Gordon Ramsay's Next Level Chef is returning for season 2 after being renewed by FOX. Season 1, which premiered on January 2, has been one of FOX's most-watched programs this season; with millions of viewers across cable and streaming platforms, only 9-1-1: Lone Star and The Masked Singer have higher numbers. Serving as judges and mentors, Ramsay and Top Chef alumni Richard Blais and Nyesha Arrington coach teams of five as they fight to win challenges across three kitchens. The workstations, which are stacked on top of each other in a novel set design, vary in style, use and ingredients. The kitchen on the top floor, for example, is the most technologically advanced; the second level represents a general commercial kitchen, while the bottom space has the lowest quality of tools and equipment.
As one of the most prolific celebrity chefs in the United Kingdom and the United States, Next Level Chef is the latest of Ramsay's reality shows. After training under renowned chefs such as Guy Savoy and Joël Robuchon, Ramsay first hit the reality scene in 2004 when he began hosting Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares and Hell's Kitchen. The instant success of the UK Hell's Kitchen paved the way for the American version, which is so popular that the show has also been renewed by FOX for two more seasons; Hell's Kitchen season 21 is expected this fall after adjusting to the COVID-19 pandemic. Blais and Arrington have been busy judging other shows themselves; Blais has guest-starred on Top Chef years after his season 4 appearance and was a regular face on Top Chef: Portland. Arrington, on the other hand, has appeared as a judge on shows like Chopped Next Gen and Guy's Grocery Games.
Fans and critics have been impressed with Next Level Chef throughout its first run, and FOX has taken notice with the announcement of a season 2. A new set of contestants will compete for $250,000 by working their way through a series of challenges, Deadline reports. Each episode, like its predecessor, will feature a hanging platform stacked with different ingredients; the chefs have a certain amount of time to grab everything they need before having to complete a dish. The winner of the first Next Level Chef challenge is granted immunity for their entire team, while two chefs are selected to further compete head-to-head; the chef with the losing dish and then eliminated until one person is left standing. Ramsay, as an executive producer with his television production company Studio Ramsay Global, will be returning to the position alongside judge and mentor.
“We’d like to thank our partners at Studio Ramsay Global, and, of course, Gordon, our talented chefs, and our amazing crew, for an epic season 1. And we know season 2 will continue to be ‘next level’ television,” Rob Wade expressed alongside the announcement. As the President of FOX Alternative Entertainment, Wade added that everyone involved with the production is grateful that fans have been receptive to the show's format. “We’re always thrilled when a new series resonates with audiences," the executive explained, especially because Next Level Chef is FOX's first joint production with Studio Ramsay Global. While Deadline doesn't report if the judges are changing, the success of Next Level Chef indicates that most things will remain the same. Blais and Arrington haven't left comments about FOX's renewal yet, but Ramsay said, “With audiences as excited about the new show as we are, we can’t wait to introduce another group of incredibly talented chefs in season 2."
Next Level Chef brings cooking reality shows to a new level, literally and figuratively. Viewers who tune in weekly have met talented upcoming chefs who create magical dishes; contestants aren't the only ones who have learned new information from being on the show, as Ramsay's newest business venture led to him finally learning what Twitch is. The announcement of a season renewal comes just in time for fans of the show, as the finale of Next Level Chef airs this week. Mariah Scott, Stephanie "Pyet" Despain and Reuel Vincent are the last three chefs standing, and one is just about to become the winner of season 1 and $250,000.
Next Level Chef airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. EST on FOX.
Source: Deadline