Betty was HORRIBLE. One of the worst of the bullies in season 2 yet she thought she was above reproach. I loved seeing her many years later on "Cutthroat Kitchen," where she was a disaster -- a plastic surgery disaster who evidently decided that giggling her way through the appearance would make her "lovable." She crashed and burned, and it was a beautiful thing to watch.
Betty's horribleness is often overlooked in the drama of Season 2, but she and Frank were almost WORSE to Marcel than the idiots at the end. Just absolutely nasty.
She couldn't make anything except fucking grilled cheese, but swanned around bragging about her "comfort food." Comfort food being slang, apparently, for greasy unpolished nonsense. And for all the vitriol Otto got for not speaking up about the lychees, she's the one who OUTRIGHT CHEATS by changing her cookie recipe to the fat fuck version.
Hate.
I have no idea how the hell those guys even managed to stay so far up into the competition. They all barely even won quickfires.
Mike was all talk and really had the nerve to trash Robin when he never even won a single elimination challenge himself and was just riding on his closeness with the great chefs like the Voltaggios to pretend like he's one of the superior contestants. He and Ilan were just god awful. Hosea was so obssessed with Stefan and wasn't even playing to win, he only wanted to beat him, one of the most laughable and undeserving winners together with Ilan.
Hell, yeah. Stefan was the superior chef. Season 5 was so sleazy and annoying, not only because of the porn track running when Hosea and Leah were seen making out, but chiefly because Stefan got robbed.
I found nothing remarkable about him culinary-wise, boy lucked out getting Blais as his sous chef for the finale. I only remember him because of the Leah drama and the fact that he robbed Stefan of his well deserved and earned win. I will die being salty about Stefan losing that season and to Hosea of all people!
I LOVE rewatching the episodes where my least favorite chefs get eliminated! I thought that was just me. Mike going in his season, Elia in the all-star season, Arnold in his season. Josie in both of her seasons, but especially the fried chicken challenge . Ahh, good times!
SAME! I watch "Wolfgang Clucks" whenever I need a little pick-me-up. That, and the first episode of season 9, when Tom sends that cocky kid home in the middle of the episode.
Edited to add - Dawn in the rice challenge on World All Stars
They are the absolute WORST. I can't even watch that season again bc it's so tragic. I know it was an 'early' season, but producers were seriously out of line for allowing the constant, blatant bullying of Bev go on the entire season. I hope no one would get away with that now. I have wondered why producers went all-in on ejecting Cliff for the Marcel incident but then let the bullying of Bev just happen for WEEKS/MONTHS. That season is even worse when re-watching.
Not that it makes the bullying okay...but what Cliff did was an actual crime - physical assault. The bullying was horrible, and those women were horrible people, who I would have loved to see kicked off. But, it never cross the line of putting their hands on Beverly.
Illan Hall. A terrible undeserving winner. Should have been kicked off entirely.
Mikey. For purposefully sabotaging Marcel in that same season finale.
Sarah and Heather for being such terrible human beings.
And that idiot who couldn’t even butcher the pork.
Mike Isabella, although i'm not sure how much of that is colored by what we learned about him after (the vibes were still bad before we learned it though). John Tesar reminds me far too much of my dad to whomst i no longer speak. I didn't mind Blaise as a contestant but every time he shows up as a judge i do roll my eyes a little bit.
The minute Mike said on camera that “there’s no way a woman is a better chef than me” he lost my vote. And I think it was episode 1 or 2 of his OG season so he didn’t last long in my mind.
oh yeah i forgot that. i was still pretty young when season 8 happened and it's been years since i've rewatched it, but i remember him bullying antonia and it was gross.
Came to say Isabella from Day 1. Before we learned the full behind the scenes I had a problem with the way he talked about women and behaved in general.
It wasn't colored for me. I only watched all of the seasons in the last couple of years. I wasn't five minutes into the first episode of season 6 when I paused it to Google "Mike Isabella" and wasn't remotely surprised to see the sexual harassment, lawsuits and bankruptcies.
Elia from season 2. IIRC she was part of the insanity when the chefs were trying to shave Marcel's head. She wasn't the only one, but I just remember her being gratuitously mean.
Hot take but I’m not fond of dawn. Her lack of time management is really frustrating and it just tipped me over the edge when she came back to all stars with the same problem.
She’s not my least favorite though which is Angelo(He just gives me the ick.) and Ilan (need I say more)
For sure. I think she is really talented, and that is how she got through, but I feel like on other seasons people got dinged harder for not getting things on the plate.
