"⁠Absolutely robbed"— Top Chef fans react to Massimo Piedimonte's elimination

Top Chef season 22 aired episode 12 on Thursday, May 29, 2025. The episode, titled, Foraged in Fire, saw the Top 5 compete in Canada one last time. By the end of the segment, it was decided which four chefs would travel to Italy for the finale.

Tristan Epps, Cesar Murillo, Bailey Sullivan, and Shuai Wang advanced to the next stage, while Massimo Piedimonto packed his knives and left the show.

Fans online reacted to Massimo's elimination before the finale, expressing disappointment at his departure. One person wrote on X:

"Massimo was absolutely robbed. Multiple technical criticisms for Bailey and yet no real criticism for massimos dish??"

Expand Tweet

"Massimo should have made it to Milan," a fan commented.

"How can you not take Massimo to Milan?? (Hopefully he goes as a sous)" a tweet read.

Fans of Top Chef season 22 felt Bailey should have been eliminated instead of Massimo:

"Bailey should have been going home !!!!!! This is a political decision !! They didn't want to send 4 men to Italy !!! Marssimo should have been safe Bailey made too many technical mistakes," a person wrote.

"Undercooked peas are not a valid reason to be eliminated???" a fan commented.

"Bullsh*t decision. Will never watch top Chef again. Being politically correct choosing gender over talent disgusting," a tweet read.

Fans of Top Chef season 22 further said:

"MASSIMO GOT ROBBED!!! That’s why you’re crying. Don’t care about finale. Just like Milwaukee. It’s rigged," a person wrote.

"I thought Gail Simmons whining about Massimo’s cracker was ridiculous…cooking trout perfectly is harder than anything else anyone else did…he got SCREWED!!!!!" a fan commented.

Shuai wins the final elimination challenge of Top Chef season 22 while Massimo bids farewell to the cast

In Top Chef season 22 episode 12, the contestants directly competed in an elimination task due to the lack of a quickfire challenge. As part of their task, the chefs had to forage for ingredients, after which they shopped for any extra ingredients that they may have needed.

Massimo had an advantage and earned 30 extra minutes to cook while the rest had only 2 and a half hours to present their dishes to the judges, Brenda Holder, and Chef Tracy Little, who appeared as guest judges in the latest Top Chef season 22 episode.

Shuai's roasted cabbage with rosehip-glazed pork belly, with sour cabbage broth, black spruce oil, lovage, and thatching ant togarashi, won him the challenge and $10,000. Meanwhile, Massimo and Bailey found themselves in the bottom two.

Massimo's grilled trout dish with a bannock cracker fell short despite being praised by Tom Colicchio. He liked what Massimo did and said he took one ingredient (mustard) and focused on it. However, Gail Simmons and the others were unhappy with the cracker. Gail thought the flavors were too strong and were disconnected from the trout.

Massimo's elimination was an emotional one, especially since the Bravo contestant was excited to cook in Italy, the country where he belonged. Massimo said, "That hurt," when Kristen Kish announced the elimination and emotionally said that it hurt her to say it.

Who are the Top 4 of Top Chef season 22

Massimo's elimination marked the end of the elimination challenges on the Bravo culinary show as the final four were set to make their way to Milan, Italy, for the season finale.

Those who advanced to the next stage of the competition included:

Tristan Epps
Cesar Murillo
Bailey Sullivan
Shuai Wang

Fans online reacted to Massimo's elimination ahead of the finale and were upset to see him go home.

Tune in next week on June 5, 2025, to watch what happens next on Top Chef season 22 on Bravo.

About the author

Sukriti is a Reality TV writer for the pop culture division of Sportskeeda. A graduation in Political Science initially sparked her interest in journalism; however, over time, she found herself drawn to combining her passion for writing with her fascination for pop culture. With a diverse background spanning 4 years, she likes to maintain dignity and accuracy in her work, ensuring that sensitive matters are reported with integrity and using credible sources.

Sukriti appreciates how reality television offers unique insights into the lives of celebrities and influential personalities, showcasing both their triumphs and vulnerabilities. She is a big fan of Ariana Madix from Vanderpump Rules, for her ability to navigate challenging situations gracefully.

She has had the privilege of interviewing prominent cast members from popular shows like Squid Game: The Challenge such as Charles ‘Chaz’ Roquemore, Jinwoo Oak, Radhika, Mutty B. Mark Gilloffo, along with the cast members from Love at First Lie - Monica Bulnes and Josh Riquelme.

Outside of work, Sukriti finds joy in traveling to offbeat destinations, particularly in the hills, and spending quality time with her cats. She also remains engaged with current affairs, seeking to educate herself on social and political developments worldwide.

Know More

Edited by Sukriti Makhija