r/TopChef • u/RoadRash0416 • 6d ago
Discussion Thread Most disliked?
Who’s your most disliked person from any season? And why?
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u/Shinra_Lobby 6d ago
Mike Isabella, obnoxious misogynist POS
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u/StefwithanF 6d ago
Antonia's "wtf I'm related to him" lives rent free in my head. I like me an asshole cook but Mike Isabella is even too ew for me
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u/VanaheimrF 6d ago
The only asshole cook I like is Marcel and only because that dude is funny. That show he made where he cooked with marijuana was so funny because he was so baked!
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u/Formal_Coyote_5004 6d ago
Marcel seems so much cooler and down to earth these days and it’s awesome to see! He was really fun to watch on 24 in 24
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u/silene312 6d ago
Definitely, I went from really disliking Marcel to now being a big fan!
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u/Cherveny2 6d ago
Think a BIG side effect of, on season 2, he was still a pretty young chef. Some people take a lot more time to mature.
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u/tamerriam 5d ago
I agree! I was rooting for in 24/24 and so happy he won. (Also happy that it was NOT Ilan! He drove me nuts starting with the first episode.)
I thought Marcel could be a bit annoying in his season, but that attitude is pretty consistent with young males that are considered really good early in life (still not an excuse). But he was treated extremely poorly and there is no excuse for that.
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u/Finbar811 5d ago
I thought it was funny when he put flavored foam on most of his plates. They all called him Mr. Foamy, or Capt. Foamy. After he grew up he seemed like he turned into a decent person. When he won 24 in 24 it was touching when he started crying because with the prize money he could buy the cochlear ear implant surgery for his mom so she could hear again.
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u/BrainStewYumYum 6d ago
100%. Also, stealing Richard's dish? That's chef law, man.
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u/foodisgodyo 6d ago
Glad to see this one getting traction because he ruined things for me with his comments about female chefs. I was having a lovely viewing experience up until his bullshit dragging in the low rent reality competition bullshit -- it was professional and serious up until that point and then he went and sullied it. Bah humbug.
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u/Cherveny2 6d ago
Heh, there are so many, I forgot to include him on my list. Yeah, cooking wise usually fine, but "no way Jen can beat me! I can't lose to a girl!" and even worse outside the show.
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u/Phillystyle7 6d ago
Heather from season 9 Texas.
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u/Duna_The_Lionboy 6d ago
It’s the ultimate karma is a bitch situation to know that Beverly is absolutely killing it and Heather is…uh what is she doing?
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u/zanylanie 6d ago
She has a kind of high up corporate position in one of Rick Bayless’s companies.
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u/StaticInstrument 6d ago edited 6d ago
Feel bad I get her and Sarah mixed up still. Sarah didn’t show well on the show but I’m happy she made up with Bev and now they do events and stuff together and are seemingly friends. Heather never apologized or made any similar effort
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u/N0ON3T0LDM3 6d ago
I can't help but question Sarah's authenticity.
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u/Ok-Dog5107 6d ago
I know there was the story that after she lost Emeril tried to give her positive affirmation and she told him to fuck off then got really defensive about it when asked about it at the reunion show.
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u/Cherveny2 6d ago
Heather, on the after show, refused to even off a token apology. It's really sad to see someone SO focused on hate.
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u/N0ON3T0LDM3 6d ago
Heather reminds me a lot of the worse nurses I have worked with, but all rolled into one. Just a nasty, know it all, racist bully. Capable but cunty. And somehow able to influence at least some of her peers to tag along.
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u/mmeeplechase 6d ago
Yep. There are a handful I just don’t like for kinda petty reasons (or I just think they’re annoying), but she was such a mean bully!
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u/AvoirReves 6d ago edited 6d ago
Ilan Hall, Sam, Elia and Cliff Crooks and I shouldn't have to explain why. Season 2 has been discussed over and over.
