Tournament of Champions: All-Star Christmas Winner

Tonight at 8pm ET on Food Network is the two-hour season finale of Tournament of Champions: All-Star Christmas. There are four teams remaining who are competing for bragging rights, a $100,000 prize, and an additional $50,000 prize for their charity. The final four teams are: Kevin Lee and Dale Talde, Jet Tila and Ashley Holt, Michael Voltaggio and Bryan Voltaggio, and Tobias Dorzon and Marcel Vigneron.

For the semi-finals of Tournament of Champions: All-Star Christmas, Kevin Lee and Dale Talde will face Jet Tila and Ashley Holt, while Michael Voltaggio and Bryan Voltaggio will face Tobias Dorzon and Marcel Vigneron. The two winners of those matchups will face off in the finale to determine the winner of Tournament of Champions: All-Star Christmas.

Here is a previous post about all of the matchups and outcomes for TOC: All-Star Christmas, but below is how the final four teams got to this point:

• Kevin Lee and Dale Talde defeated Maneet Chauhan and Stephanie Izard 77-74 and Graham Elliot and Giuseppe Tentori 78-74.
• Jet Tila and Ashley Holt defeated Aarón Sánchez and Amanda Freitag 82-79 and Britt Rescigno and Jonathon Sawyer 93-88.
• Michael Voltaggio and Bryan Voltaggio defeated Sara Bradley and Damaris Phillips 82-80 and Mei Lin and Nini Nguyen 92-91
• Tobias Dorzon and Marcel Vigneron defeated Shirley Chung and Sherry Yard 85-79 and Antonia Lofaso and Alex Guarnaschelli 80-79.

Also, below is the updated bracket for TOC: All-Star Christmas that shows the winners of all of the matchups up until this point.

I will update this post with the winner of the final three matchups after the episode airs and you can discuss season 6 of Tournament of Champions: All-Star Christmas in the comments.

Continue reading to see who won the matchups in the final episode.....

Harry Potter Wizards of Baking Winner - Season 2

Sunday night at 8pm ET on Food Network is the season 2 finale of Harry Potter Wizards of Baking where the winning team will be announced.  There are three teams remaining that are hoping to be crowned the Wizards of Baking winner.  The teams are: Molly Robbins (Lancashire, UK) and Priya Winsor (St. Albert, Alberta, Canada), Alex Madrigal (Playa Del Carmen, Mexico) and Jenny Chambers (Salisbury, UK), and Zoë Burmester and Jordan Pilarsk (season 1 winners).  There is no cash prize, but the winners will get a "Wizards of Baking Cup."  Last year, the winners were included in a Harry Potter cookbook which is already available on Amazon.  There have been other Harry Potter cookbooks released in the past, but it doesn't seem there will be another one released from season 2.

The episode description for the final episode states, "For the final showdown in the illustrious Great Hall, hosts James and Oliver Phelps challenge the three baking teams to create showpieces celebrating the Goblet of Fire. The epic creations are presented to a crowd of Harry Potter superfans. Guest judges Warwick Davis, Afshan Azad and Devon Murray return to join Carla Hall and Jozef Youssef to award the trophy and crown the Wizards of Baking champions."

I will update this post with the winner of Harry Potter Wizards of Baking season 2 after the episode airs and feel free to discuss this season in the comments.

Continue reading to see who won Harry Potter Wizards of Baking season 2.......

Tournament of Champions: All-Star Christmas Bracket and Winners

Food Network's hit show Tournament of Champions will have a special season that starts on Wednesday, November 5th at 8pm on Food Network. This season is a holiday-themed season called Tournament of Champions: All-Star Christmas and 32 chefs will be paired up in teams of two to compete as teams against each other in a bracket format.   The winning team will take home a $100,000 prize and they also get an additional $50,000 prize to give to a cause that they are passionate about.

