Plot Synopsis

Hosted by Michael Symon and Esther Choi, 24 IN 24: LAST CHEF STANDING is a culinary competition series that features 24 chefs who take on 24 food challenges in 24 consecutive, non-stop hours. The 24-hour competition takes the chefs to the extreme, demanding they display the skills, creativity and stamina needed to be an elite chef. At the end of the 24 hours, there can be only one true master left standing -- and it's one selected by expert judges Eric Adjepong, Maneet Chauhan, Scott Conant, Stephanie Izard, Jet Tila, Bryan and Michael Voltaggio, and Brooke Williamson. The chef who cooked the best, for the longest and outlasted the competition will take home $50,000 and win a trip of a lifetime.

Season 2 of 24 IN 24: LAST CHEF STANDING debuted on Sunday, April 27, 2025 from 8-10pm ET/PT on Food Network, with Michael Symon and Esther Choi returning as host. Shot in real time, the hosts have gathered a group of 24 talented and fearless chefs for 24 challenges over the course of 24 straight hours. Skill, creativity and stamina are tested while the clock never stops -- and only one competitor will survive to become the last chef standing and win $75,000. The challenges are divided into eight shifts that reflect the all-consuming intensity of a chef's daily life, with each focusing on a different skill like speed, resourcefulness, artistry and adaptability in front of guest judges. With contenders ranging from Gen Z prodigies and renowned restaurant chefs to Food Network veterans and an Iron Chef, the 24 in 24 arena is filled with culinary stars who must conquer major twists and turns, all while battling fatigue and each other. The 24 competing chefs are: Elia Aboumrad, Brittanny Anderson, Gabe Bertaccini, Samantha Cruz, Leslie Daniel, Richie Farina, Ilan Hall, Stephanie Izard, Kevin Lee, Arturo Leighton, Laurence Louie, Star Maye, Kelsey Murphy, Marc Murphy, Nini Ngyuen, Kathleen O'Brien, Damaris Phillips, Michele Ragussis, Zurisadai "Zuri" Resendiz, Jonathan Sawyer, Ashleigh Shanti, Lawrence "LT" Smith, Bryan Voltaggio and Dara Yu. In the supersized season premiere, Michael Symon and Esther Choi welcome 24 of the country's most talented and fearless chefs to compete in the most intense competition of all time -- 24 challenges in 24 nonstop hours. In the first shift, the chefs must endure three challenges testing speed. Those that impress expert judge Antonia Lofaso survive, and whoever does not is forced to clock out. When Michael and Esther introduce the all-important golden knife, the chefs learn this epic day of cooking will be full of twists and turns, but only those that can adjust on the fly have a chance to be the last chef standing. Over the next 24 hours, the competition tackles different shifts that test aspects of being a chef: after the premiere's speed challenge, themes include simplicity, resourcefulness, artistry, adaptability, teamwork, risk taking and elevation. The five-week season's two-hour episodes culminate in the finale on Sunday, May 25th at 8pm ET/PT where only the last chef standing declares victory and wins $75,000.
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On Sunday, May 25, 2025 from 8-10pm ET/PT, Food Network premiered "The Final Shift," the two-hour Season 2 finale of 24 IN 24: LAST CHEF STANDING. In the final shift featuring elevation, co-hosts Michael Symon and Esther Choi ask the exhausted finalists to dig deep and create an elevated breakfast, lunch and dinner. But as these chefs have come to learn, these last challenges will not quite be what they expected! Judges Antonia Lofaso, Graham Elliot and Jet Tila decide which chef will walk away with $75,000 and the title of Last Chef Standing.