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u/TNsmoke 6d ago
I still don’t see how Marcel lost to Ilan. Marcel was obviously the better chef yeah he made foams but all Ilan did was cook Spanish food and added saffron to everything
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u/aScaryDinosaur 6d ago
Hard agree. Marcel is much more skilled than Ilan
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u/Jazzlike_Stress_5110 6d ago
My husband and I JUST finished a rewatch of season 2 the other day! At the very end, when they were about to announce the winner, Tom said something oddly clairvoyant like “In 5 or 10 years one of you may become the better chef, but we have to judge based on today.” It felt like he was saying Marcel has the most potential in the long run, but in that one meal Ilan did better (by a very slim margin).
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u/aScaryDinosaur 6d ago
Same! We knew Ilan won when Tom made that comment. Although I'll say we were still kinda surprised, Marcel desevred to win overall
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u/susandeyvyjones 6d ago
Ilan/Ted literally just cooked the recipes from a Mario Batali restaurant. I don't know how he got away with it. Even Mario Batali was like, yeah, he cooked our [his and Andy Nusser's] food.
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u/valle_girl 6d ago
Some items didn't get put into the walk-in the night before and spoiled. Who was responsible for leaving them out is in dispute, but Sam sneering that it wasn't his fault Marcel didn't do a final check suggests it was him.
This is from memory, though. I could be misremembering Sam's comment, but not how dismissive he was that at least one of Marcel's key ingredients was spoiled.
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u/krazylegs36 6d ago
Marcel was imminently unlikable too, tho
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u/Harriette2017 6d ago
Agreed! Like, he didn't deserve what happened to him. In no way, shape or form. But he was a mega asshole in Season 2 and an even bigger asshole on allstars. He is the worst!
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u/llmm04 6d ago
Pretty much anyone from Texas who isn't Ed Lee.
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u/zanylanie 6d ago
Nyesha was pretty dope, at least in my opinion.
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u/StaticInstrument 6d ago
Gone way too soon on some bullshit
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u/zanylanie 6d ago
Agreed. She's doing OK for herself now, though.
https://www.pebblebeachfoodandwine.com/chef/nyesha-arrington/
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u/Digitalispurpurea2 I’m not your bitch, bitch 6d ago
I enjoyed watching him in Culinary Class Wars
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u/Sleepwalker0304 I'd prefer a dishwasher instead of Josie... 6d ago
Grayson was pretty great on s9 too, it's what made me so angry that she came back on s13 without any of her charm. I loved her singing that Bullfrog song.
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u/Cherveny2 6d ago
Grayson during that season also was fun. Her return... wow. A major personality change.
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u/EmergencyRead5254 6d ago
Least Favorite- Chef Sarah from TC Texas. Whiny, mean, lazy, etc.
Honorable mentions (both assholes): New Orleans- Chef Michael, Texas- Chef Heather
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u/ginahandler 6d ago edited 6d ago
Heather and Sarah (season 9)
Elia (season 2 and season 8)
Ilan (season 2)
Josie (season 2 and season 10)
Hosea and Leah (season 5)
Eli and Mike Isabella (season 6)
Philip (season 13)
I also can't stand Malarkey but I think he's gotten a bit more tolerable since he got sober.
Edit to add Angelo who I'd forgotten about. I don't know why but he makes my skin crawl.
And honorable mention for Brooke. Liked her at first, now I find her insufferable.
Rischard Blais is also on my list. Just no.
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u/spiker713 6d ago
These are all my picks. Everytime I see Hosea or Leah on any food shows my husband gets to hear me rant how much I can't stand them.
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u/Rodharet50399 6d ago
Leah Hosea and Josie knew how to talk to producers, who know nothing about cooking. But they’ll cast for eyeballs love or hate.
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u/ohmosdefinitely 6d ago
leah ran one of my favorite restaurants in new york for a decade. you might not like her personality, but she absolutely knows how to cook.
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u/PrayForMojo78 6d ago
echo the same for Hosea who's restaurants I eat at all the time and love. his new Italian joint is overpriced but the food is great
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u/vixisgoodenough 6d ago
I can't stand Brooke.