There are 32 chefs competing and they will be paired up in teams of two.  The pairings of chefs are as follows - Antonia Lofaso and Alex Guarnaschelli; Maneet Chauhan and Stephanie Izard; Mei Lin and Nini Nguyen; Jet Tila and Ashley Holt; Lee Anne Wong and Zac Young; Sara Bradley and Damaris Phillips; Britt Rescigno and Jonathon Sawyer; Michael Voltaggio and Bryan Voltaggio; Marcus Samuelsson and Rachel Sherriffe; Shirley Chung and Sherry Yard; Kevin Lee and Dale Talde; Aarón Sánchez and Amanda Freitag; Tobias Dorzon and Marcel Vigneron; Adam Sobel and Christian Petroni; Aarti Sequeira and Crista Luedtke; Graham Elliot and Giuseppe Tentori.

Justin Warner and Tiffani Faison will be providing the play-by-play analysis of the competition, and Hunter Fieri will also be on the floor to provide insight.  The judges this year include Michelle Bernstein, Scott Conant, Cat Cora, Susan Feniger, Gale Gand, Lorena Garcia, Judy Joo, Nancy Silverton, Curtis Stone, Jacques Torres, Christina Tosi, Ming Tsai, and Geoffrey Zakarian.

This post will be used to track the winners for each episode, so come back each week to see who won the matchups on Tournament of Champions: All-Star Christmas and to discuss the episodes.  Also, the Tournament of Champions: All-Star Christmas bracket is below with all of the matchups. The finale will air on Wednesday, December 10th where the winning team will be crowned and awarded $100,000.

Tournament of Champions: All-Star Christmas Bracket:

Continue reading to see who won the matchups in each episode of Tournament of Champions: All-Star Christmas......

Holiday Baking Championship Season 12

Photo - Warner Bros. Discovery

The twelfth season of Holiday Baking Championship airs on Monday nights at 8pm ET/PT on Food Network starting November 3rd, 2025.  This season is once again hosted by Jesse Palmer and the judges are Nancy Fuller, Duff Goldman, and Kardea Brown.  This year there are twelve bakers competing for a $25,000 prize and a feature in Food Network Magazine.  Something new this year is that the bakers will be divided into two teams - Team Naughty and Team Nice.

The bakers competing for the $25,000 prize on season twelve are:

• Alyx Abreu - New Orleans, Louisiana
• Nico Alkalay - Denver, Colorado
• Jeanna 'Gia' Barnes - Troy, Alabama
• Jean Carlos - Orlando, Florida
• Daniel Gray - High Point, North Carolina
• Tarek Husseini - St. Louis, Missouri
• Erin Michelle Luttrell - Kansas City, Missouri
• Chase Maus - Santa Fe, New Mexico
• Camrey Smith - Detroit, Michigan
• Ashleigh Wright - Frisco, Texas
• Charles Zimmerman - Charlottesville, Virginia
• Violet Zoner - Ithaca, New York

The Holiday Baking Championship season finale will air on Monday, December 22nd and I will do another post about that episode before it airs.  Feel free to discuss season 12 of Holiday Baking Championship in the comments of this post. 

The Great Food Truck Race Season 18 Winner

Photo - Food Network

Sunday Night at at 9pm ET on Food Network is the season 18 finale of The Great Food Truck Race where the winning team will take home $50,000.  The two remaining teams competing for the prize are Nishaan and Good Fortune. Nishaan is a Pakistani-American fusion food truck from New York City and is run by Naoufal, Zeeshan and Vidya. Good Fortune is run by Sarah, Arturo and Chris from Memphis, TN and they do handmade Chinese noodles and dumplings. It seems like a lot of people were happy to see the Que food truck go home before the finale.

The final episode is in Norfolk, Virginia and the description states:

"Host Tyler Florence kicks off the finale with the two winningest teams in Great Food Truck Race history competing in a sales frenzy, feeding the sailors of a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier in port at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia. After the sailors are fed, the trucks move to town, and one team misses the perfect sell spot by just a few feet, with unforeseen consequences. In the final challenge, one team proves they've truly outperformed the rest, but it all comes down to sales to see who will win $50,000 and the title of Great Food Truck Race champion."

I will update this post with The Great Food Truck Race season 18 winner after the episode airs.  Feel free to discuss this season and the finale in the comments.  

