On “Survivor,” castaways must sustain themselves throughout the grueling 26-day competition on just meager rations of rice, salvaged coconuts and spear-caught fish pulled fresh from the Fijian seas.
The hit reality competition series’ bare-bones diet has been the driving factor behind some of the show’s most memorable meltdowns, including Liz Wilcox’s Season 46 crash out during the Applebee’s challenge.
Now, it will also act as the inspiration for Food Network’s newest cooking competition series — “Chopped Castaways.”
‘Chopped’ Meets ‘Survivor’ on Food Network’s ‘Chopped Castaways’
Food NetworkA spin-off of the network’s long running “Chopped” series (now on its 64th season!), “Chopped Castaways” raises the stakes as 12 elite chefs are stranded on a remote island and forced to compete in a series of challenges that test both their culinary prowess and their survival skills.
Hosted by Ted Allen with judges including Gabr Bertaccini, Maneet Chauhan and Marcus Samuelsson, “Chopped Champions” is set to premiere on Tuesday, May 12 at 9:30pm ET on Food Network.
“Battling the elements across two grueling cooking rounds each week, competitors must build a working kitchen from basic supplies, earn their signature ‘Chopped’ ingredient baskets through intense physical challenges, and cook entirely over open fire,” reads the official description of the forthcoming eight-episode competition.
Per Food Network, each episode of “Chopped Castaway” will kick off with a “survival-driven” challenge, including tasks like archery, spear fishing, diving and digging. These challenges will help the chefs secure the ingredients they need to complete the first cooking round.
Like “Survivor,” the contestants will begin the competition in teams before transitioning into an individual battle-style format later on, “raising the stakes as the chefs fight to outlast their rivals and claim the $100,000 grand prize.”
Meet the 12 ‘Elite’ Chefs Competing on ‘Chopped Castaways’
The cast of “Chopped Castaways” includes private chefs, pitmasters, and a number of former cooking competition alumni, including:
- Chef Stephen Kina – Hawaiian-born BBQ pitmast & restaurant owner
- Chef Carrie Baird – “Top Chef” Season 15 finalist
- Chef James Peck – Winner of BBC2’s “The Chef’s Brigade”
- Chef Cate Meade – Three-time “MasterChef” competitor
- Chef Hannah Flora – “Hell’s Kitchen” Season 23 runner-up
- Chef Jean-Paul Bourgeois – Executive chef and creator of “Duck Camp Dinners”
- Chef Sunny Moody – “BBQ Pitmaster” alum and two-time Steak & Live Fire Cooking World Champion
- Chef Aidan Owens – Australian-born, San Diego-based culinary director
- Chef Dwight Hudgins – Social media chef more popularly known as “The Dreaded Fisherman”
- Chef Paulette Tejada – NYC-based private chef and food stylist
- Chef Ara Zada – Alum of culinary series like “Good Day L.A.” and “24 in 24: Last Chef Standing”
- Chef Logan Sandoval – Alum of Food Network’s “BBQ Brawl” and Netflix’s “BBQ Showdown”
Food Network President Teases ‘Chopped Castaways’
While “Chopped Castaways” is clearly inspired by “Survivor,” it should be noted that there is no official crossover or collaboration between the two franchises.
New episodes of the series will air Tuesday nights on Food Network before moving to HBO Max for streaming the following day.
“With ‘Chopped Castaways’ we take that familiar formula of ingenuity and creativity and push it to the next level,” said Food Network president Betsy Ayala in a statement, adding that the new series will challenge “some of the most talented and resourceful chefs to battle the elements and approach the baskets in ways we’ve never seen before — all for an epic $100,000 prize.”
Be sure to catch the premiere of “Chopped Castaways” on Food Network on Tuesday, May 12 at 9:30pm ET.