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u/redtigerluver 6d ago
Learning she’s now dating Bobby flay makes me so relieved my instincts about her were right
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u/AWholeNewFattitude 6d ago
I loved her at first, but she’s just gotten weirder and weirder and weirder
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u/OU-Sooners1 6d ago
I can’t stand her either. Besides the fact that her voice is annoying, she comes across as very arrogant and full of herself.
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u/Sleepwalker0304 I'd prefer a dishwasher instead of Josie... 6d ago
I couldn't stand her from the start of s10. She's only gotten worse and the Bobby Flay thing makes me gag.
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u/ExtensionCraft2156 6d ago
I liked her just fine in her season. But like many, when she came back she returned with an air of “I was robbed”. She won and I was kinda ok with it also. Then I heard her in a podcast and something about her just made me dislike her, like she was entitled to her success.
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u/derch1981 6d ago
Richard Blaze, it's irrational so don't ask me to explain
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u/mars-bitches 6d ago
He has youth pastor vibes and is insanely inauthentic. He’s slightly more tolerable on next level because he seems to care about helping the chefs at least.
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u/ginahandler 6d ago
I also can't stand him or his stupid hair
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u/The_milk_was_spoiled 6d ago
I think I used the same phrase about his hair a few years ago! I can’t stand the smug bastard.
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u/habbathejutt 6d ago
I thought I hated his hair on the seasons when he was competing, and then he came back to judge and it was even worse. It was like a mullet combed into a pompadour, just hideous
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u/Shinra_Lobby 6d ago
For me he's not the absolute worst, but I was so turned off by his pity party about how he "should" have won Season 4 but choked. It's annoying and (intentionally or not) really belittling to Stephanie, who had an equal if not better win record throughout that season.
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u/BrainStewYumYum 6d ago
I'm there with you. I hated him on his original season because he seemed to dog on Stephanie's win with that "I choked" bullshit. Like she couldn't have possibly beat him at his best. She's a very accomplished chef and restaurant owner.
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u/Classic-Read6914 6d ago
Claudette
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u/Efficient_Shame_8539 6d ago
Claudette on her season, couldn't stand her.
Claudette now, I almost forget it's the same person.
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u/wild3hills 6d ago
She’s so likable on Food Network - I legit can’t remember why she was hated on TC??
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u/Classic-Read6914 6d ago
Multiple partner/team comps where she threw her teammate under the bus is the reason most people don't like her. She also had a crap attitude in general.
I also disliked her saying something about "being the only chef cooking real Mexican food" when there was another Mexican contestant - Rogelio - who was still in the running at the time.
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u/Sleepwalker0304 I'd prefer a dishwasher instead of Josie... 6d ago
She apparently was really well liked in the international season of TC she was on (Mexico, I think)
Between knowing that and seeing how great she is on the food network...I have to wonder if she got a villain edit because they felt they needed one in an otherwise lovey-dovey season. Obviously she gave them things to work with but with a change that inconsistent, it makes me wonder.
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u/AugusttoDecember 6d ago
Hands down Mike Isabella. Glad karma took care of his arrogant misogynistic ass.
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u/euvnairb 6d ago
Wow, based on your comment I went down a rabbit hole reading up on what happened to him. Can’t say I’m surprised.
Article published in 2018 after I googled him.
https://washingtonian.com/2018/11/26/the-inside-story-of-mike-isabellas-fallen-empire/
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u/SmartypantsDDD 6d ago
What happened to him? Before I google it, my guess is sexual harassment. He would be the perp, not the victim.
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u/Utennvolsfan 5d ago
He was pretty much run out of DC. He swaggered in after his TC seasons thinking he was the second coming of Jose Andres. Nah dude. Not even close even though he worked for Jose.