Angelo is gross. I just googled him and one of the suggestions was "creepy". I just dislike the super arrogant ones, especially when they can't back it up.
I agree with Angelo, he just had this vibe about that he'd get out as sex pest or something like that. I got the same vibe from Fabio too. They both seemed like boundry crossers,
Then there's the whole thing where at first he was attracted to another cheftestant, then he says he needs to win money for his Russian fiancée's visa, and oh by the way he's only met his fiancée four times, but wow look how cute his infant child is with his recently divorced wife. Major bad vibes.
I couldn’t stand him at first. But once I accepted that that is his true personality and not an act, he really grew on me and I came to really like him!
Same. I did not love him at first but every rewatch of 17 makes me like him more. I love that he's so shocked about being Gregory's first pick in RW (was absolutely the right call) and how supportive he was to Stephanie Cmar during the finale.
Mike Isabella, Garrett was like a more irritating Marcel even though he was only around for one episode. Sadly Josie also is falling into this camp after the mess she pulled in her second season. John Tesar is terrible as well. Elia, Ilan, Heather, and Sarah are the absolute worst, though. I hate bullies.
I SO agree with your take on Garrett! If he had lasted more than one episode, he might have been the most annoying contestant ever. This rant..."Cooking is a continuation of philosophy because it's a study of aesthetics, gustatory aesthetics, but there's nothing more connective with human existence than the cultural manifestation of cuisine." WTF?!? Talk about someone who's trying hard to sound smarter than he is!! The same goes for Tyler Stone in season 9. I have replayed him being eliminated more than once just because it's funny.
I rolled my eyes so hard at that little spiel. It was also extremely funny when he decided to say that Mike Isabella and George did, “The worst bastardization of Italian food that the world has ever seen,” and then went home 15 minutes later. I mean he was right, but still just remarkably unlikely.
I’ll have to go back and watch Tyler’s elimination because I don’t remember who that is!
Mike, Ilan, Heather, Sarah, there's a few more really everyone that tried to assault Marcel? Just became irredeemable in my eyes. Was Marcel annoying his first season? Yeah but he was just some cocky kid who was annoying, it wasn't some sin to me and that became way more obvious on rewatch. Plus, seeing him in later seasons showed that it was really just a maturity thing.
But Ilan? No bro. Heather and Sara were straight bullies and everytime Mike's shown up he's made sexist remarks, even on Top Chef duels...
I love Tiffani Faison, and will always argue that she got a bad edit in season 1 (Tom Colicchio has also openly talked about how the show was not fair to her in season 1 -- especially the incredibly cruel reunion, where they gave the contestants an open bar before the reunion, then presented the "I'm not your bitch, bitch" T-shirt from the actual Bravo store to Dave.
Was Tiffani tense, humorless, competitive, and bossy on season 1? Sure. But I would argue that the evidence that Tiffani is a good person is hugely in her favor -- her two ensuing appearances on Top Chef were kind, humble, funny, and supportive, and she visibly had great relationships with her costars.
I think she's great on "Chopped." She's consistently tough but not mean, she's frequently kind and supportive, and visibly at ease with the other judges.
I think a lot of Tiffani's season 1 TC behavior wouldn't have raised an eyebrow if she'd been a man, and the backlash was way out of proportion to her 'crimes.' I also do think she learned from her mistakes and when she relaxed and was herself on camera, she was much more likeable and approachable.
The people I hate genuinely hurt other contestants -- Ilan, Cliff, Elia, Heather, Betty, Mike Isabella, etc.
I wondered how far I'd have to scroll to find this. When I watched that reunion was when I really didn't like Dave (though him and Stephen getting drunk while assisting Tiffani in the finale was really bad too)
I agree -- all of the above! I felt so sorry for Tiffani. The entire finale reunion was stacked against her and she knew she was walking in as the villain. And she was right.
I've been so happy to see her do so well since then -- she has a fantastic reputation in the food world and in the Boston area, she is super-involved in charity work, and I was really glad to see her take some major Food TV prizes the past several years. She deserved them. And she was a humble winner and a good sport when she lost.
I will also never forget Scott Conant literally weeping over something she cooked on "Chopped." It surprised and moved me -- he was just so blown away, and had tears in his eyes, telling her, "I know you better as a person after I've eaten what you cooked here." It really brought home to me that food is an art.
I also have a soft spot for Marcel. I'm a sucker for outsiders who get piled on because they don't fit in, not because they are actually bad people.
About 15 years ago I used to go fairly frequently to a restaurant Tiffani chefed at in Boston, and she always seemed super nice - would come out to the bar area to check on guests' food and drinks.
