact that the judges—situated in a separate room—have no idea whose food they are tasting, ensuring that even legendary Iron Chefs can be eliminated by rising stars if their dish fails to meet the criteria. Scores are based on taste, presentation, and use of the randomizer categories. The chef with the higher score advances in the bracket until a final champion is crowned.
Tournament of Champions has grown significantly since its debut. Season 1 featured 16 chefs; by Season 4, the field had expanded to 32. Starting in Season 6, the show added a qualifier special in which 16 chefs compete for eight open slots in the tournament bracket, giving new chefs a path into the competition alongside returning veterans.
The show introduced a judges’ correspondent role in 2025, filled by Simon Majumdar, who relays the panel’s reasoning after each verdict. In addition, it features a sideline team, comprised of Tiffani Faison and Justin Warner as sideline reporters who provide play-by-play commentary, and Hunter Fieri, who reports from backstage.
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