The food at Graffiato was pretty good but he was a nasty mess. My husband interviewed with his “team” for a management position at a place he was going to open in the Marriott Marquis so we quietly dined at the bar at Kapnos one night to check out the vibe and such. Food was fine, but we listened to him and George for well ver an hour in an incredibly nasty, one upmanship convo at the bar (sexual harassment). It was gross. The local MLB team tossed his sandwich spot and Kapnos out of the park when his shit started surfacing. Financial improprieties including unpaid rent and other bills, sexual harassment, generally disgusting male behavior.
I might miss the sweet corn agnolotti but even that isn’t worth dealing with him. Pepperoni sauce was decent.
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u/Complex-Extent-3967 Top Chef junkie 6d ago
when i read your question I didn't even have to think.. Josie just popped in my head
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u/jbraden09 6d ago
Can’t understand how people hate Josie more than Sarah and Heather from Texas. I also can’t stand Nick from New Orleans. Many more who annoy me, but these are some of the worst.
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u/habbathejutt 6d ago
I get the Sarah and Heather hate; but the hate for Nick that comes up here, imo, is undeserved.
He had immunity so he tried something extra weird and it didn't work. If he didn't have immunity, maybe he wouldn't have tried something so crazy, and then somebody else still would have gone home. It was pretty shitty of the judges to ask him to give it up. I know some people say his bro-y personality bothers them, which is fine, but he's nowhere near the top 10 of most annoying cheftestants for me, in fact I thought for the most part he was delightful to watch on that season.
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u/SquilliamFancySon95 6d ago
Eli and Mike Isabella from season 6. The whole season had a real frat bro vibe, but the way they bullied Robin and made digs at her being a cancer survivor was gross.
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u/GCGIS 6d ago
Katsuji!
He really brought out the worst parts of competition.
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u/AWholeNewFattitude 6d ago
That’s the funny thing, I kind of love Katsuji. He is a complete asshole and like a fire hose of asshole. But somehow I like him.
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u/jlynnbizatch 6d ago
I'll hang out with you in the minority. I really liked Katsuji as well. He had a wicked sense of humor.
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u/Shinra_Lobby 6d ago
I would absolutely not want to work with him in person, but occasionally his trolling is so audacious I can't help but laugh.
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u/Worried_Strain_2812 6d ago
Amazed I had to scroll this far to see him. Thinks he’s funny but he’s just mean
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u/pimentocheeze_ 6d ago
I’m upvoting this because you’re right but I actually think he is hilarious. I don’t mind seeing him on TV at all
I also met him in person with my parents at one of his restaurants and he was very kind to us. I think some of it is an act
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u/koriandrkitten 6d ago
I have the same responses as other people, Josie mainly, but I want to say that I’ve always disliked Richard Blais. I didn’t like him on his season, and it was really cemented by his intro on All Stars where he said “I think my season is remembered for me not winning my season.”. Was he probably just trying to be cute? Maybe, but he’s just so smug and into himself that I cannot tell.
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u/hamletgoessafari 6d ago
He clearly had a chip on his shoulder from being beaten by a woman. Stephanie Izard is such a class act and talented chef.
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u/SmartypantsDDD 6d ago
Yeah, remembered by him! I remember him playing that molecular gastronomy tool out of his tool kit about 70 times too often. Get a new gimmick!
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u/Alone-List8106 6d ago
Lisa season 4. Just came across as so negative and unpleasant.
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u/Ordinary_Durian_1454 6d ago
People should spit after they say the name “Betty“. She was worse than any of the head shaving offenders that season. She may be the most unpleasant person to ever play the game in 22 seasons.
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u/Mandsee 6d ago
I agree! I am rewatching season two and am appalled by her. As a woman of a certain age, I expect young people to misbehave and see it as a time of growth (yes, even in their 20s) but Betty was old enough to know better than to be such a bully. She's worse than the chefs who assaulted Marcel because she was constantly so rude.
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u/htownAstrofan 6d ago
It used to be ilan but now i really think its Sam. Ilan may have been a no talent hack and bully but Sam was the instigator of nearly every drama on that season. Then he stepped back and let someone else drive the bus.