Continue reading to see who won The Great Food Truck Race season 18.....

BBQ Brawl Season 6 Winner

Sunday night at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network is the season six finale of BBQ Brawl where the remaining 
contestants will cook through the night to determine a winner. The final contestants competing for the win are Kyle Bryner, Tyler Anderson, and Brad Leighninger.

The episode description states: "In the final showdown, team captains Bobby Flay, Maneet Chauhan and Antonia Lofaso give the top three Brawlers no time to rest before they must cook through the night to craft an epic feast worthy of the title "Master of 'Cue." Only one finalist will emerge victorious."

I will update this post after the episode airs with the winner of BBQ Brawl season 6.

Continue reading to see who won season 6 of BBQ Brawl.....

Food Network's Anne Burrell Dead at 55

Photo - Anne's last social media post 

Food Network's Anne Burrell died this morning at her home in Brooklyn, New York at the age of 55.  Her family released a statement saying, "Anne was a beloved wife, sister, daughter, stepmother, and friend — her smile lit up every room she entered.  Anne’s light radiated far beyond those she knew, touching millions across the world. Though she is no longer with us, her warmth, spirit, and boundless love remain eternal."

Anne Burrell is most known for her Food Network roles on Worst Cooks in America and Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, but she has also appeared on many other shows on the network.  The news of her death comes as a big surprise and many of her colleagues have spoken out with their own tributes.

Food Network said,

"Anne was a beloved wife, sister, daughter, stepmother, and friend — her smile lit up every room she entered," her family said in a statement. "Anne’s light radiated far beyond those she knew, touching millions across the world. Though she is no longer with us, her warmth, spirit, and boundless love remain eternal."

Robert Irvine said,

 "I am stunned and deeply saddened by the news of the passing of Anne Burrell. Anne wasn’t just a fiery chef. She was a radiant spirit who lit up every room she entered. From the very beginning on Worst Cooks in America, our friendly rivalry was fueled by mutual respect: I’d risk bleaching my hair; she’d risk losing hers. An epic wager that epitomized her unbeatable spirit. It was a wager I ultimately lost, but I couldn’t imagine losing to a more fierce competitor. Outside of Worst Cooks I came to know her as a generous and supportive colleague and an even better friend. I’ll always remember her unwavering dedication, not just to food, but to lifting others up. She believed in nurturing culinary potential and celebrating small victories, whether in an amateur cook or on a charity fundraiser. That was Anne. Uncompromising in her standards, yet tender in her mentorship. To her husband Stuart, her stepson Javier, her mother Marlene, sister Jane, and her many friends and fans: please know that Anne’s warmth, vibrant spirit, and generous heart will echo in kitchens around the world and in our hearts forever.
Rest in peace, Chef. Your legacy as a champion of food, kindness, and empowerment will continue to inspire. Thank you for every lesson, every challenge, and every glorious moment. You will be deeply missed and never forgotten.
With all my love and respect,
Robert Irvine"

As of now, no cause of death has been released.  If Anne Burrell's cause of death is revealed, I will update this post with that information.

UPDATE - Weeks after her death, Anne Burrell's death was ruled a suicide.  The medical examiner said her cause was "acute intoxication due to the combined effects of diphenhydramine, ethanol, cetirizine, and amphetamine."

BBQ Brawl Season 6

Photo - Instagram

BBQ Brawl is returning for a sixth season on Food Network and airs Sunday nights at 9pm ET/PT.  This season features Bobby Flay, Maneet Chauhan, and Antonia Lofaso. each mentoring/coaching a team of four pitmasters.  The twelve pitmasters competing on the show are:

• Tyler Anderson
• Kyle Bryner
• Jason Dady
• Alexandra Donnadio
• Greg Gatlin
• Brad Leighninger
• Thyron Mathews
• Rosalie Bradford Pareja
• Orchid Paulmeier
• Tim Van Doren
• Arturo Ramon 
• Aarthi Sampath

The judges on this season are once again Rodney Scott, Brooke Williamson, and Carson Kressley.  With Bobby Flay and Brooke Williamson now dating, maybe they decided to start dating after filming this season.  BBQ Brawl season six will be 10 episodes long with the season finale being on Sunday, July, 27th.  