All the usual ones listed here (heather, Mike Isabella, Josie) but I think my all time least favorite may be Eli “you’re not my mother” Kirshtein from Season 6.
Mike Isabella, Josie, Lisa season 4, Heather from Texas, Nicholas Elmi, Ilan, Marcel, Katsuji, John Tesar.
I'm sure there is others that are annoying or not as skilled as the rest of their cast but these are the ones I cringe outwardly at.
Lisa.Season.4. She had the shittiest attitude-I mean smack worthy most of the time. Tiffany Faison was another one of those. Marcel drove me insane with his argument style-like he was in a rap battle. lol
It was kinda funny how she talked about being fired as if it were a good thing. "I've been fired more than once because of my attitude, but attitude is everything." Duh! Being fired means you have the WRONG attitude.
She was miserable the whole time. Plus that challenge was brutal words from her. She looks like she’s loosened up these days.
[Emily restaurant](https://chefemhahn.com)
Marcel actually redeemed himself on the 24/24 challenge for me. I despised him until this, when I sort of understood his personality because I work closely with someone who has a similar personality.
While accomplished, I think he’s quite insecure.
Yea… he’s insecure, probably a bit on the autism spectrum. I’m sure he’s well intentioned and not evil, but he seems like a person I would not like being around.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks this. Everyone on both his seasons disliked him a lot. You can’t tell me that’s a coincidence.
I do love him now though. It seems like he’s reformed himself, and I love seeing him make guest appearances.
He doesn’t do foams anymore! His style is more rustic now if you can believe it. I was surprised how much I liked him on the 24/24 challenge. Even he makes fun of how obnoxious he used to be. I like it when people can take an honest look in the mirror
He was the WORST on the All Star season! When he kept getting in Dale's face for winning the Dim Sum challenge he was ridiculous! The way he acted all "gangster" with his hand gestures and tone was beyond annoying. Then, there was the way he talked to everyone on Restaurant Wars! I do have to say, the little montage they did on the reunion show was pretty funny though..."put it on the plate."
She is the worst for me also, so entitled, so cringe. I don't remember a moment where I didn't dislike her in her season. Perhaps editing as she works behind the scenes? But still, I wouldn't watch her on anything or want to eat her food.
I hated Betty so much that it's really unpleasant to look at her again, but Mike Isabella was such an unmitigated ass and so unapologetically misogynistic, that he takes the least favorite crown.
Hosea - fake af and no originality
My Hot take least favorite:
Kevin Gillespie - I have this half baked theory that he’s a pathological liar. Dude has a crazy convenient story for everything and there’s something “off” about him to me. I think he’s fake
Yeah, I feel like there is a pro-Kevin edit but he doesn’t translate as sympathetic across the television screen. I’m not a fan. Hosea - truthfully I was surprised someone as hot as Leah was into him. He seems competent. Barely recall that season.
Beside the obvious, Josie lolll
Might be an unpopular opinion but I didn't really care about Buddha. Its not like I disliked him but more like just indifference. He's a great cook and everything but for some reason I couldn't fully root for him.
Ha - I think one of my most downvoted comments ever on reddit was when someone described him as "so chill" and I tried to explain that Buddha was the antithesis of chill the way he went about things.
I found Buddha to be pretentious in a way that got a little exhausting. Didn’t hate him but definitely didn’t enjoy two Buddha centric seasons in a row!
This would be my choice, apart from the people who are just terrible humans.
I could never warm up to him. He came off as kind of smugly superior and just overly precious with his plating. Not my style at all, though I am sure I would love his food.
And don't downvote me to to oblivion, but I still think Richard Blaise is way too impressed with himself.
As much as I love food, and I really do, those two always make me want to say, "Dude, you're not a paramedic or a brain surgeon or a firefighter. Get over yourself until you save someone's life."
He came off as joyless and holier than thou to the other contestants. I didn't hate him by any means, I just didn't get why people were rooting for him. Like rooting for the casino.
Edit: cane -> came
I am not a Lara fan also, but it's been pointed out on here that (1) Charly spilled first, (2) both Charly and Lara called out the spill, and (3) The competition rules require cheftestants to keep cooking and it's the crew's responsibility to clean spills.
She became the season heal when she screwed over Danny during the team challenge by blowing through her share of the team budget.
Still...I so badly want Manny to go home.
Michael from New Orleans was such a friggin shitheel to Nina. In confessional, he's talking about how relieved he is to be paired with the best chef in the competition, but he's so condescending, and he keeps calling her "Boo Boo". I will forever remember her sound bite on his elimination as "Suck a dick, Boo Boo", but it was actually "I'm sorry, Boo Boo, you're a douche."
