We have come to the end, as the “Next Level Chef” Season 5 finale airs tonight on FOX. After all of the challenges, the mentors — Chef Gordon Ramsay, Nyesha Arrington, and Richard Blais — have one final night of challenges for the final three chefs on “Next Level Chef” 2026. The pressure is on, but who will win “Next Level Chef” 2026 tonight? Check out our thoughts below in our “Next Level Chef” spoilers and predictions.
Last Week on ‘Next Level Chef’ 2026
Last week on “Next Level Chef” Season 5, it was the semifinals, and the final four chefs were focused on building a legacy. The mentors challenged them to create a dish that defined who they were as chefs. As if that wasn’t enough pressure, they would also be choosing their protein blindly.
Yes, the platform would come down with four trays with lids on them. Each tray had a different protein underneath it, but the chefs would only discover what it was after they selected the tray they would be cooking from.
In the end, it was Connor and Gabrielle who had the least favorite dishes of the night. That meant they would be taking each other on in the Elimination Cook-Off. For that challenge, they had 25 minutes to cook a dish that was worthy of earning them a spot in this week’s finale.
It seemed pretty simple, but it turned out to be difficult. Connor struggled in the first challenge of the night, which isn’t normal for him. However, he pulled it together for this challenge, and he won, which meant Gabrielle was eliminated from the competition.
Who Wins Tonight on ‘Next Level Chef’?
We have a big night ahead of us, as the winner of “Next Level Chef” Season 5 will be crowned. The lucky winner will walk away with a huge prize: $250,000, plus a one-year mentorship with the show’s judges.
The pressure will be on for these three remaining chefs, as mentorship from the judges would be worth it all. For the final challenge, the chefs will be tasked with creating a different dish on each level of the platform in just 90 minutes. How they divide that time is up to them, just as long as they complete all three dishes in the 90-minute time limit.
This will be an interesting one. No shocker here, but the final three chefs each represent one of the mentors. Connor was on Team Arrington, Darian was on Team Blais, and Cole was on Team Ramsay. That means they each have a chance of walking away with the win tonight.
The season also started with three different types of chefs: home chefs, social media chefs, and professional chefs. All of the final three chefs are professional chefs, so the pros won out this season.
So, which chef wins it all this season? I am torn on this one, as all of them have a solid chance of winning. Connor was the early favorite to win. He won some of the early challenges and has been a standout most of the season. Cole seems to be improving all season long, getting better and better each week. Then Darian seems to have turned it on at the end, winning every challenge at the end of the season, it seems.
With that being said, I think it’s going to be Connor walking away with the win tonight. I think he’s been one of the standouts all season long. He had a bad cook last week, but pulled it together in the Elimination Cook-Off. I think he keeps it together tonight and wins Season 5.
FOXWho do you think wins tonight on “Next Level Chef” 2026?