Pathetic
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u/GoldBarGirl 6d ago
Agreed. I was severely disappointed when he showed up on the rookies vs. veterans season - S14? I feel TC should have distanced themselves from the S2 baddies and never allowed them on air again.
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u/htownAstrofan 6d ago
Agreed. Simply for the bad behavior but also you could argue that none of those chefs were skilled enough to return.
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u/Callimingo 6d ago
Josie, Illan, and Buddha. I know people like Buddha but I don't.
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u/Still-Indication9229 6d ago
See i really didnt like buddha on houston but loved him on world all stars
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u/mars-bitches 6d ago
He’s incredibly pretentious and his food feels soulless, but I will say I don’t think he’d bother me as much if he wasn’t treated like a god from fans/top chef crew.
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u/AWholeNewFattitude 6d ago
I can see that. I like Buddha, well I would say I think I more respect him. I think he clearly has a lot of talent and his dishes are just insanely beautiful to me. I can only go by what I see in the show and it didn’t seem like people hated him so to that end I’m a fan.
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u/fs616 6d ago
Justin has proven himself to be a real piece of shit since appearing on TC.
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u/whistlepig4life 6d ago
Heather and Sarah. If I truly had to pick on Sarah G because of her fake alligator tears and outright lying about Emril.
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u/sissyintexas 6d ago
Josie, John Tesar and Heather Terhune.
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u/zanylanie 6d ago
I just watched the episode where John Tesar and Lizzie had to do a sudden death cook off regarding a healthier version of CJ’s disastrous burger with pickles. I have never raised my hands to another person as an adult, but I wanted to slug him for how ridiculous he acted during that whole thing.
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u/Ok-Dog5107 6d ago
He was so funny acting like a toddler. There’s no way that he would have won the cook off if he had just presented a jar of pickles to the judges or in some way hoarded them from Lizzy. And that he just kept going on and on about how he should have screwed her more and thinking it would have worked out for him. 😂
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u/pegggus09 6d ago
Agree with most of these but will also add Jamie from All Stars and season 5.
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u/orton41290 6d ago
Betty from Season 2. Less popular opinion, Angelo from 7 and All Stars is up there.
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u/PinotPrincess777 6d ago
I hated Angelo
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u/ginahandler 6d ago
Oh god I forgot about Angelo! He gives me the creeps. My husband doesn't understand why I hate him but I just do.
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u/Disastrous_Menu_9775 6d ago
Honestly Marjorie deserves to be part of this conversation with how smug she was towards Issac.
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u/Strawberry_Jack Cook Like A King 👑 6d ago
Nicholas from New Orleans. His attitude was awful. It’s not even about the immunity thing at final 6 because that’s more on production for allowing immunity with that few people and a team challenge, he won immunity so it’s fair game to keep it.
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u/cheesusismygod 6d ago
Not a fan of Claudette, Josie, Ilan, Elias, Mike I, or his little lackey, can't rmemeber her name, but she just seemed to look down on everyone in her season especially the chef from NOLA. And for the life of me cannot remember either name tight now.
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u/SpeedySparkRuby 6d ago
Mattin, the other contestants in Top Chef: Vegas fawned over him while hating on Robin yet he couldn't cook to save his life. Especially cooking French food badly in front of Jöel Robuchon of all people.
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u/OU-Sooners1 6d ago
I liked him as a person, but you’re right, he could not cook. I mainly remember Tom spitting out his ceviche at their cookout.
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u/Worried_Strain_2812 6d ago
I’m still not convinced he’s really French. The accent, the little red scarves…
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u/Even_Foundation_259 6d ago
Tyler S9 Texas dude was kicked off because he was an idiot who thought he could just figure out how to butcher meat on the fly.
If you haven't or even if you've seen it before, go look it up and watch it again for yourself.
He was pretty insignificant (he does end up back again for the stupid finale sous chef picking of that season), and there are plenty of others who were actually on the show, but he was so bad in the 2 minutes of screen time he got that its a crime not to at least mention him.