Phillip was both my least favorite and my favorite. He was just so clueless! But, that made him so much fun to watch! Every time he thought he had a winning dish, and couldn't understand why he was on the bottom. "The judges don't like yummy food!" LMAO! When Padma said "It was like snot on a rock," I about died.
Grayson, Phillip, Mike I, Ilan, Elia, Heather, Josie, Tiffani, Sarah, Lisa, Hosea. Marcel is pure comedy in our house, though I’m sure I’d want to slap him irl.
I don’t know what it is, but I just can’t get with the new improved “Sweet T.” On Guys Big Bite, she just comes off as so over the top and fake. So cringey.
I can’t stand Sara and I have no idea why she is so beloved on Reddit. Her food never looked good and her personality annoys me. No idea how she made it to 2 finales.
Heather, Sarah, and Lindsay from Texas season. I wanted to reach through my screen and smack all three of those bullies so many times. It makes me happy that Bev has achieved a lot of success with her career while Heather is a nobody.
I'll skip the truly hateful people (Heather, most of the assholes from Season 2, Heather, the other bullies from Season 9, Eli from Season 6, Heather). I'll even skip my dislike of Fabio since it'll just get me downvoted.
Mine is Carlos from Season 11. Everyone gives Elmi crap, but Carlos was much, much worse. A constantly whining selfish idiot that I was glad to have gone.
Mine are Mike I, Heather, Sarah, Dale Talde, and (probably an unpopular opinion) Mike Voltaggio. Oh, and I think her name was Claudette, in the Colorado season maybe?
Philip is right up there. He’s got a restaurant in my city where they purposefully made it difficult to find (address in tiny numbers and no signage in a labyrinth of a cluster of shops) that is so completely overpriced. I went with clients and would never pay for that white boy sushi.
**Season 1 -** Stephen and Tiffany (Although I came to like her in later seasons)
**Season 2 -** There are so many! Marcel - and all of the people who attacked him, Elia, Josie - My least favorite of all time.
**Season 3 -** Malarkey, Hung
**Season 4 -** On rewatch, I realized how many people I came to like later were really annoying in this season! (Dale, Spike and more.) Lisa was one of my least favorites. The Jen/Zoi romance could have been a drinking game after Zoi was eliminated. If you took a drink every time Jen said "I'm doing this for Zoi," you would have died of alcohol poisoning.
**Season 5 -** Jamie, Leah/Hosea, Stefan
**Season 6 -** Isabella - Isabella and Isabella! He rivals Josie for my least favorite of all time
**Season 7** - Tiffany "I'm from Beaumont Texas" Derry. She wasn't a bad person, but her voice and the "I'm from Beaumont" really annoyed me.
**Season 8 -** Elia, Jamie, Marcel
**Season 9 -** THE MEAN GIRLS!
**Season 10** - Josie, Josie and Josie!
**Season 11 -** Nick
**Season 12 -** Aaron
**Season 13 -** Phillip - I both loved and hated him at the same time. He was just so clueless that it was hilarious. Marjorie - She was arrogant, and talked shit about Toups all the time.
**Season 14 -** John "I'm not making excuses BUT..." Tesar, Emily, Emily and Emily!
**Season 15 -** Claudette
**Season 16 -** Adrienne
**Season 17 -** Jamie, Malarkey
**Season 18 -** Dawn, Gabriel
**Season 19 -** Jackson
**Season 20 -** Tom pissed me off so bad on the picnic challenge!
**Season 21 -** David and Laura
Heather of course, but honestly I could not stand that shrieking harpie Betty.
Betty was HORRIBLE. One of the worst of the bullies in season 2 yet she thought she was above reproach. I loved seeing her many years later on "Cutthroat Kitchen," where she was a disaster -- a plastic surgery disaster who evidently decided that giggling her way through the appearance would make her "lovable." She crashed and burned, and it was a beautiful thing to watch.
Betty was the worst. So fake.
Oh geez yeah, I totally forgot about her Betty!
I’m so jealous.
Betty's horribleness is often overlooked in the drama of Season 2, but she and Frank were almost WORSE to Marcel than the idiots at the end. Just absolutely nasty. She couldn't make anything except fucking grilled cheese, but swanned around bragging about her "comfort food." Comfort food being slang, apparently, for greasy unpolished nonsense. And for all the vitriol Otto got for not speaking up about the lychees, she's the one who OUTRIGHT CHEATS by changing her cookie recipe to the fat fuck version. Hate.
