Top chef is back ! Next winter, M6 will unveil the unique fifteenth season of the culinary competition, embodied by Stéphane Rotenberg since February 2010. This Wednesday, October 18, 2023, in a press release, the M6 channel announces the launch of filming for this new season, marked by a profound upheaval: the jury, made up of 4 chefs since the very first season, will now be reinforced with two new faces. Six brigades will now compete in the show, in which will always participate Philippe Etchebest, Hélène Darroze, Paul Pairet and Glenn Vielwho formed the jury for the last season to date.
Thus, there are two new women who will strengthen the team, and thus establish parity: the world-famous chef Dominique Crenn, first woman to obtain three stars in the United States by the Michel Guide, will be there. The French chef has been based in San Francisco for several years, and is in a relationship with American actress Maria Bello. The two women formalized their relationship a few years ago, and even got engaged in December 2019, in Paris. Another arrival in the team, and that the viewers of Top chef will necessarily recognize: Stéphanie Le Quellec. The forty-year-old, who has two stars in the Michelin Guide, won the second season of the program in 2012. In France, only three women have at least two stars in the Michelin Guide: Anne-Sophie Pic (only woman to have three stars in France), Hélène Darroze and Stéphanie Le Quellec.
A sharp drop in audience last season
Stéphanie Le Quellec becomes the very first winner of Top chef to join the show’s jury. We think in particular of M. Pokora and Shy’m, who, after winning Dance with the stars, had joined the program jury. In the same way, Kendji Girac and Slimane Nebchi, who won The Voice, then joined the jury for the Kids version. In fourteen seasons broadcast, many other chefs have been jurors of the program: Christian Constant, Jean-François Piège, Ghislaine Arabian, Cyril Lignac, Thierry Marx and Michel Sarran. Broadcast from March 1 to June 7, 2023, the last season had achieved the lowest historical average of the program, bringing together 2.2 million fans, 12.2% of the public, and 24% of housewives. A decent score for the channel, but one that it intends to revitalize with this sudden change of concept!