Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons
Bravo’s “Top Chef,” produced by Magical Elves, will cross the pond to London for a very special 20th "World All-Stars" season with host Padma Lakshmi, head judge Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons. The greatest competitors from “Top Chef” iterations around the globe, including winners and finalists, will face off in the fiercest battle the culinary competition has ever seen. With 29 international versions, “Top Chef World All-Stars” will bring together 16 of the most talented, creative and decorated chefs who have competed in their respective countries’ versions of the series as they vie for the ultimate “Top Chef” title.
This marks the first time that the flagship edition of “Top Chef” will shoot an entire season abroad. The award-winning series will begin production this month in London, with the epic 20th season set to premiere in 2023. The “Top Chef” format is licensed by NBCUniversal Formats, which is part of Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group.
“We’ve always wanted to do a season of ‘Top Chef’ with winners, finalists and frontrunners, but to take that concept for the 20th season one step further with cheftestants from localized versions across the world has been a dream come true. And what better place to host ‘World All-Stars’ than London, a global stomping ground and renowned food city, offering our cheftestants access to the UK’s exceptional ingredients and international flavors,” said Ryan Flynn, Senior Vice President of Current Production at NBCUniversal Television and Streaming.
A global phenomenon with over 100 winners crowned across the world, international “Top Chef” versions, licensed by NBCUniversal Formats globally, include France (13 seasons), Canada (10 seasons), Middle East (seven seasons) and Brazil (four seasons), to name a few. The original US series launched in 2006 and has been sold to over 175 territories worldwide.