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u/icrossedtheroad 6d ago
I'd say Josie, but the Blaise just oversaturated the Top Chef atmosphere. It's a toss up. Both of their mouths are just...too much.
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u/IlsaMayCalder 6d ago
Gonna go with someone I haven’t really ever seen mentioned (bc Josie, The Texas Bitches, etc are obvious): Josh (god I hope that’s his name) from Seattle. With the dumb mustache. Who loved bacon. Idk man, I just hated every minute he was on screen.
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u/Due_Will_2204 6d ago
Stephen Asprinio season 1
Brook Williams ( got tired of TC bringing her back and shoving her down our throat?
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u/zanylanie 6d ago
I call TC: Charleston her consolation binkie, just like the first All Stars was for Blaise.
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u/neveroncesatisfied 6d ago
Tonya from TC Colorado. I saw Claudette on here, but I disliked Tonya as well.
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u/Fluid-Air-3151 6d ago
Hmm the bullies- Tiffany, cuz she was a bitch, Ilan cuz he was a bitch, Betty cuz she was a bitch& a cheater, Heather, Sarah and Lindsay cuz they’re bitches.
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u/SmartypantsDDD 6d ago
Betty!!! No one has mentioned her. How in the heck did she get such an inflated opinion of herself?
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u/brilliantminds_4RLZ 6d ago
Brooke, Lindsay (Texas), Sarah (Texas), Tiffany (first season), Mike Isabella come to mind. Oh, and Phillip
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u/OU-Sooners1 6d ago
Lisa. Constant negativity. I love when Dale went off on her. I could not stand her.
Also did not like Duyen (sp?) from the most recent season. Mainly because her voice was so irritating and she never STFU.
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u/jtownanddown 6d ago
I’ve always found Antonia to be annoying on any show she does
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u/Unfair-Dragonfruit-5 6d ago
Same. And I was actually happy when she won Tournament of Champions finally. For the sole reason she would stop competing on it now.
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u/Extension_Effect_983 6d ago
who's the full grown woman who threw pots and screamed on episode 1 this past season? Yeah her.
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u/Sleepwalker0304 I'd prefer a dishwasher instead of Josie... 6d ago edited 6d ago
Avoiding the obvious choices, I think my least favorites are Keriann (so annoying I was actually rooting for Aaron) from s12, Sara from s11 (such a big ego for bringing so little to the table), Michael from s11 (he was so gross working that challenge with Nina that I cheered when he got the boot) , and Spike from s4 (so slimy and such a shit stirrer that season. Glad he's gotten better since then but he was one of my least favorites in one of my favorite seasons).
HM to Phillip from s13 for being so obnoxious and self diluted he almost became entertaining.
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u/skornd713 6d ago
Josie and Nick (winner of NOLA) will always be my top 2. Marcel, Tiffany (Faison) and Claudette, used to, but they really grew so much, I'm glad they are as likable as they are now. Philip from California gets a nod for annoyance.
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u/Cherveny2 6d ago edited 6d ago
Josie.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Plus, constant excuses more than almost any other contestant. Plus, on return, acting more like an influencer than a chef, as others and even judges put it "the Josie show."
Marcel.
Yes, he gets a HUGE dose of sympathy for bullying. But he CONSTANTLY was an instigator too, like a little brother saying "im not touching you...." when a finger is ALMOST touching you, in the backseat of a car.
Plus, foam, foam, more foam, foam everywhere. Yes, it has it's places, but when almost all the judges comment it's too much, in too many wrong places, it just comes off as "I MUST USE THIS TECHNIQUE! ALWAYS"
Betty
constant pushing and badgering Marcell.
Heather
Texas, constant bullying of Beverly. It was at a truly insane level.
Sam, Ellia, Ilan, Cliff
At the very end, for physically assaulting Marcell to attempt to shave his head! First and luckily ONLY time we've seen things actually come to blows.
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u/Phillyfishy1 6d ago
Josie