"She is so battle tested"— 24 in 24: Last Chef Standing host Michael Symon comments on the judge Antonia Lofaso's inclusion

Tournament of Champions season 6 winner Antonia Lofaso recently appeared as a judge on 24 in 24: Last Chef Standing season 2. She was tasked with overseeing a new group of 24 contestants competing in the intense, non-stop 24-hour challenge. Chefs who impressed Lofaso stayed in the competition, while those who didn’t had to clock out.

In an interview with TV Insider published on April 25, host Michael Symon reflected on Antonia Lofaso’s addition to the new season. He praised her judgment in the first episode, noting that she’s “battle-tested” and brings valuable experience from similar high-stakes cooking competitions and situations.

"Antonia judging in the first episode is great because she is so battle tested and has been through so many things," he said.

---

24 in 24: Last Chef Standing host Michael Symon shares his opinions on the judges and the diverse contestant lineup

For the unversed, Antonia Lofaso has been part of the Food Network family for many years. She participated as a contestant in all six seasons of Tournament of Champions. While she wasn't able to take home the winning title in her first five seasons, the experience she gained helped her to win season 6. Soon after her victory, she was appointed a judge on 24 in 24: Last Chef Standing.

In his interview with TV Insider, host Michael Symon had nothing but praise for Lofaso’s role as a judge, highlighting her extensive experience on similar competition shows and how she used that background to evaluate the contestants effectively.

"The judges are all chefs who have had tremendous amounts of success in the restaurant world and competing on television. Every one of them has said, “This is the hardest I’ve ever seen.” They almost question if they’d be able to do it. There is the reaction of the judges watching the whole thing happen, which I think is gold," he noted.

Further in the interview, the 24 in 24: Last Chef Standing host shared his thoughts on the season 2 contestant lineup, calling it "incredible." He believes the lineup is better and more skilled than the previous batch, and it has helped elevate things in season 2 immediately.

While there are some old faces, he noted that the viewers also get to see some fresh new faces that haven't appeared on Food Network before, each having something to prove.

Symon added that the thing he liked most about this show was that the producers can take the same chefs and have them go through this competition three different times, and every time, there would be a different winner.

The host noted that a contestant's performance on this show, in particular, depends on how they are feeling that day. If they hadn't had enough sleep the day before, or if they were on their off day, then those contestants aren't able to give it their all during the competition.

"It comes down to who doesn’t have an off day, who’s not getting flustered. It’s literally that day. If you’re off that day, it’s a bad day to have an off day because there is no break in the action because it’s 24 straight hours," he explained.

The 24 in 24: Last Chef Standing host continued:

"I think the beauty of the show is that because of its unpredictability. On paper you may think someone would make it to the final four and had a good chance at winning. Yet if they had a bad night’s sleep the day before or if they’re just off that day, it’s not going to be their day."

---

24 in 24: Last Chef Standing season 2 episodes premiere every Sunday on Food Network.