Celebrity chef Curtis Stone is getting ready to step back into the cooking competition arena, and it has been a long time since viewers have seen him compete for himself. In fact, the last time he faced off against another chef in a televised cooking battle was back in 2010.
Yep, that’s a pretty long break for someone with as much experience in front of the cameras as Stone. While he has continued making appearances on several popular food competition shows over the years, he hasn’t taken on the role of a competing chef in quite some time.
Now, that’s about to change. Stone is joining the second season of Food Network’s “Tournament of Champions: All-Star Christmas,” where he’ll team up with a familiar face from his own culinary business. Honestly, this could be a fun opportunity to see a different side of the celebrity chef, especially in a competition known for throwing some pretty unusual challenges at its contestants.
‘Iron Chef America’ Was Stone’s Last Time as a Contestant
Stone’s last appearance as a contestant in a cooking competition came on May 30, 2010, when he entered Kitchen Stadium to face off against celebrity chef Bobby Flay on Food Network’s “Iron Chef America.”
The showdown, titled “Battle Skipjack Tuna,” aired as part of Season 8, Episode 9. Both chefs had to prepare five courses featuring skipjack tuna, and they had just 60 minutes to get everything on the judges’ plates.
Unfortunately for Stone, he didn’t walk away with the victory. Flay won the battle with a final score of 49-37. That’s right, Stone put together five dishes, but Flay ultimately came out on top.
Now, some fans might be wondering about “Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend” on Netflix. After all, Stone appeared in the 2022 series, which brought him back to the “Iron Chef” franchise.
However, there’s an important distinction. Stone wasn’t competing as a contestant that time around. Instead, he was one of the five Iron Chefs that challengers had to face. So, while he was certainly involved in the competition, he wasn’t in the same position he was during his 2010 battle against Flay.
Since then, Stone has continued building his television career with appearances on food-related programs, including “MasterChef Australia,” “Crime Scene Kitchen,” and more recently a guest moment on “Hell’s Kitchen.” Honestly, it’s been fun seeing him pop up in different culinary settings, but getting to watch him compete again is something viewers haven’t had the opportunity to enjoy in this particular role for quite a while.
And now, he’s ready to give it another shot.
‘Tournament of Champions: All-Star Christmas’ Brings a New Challenge
Stone is joining the second season of “Tournament of Champions: All-Star Christmas,” hosted by Guy Fieri. If there’s one thing that makes this competition stand out from other cooking shows, it’s the infamous Randomizer.
The competition puts chefs in some pretty unexpected situations, with a giant spinning wheel (a.k.a. The Randomizer) determining the requirements for their dishes. Depending on where it lands, contestants might have to work with a particular protein, produce, piece of equipment, cooking style, or time limit. There’s also the possibility of a wild-card requirement being thrown into the mix.
Let’s be real, even incredibly talented chefs can have a difficult time when they’re handed ingredients and equipment they might not normally choose for themselves. That’s part of what makes “TOC” so entertaining. It isn’t just about knowing how to cook; it’s about thinking quickly, getting creative, and making something impressive under pressure.
For the holiday edition, Stone won’t be working alone. He’ll be teaming up with Mitzi Reyes, the executive pastry chef of the Curtis Stone Group. Reyes also competed on Season 1 of “Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking” in 2024.
It seems like an interesting pairing, especially considering the different culinary skills they can bring to the kitchen. And yep, having a pastry chef on your team could certainly come in handy when the competition calls for something sweet.
‘TOC: All-Star Christmas’ Features a Packed Lineup of Chefs
Curtis Stone and Mitzi Reyes aren’t the only familiar faces joining the holiday competition. Food Network has announced 16 teams, bringing together 32 chefs for a tournament featuring both sweet and savory dishes.
According to the network, the other competing teams include:
- Ashley Holt and Britt Rescigno
- Stephanie Izard and Damaris Phillips
- Jet Tila and Alex Guarnaschelli
- Molly Coen and Chayil Johnson
- Mei Lin and Alex Stupak
- Marcel Vigneron and Hung Huynh
- Gabe Bertaccini and Zac Young
- Tobias Dorzon and Kenny Gilbert
- Brian Malarkey and Carlos Anthony
- Aaron May and Adam Sobel
- Dale Talde and TJ Obias
- Kevin Lee and Shota Nakajima
- Sara Bradley and Nini Nguyen
- Stephanie Boswell and Aarti Sequeira
- Rocco DiSpirito and Grace Pak
That’s quite a lineup, and there are plenty of talented chefs for viewers to keep an eye on throughout the season. With so many different culinary backgrounds represented, it seems like the teams could bring some interesting ideas to the competition.
The stakes are pretty exciting, too. The winning team will have a chance to take home a $100,000 prize, along with money for charity, per Food Network.
For Stone, though, this season is about more than another holiday cooking competition. It’s also an opportunity to return to a role he hasn’t taken on since his showdown with Flay more than 16 years ago.
When Does ‘Tournament of Champions: All-Star Christmas’ Return?
Fans won’t have to wait much longer to see how Curtis Stone (and Reyes ) do. The second season of “Tournament of Champions: All-Star Christmas” premieres Sunday, November 8, 2026, at 8:00pm ET on Food Network, streaming next day on Discovery+ and HBO Max.
Honestly, seeing Stone back in contestant mode is one of the more interesting parts of this year’s lineup. He has plenty of culinary experience, but The Randomizer doesn’t exactly make things easy for anyone.
And yep, after all these years, it’ll be fun to see whether he can finally get another cooking competition victory under his belt.
Celebrity Chef Curtis Stone Returns as Cooking Competition Contestant for First Time Since 2010