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24 in 24: Last Chef Standing season 2 aired its two-part finale on May 25, 2025. The final five were Bryan Voltaggio, Stephanie Izard, Nini Nguyen, Jonathon Sawyer, and Kevin Lee, who went head-to-head for the winner's title. The pressure intensified as each chef tested their limits and pushed themselves to beat the clock and not crumble under the overwhelming intensity of the competition.
However, despite their best efforts, some chefs, arguably those with the potential to win the contest, were removed from the race to the finish line as they failed to meet the judges' expectations. The striking feature I found odd in the finale was the lack of judgment based on blind tasting. In my opinion, it is the fairest and most convenient method of judging a plate of food.
It ensures that the judging is not marred by any bias or favoritism. The judges for the finale were Jet Tila, Antonia Lofaso, and Graham Elliot. If one takes a careful look at the finalists and the judges, most have competed side by side in other competition shows, namely Tournament of Champions.
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Thus, they are aware of each other's cooking styles, strengths, and weaknesses, and also have interpersonal connections with one another. Having been part of the Food Network competitive realm for years, the judges and the chefs know too much about each other, details that can influence their decisions in favor, or against another person.
Without a blind tasting system, I cannot help but wonder if Jonathon Sawyer's victory was influenced by his personal story of substance abuse. Had the experts judged blindly, there would have been no argument.
24 in 24: Last Chef Standing lost the plot in the finale, and fans noticed
Once the format of blind tasting is removed, all factors of influence come into play. Starting from the 24 in 24: Last Chef Standing judges' interpersonal relationships with the contestants to hearing their stories while tasting the dishes, there are many loopholes that can make the final judgment flawed. In my opinion, it did.
For the 24 in 24: Last Chef Standing season 2 finale's first challenge, the contestants had to compete in a speed test. Kevin Lee won the round and earned the Golden Knife. He assigned a protein and style to each chef. However, while judging the dishes, the panelists voted Kevin and Nini in the bottom two, eventually eliminating Kevin.
In my opinion, Kevin deserved to stay in the competition. Not only was he far more experienced than Nini, but also competent in all the possible ways. However, irrespective of the food Kevin prepared, I believe he stood no chance against Bryan and Jonathon, chefs who were long-time friends of the judges.
This is precisely why it was surprising to see a blind-tasting free judgment in the finale, knowing how close the experts were to the 24 in 24: Last Chef Standing contestants. I refuse to believe that, irrespective of the judges' pledge to remain fair, interpersonal history and culinary rivalry do not impact their review or decision.
It is bound to happen, and so it did for Kevin, whose elimination dish was a lobster egg benedict with herb bernaise sauce and avocado.
Similarly, in the final round of 24 in 24: Last Chef Standing, where Bryan was pitted against Jonathon, I felt the judgment leaned in favor of one because of their story. While Bryan wanted to win the cash prize and donate some to No Kid Hungry and also take his family on vacation, Jonathon wished to use it to help chefs struggling with substance abuse because he was 30 months sober.
If I were to judge story-wise, there is a clear winner. Jonathon's addiction story trumps everything else because it was his personal anecdote. While I do not undermine his struggles, I refuse to believe that a story as compelling and serious as that cannot impact the 24 in 24: Last Chef Standing experts in any way. Anyone behind the judging table would have sympathized with Jonathon.
Netizens on X felt the same. As one said:
"Voltagio didn’t have a sobriety story…….next time do blind tasting!!!!! This whole thing was influenced by who the chefs knew."
Thus, it makes me wonder if the panelists deliberated the final results based on the story or the food. Had there been a blind judging system, the question wouldn't have been raised. 24 in 24: Last Chef Standing should follow Tournament of Champions' format, allowing every chef an equal chance and a stress-free and fair watching experience for the viewers.
Stream 24 in 24: Last Chef Standing on Max.