So far the mentors for each season have been: Season 1 -  Bobby Flay vs. Michael Symon; Season 2 - Bobby Flay, Michael Symon, Eddie Jackson; Season 3 - Bobby Flay, Anne Burrell, Jet Tila; Season 4 -  Bobby Flay, Anne Burrell, Sunny Anderson; Season 5 - Bobby Flay, Sunny Anderson, Michael Voltaggio.  This will be the first time Maneet Chauhan and Antonia Lofaso appear as mentors.

I will do another post for the finale and you can discuss this season in the comments.

24 in 24: Last Chef Standing Season 2 Eliminations and Discussion

24 in 24: Last Chef Standing is back for a second season and airs on Sunday nights on Food Network. This is a competition show where 24 chefs will take on 24 food challenges for 24 consecutive hours until there is only one chef remaining.  The prize for winning the competition in season 2 is $75,000, while it was $50,000 in season 1.  Michael Symon and Esther Choi will once again be hosting the competition while the judges will be Antonia Lofaso, Graham Elliot and Jet Tila.  This season will have 2-hour episodes and the season finale will be on Sunday, May 25th.

There are a lot of familiar faces competing on the show from shows such as Food Network Star, Top Chef, Chopped, Tournament of Champions, etc.  The chefs competing are: Elia Aboumrad, Brittanny Anderson, Gabe Bertaccini, Samantha Cruz, Leslie Daniel, Richie Farina, Ilan Hall, Stephanie Izard, Kevin Lee, Arturo Leighton, Laurence Louie, Star Maye, Kelsey Murphy, Marc Murphy, Nini Nguyen, Kathleen O’Brien, Damaris Phillips, Michele Ragussis, Zurisadai “Zuri” Resendiz, Jonathan Sawyer, Ashleigh Shanti, Lawrence “LT” Smith, Bryan Voltaggio and Dara Yu.

I will track the eliminations for each episode below after they air, so spoiler alert if you do not want to know the eliminations.  I will do another post for the finale and you can also discuss this season of 24 in 24: Last Chef Standing in the comments.

Continue reading to see who was eliminated on each episode of 24 in 24: Last Chef Standing.....

Tournament of Champions Season 6 Winner

Sunday night at 8pm ET on Food Network is the two-hour season 6 finale of Tournament of Champions. There are four chefs remaining who are competing for bragging rights and a $150,000 prize. The final four chefs are Lee Anne Wong, Britt Rescigno, Sara Bradley, and Antonia Lofaso.  Antonia and Britt were also in the final four last year (and previous seasons), so they are no strangers to getting this far in Tournament of Champions.  As all four chefs are female, that guarantees that every season so far of Tournament of Champions has had a female winner.

For the semi-finals of season 6, Antonia Lofaso will face Britt Rescigno and Lee Anne Wong will face  Sara Bradley. The two winners of those match-ups will face off in the finale to determine the winner of Tournament of Champions season six.

Here is a previous post about all of the matchups and outcomes for season 6 of Tournament of Champions, but below is how the final four got to this point:

• Lee Anne Wong defeated Chris Scott 85-80, Jonathon Sawyer 84-83, and Joe Sasto 87-84.
• Sarah Bradley defeated Dale Talde 76-72, David Viana 87-86, and Nini Nguyen 90-86.
• Britt Rescigno defeated Chris Oh 85-84, Michael Reed 80-76, and Kaleena Bliss 88-85.
• Antonia Lofaso defeated Maria Mazon 86-82, Rocco DiSpirito 88-83, and Kevin Lee 88-85.

Also, below is the updated bracket for season 6 of Tournament of Champions that shows the winners of all of the matchups up until this point.

I will update this post with the winner of the final three match-ups after the episode airs and you can discuss season 6 of Tournament of Champions in the comments.

Continue reading if you want to know who won the final matchups and season 6 of Tournament of Champions.