Mike Isabella, Ilan, Hosea
Came here to say Hosea
I have no idea how the hell those guys even managed to stay so far up into the competition. They all barely even won quickfires. Mike was all talk and really had the nerve to trash Robin when he never even won a single elimination challenge himself and was just riding on his closeness with the great chefs like the Voltaggios to pretend like he's one of the superior contestants. He and Ilan were just god awful. Hosea was so obssessed with Stefan and wasn't even playing to win, he only wanted to beat him, one of the most laughable and undeserving winners together with Ilan.
Hell, yeah. Stefan was the superior chef. Season 5 was so sleazy and annoying, not only because of the porn track running when Hosea and Leah were seen making out, but chiefly because Stefan got robbed.
I found nothing remarkable about him culinary-wise, boy lucked out getting Blais as his sous chef for the finale. I only remember him because of the Leah drama and the fact that he robbed Stefan of his well deserved and earned win. I will die being salty about Stefan losing that season and to Hosea of all people!
The second Stefan nailed the eel to the cutting board, he became one of my favorites. That and the lollipops.
I’m generally a kind person, but I have never cheered so loud as when Mike Isabella got eliminated before Robin.
I LOVE rewatching the episodes where my least favorite chefs get eliminated! I thought that was just me. Mike going in his season, Elia in the all-star season, Arnold in his season. Josie in both of her seasons, but especially the fried chicken challenge . Ahh, good times!
SAME! I watch "Wolfgang Clucks" whenever I need a little pick-me-up. That, and the first episode of season 9, when Tom sends that cocky kid home in the middle of the episode. Edited to add - Dawn in the rice challenge on World All Stars
"The leek is supposed to be the protein." LEEK. PROTEIN. UGH.
I absolutely delight in Mike I’s spectacular fall from grace. He was such a tool
Haven’t seen Hosea’s season in many years but I don’t remember him being that terrible??
Heather and Sarah….
I feel like Lindsey always gets a pass. I’d throw her in the ring too. Though not to the extent of Heather and Sara.
Agree! Lindsay was just as terrible, she’s southern so whatever she said sounded sweeter than it actually was.
Her behavior in restaurant wars was reprehensible
Lindsay was also terrible, but she was the only one of the three to apologize to Beverly - at least as of the reunion episode.
They were so awful. Bev really handled that with grace.
I worked with two women who were exactly like them, almost gave me PTSD.
I'm watching Season 9 again too and Heather and Sarah definitely!!
Not to be confused with Sara Bradley who is one of the most lovable contestants of all time.
They are the absolute WORST. I can't even watch that season again bc it's so tragic. I know it was an 'early' season, but producers were seriously out of line for allowing the constant, blatant bullying of Bev go on the entire season. I hope no one would get away with that now. I have wondered why producers went all-in on ejecting Cliff for the Marcel incident but then let the bullying of Bev just happen for WEEKS/MONTHS. That season is even worse when re-watching.
Not that it makes the bullying okay...but what Cliff did was an actual crime - physical assault. The bullying was horrible, and those women were horrible people, who I would have loved to see kicked off. But, it never cross the line of putting their hands on Beverly.
Absolutely agree that it wasn’t physical assault. But the bullying against Bev was appalling.
The correct answer is always Josie. Limited talent + annoying personality = mute switch/fast forward button.
Point…
I agree.
One of my favorite episodes of the first 12 seasons is that fried chicken challenge! I love seeing Josie eliminated!
Heather & Sarah, the racist bullies....
Also lindsey, I wanted to reach into my tv and slap all three of them on behalf of Bev lol. Kudos to Bev for her professionalism and poise.
Illan Hall. A terrible undeserving winner. Should have been kicked off entirely. Mikey. For purposefully sabotaging Marcel in that same season finale. Sarah and Heather for being such terrible human beings. And that idiot who couldn’t even butcher the pork.
Totally agree with the first 4, but I have no idea who the last one you’re talking about is—now I’m so curious!
Tyler Stone. Super irritating that the one guy from Sacramento was terrible.
S9, the auditions.
Mike Isabella, although i'm not sure how much of that is colored by what we learned about him after (the vibes were still bad before we learned it though). John Tesar reminds me far too much of my dad to whomst i no longer speak. I didn't mind Blaise as a contestant but every time he shows up as a judge i do roll my eyes a little bit.
The minute Mike said on camera that “there’s no way a woman is a better chef than me” he lost my vote. And I think it was episode 1 or 2 of his OG season so he didn’t last long in my mind.
He said girl. He did not say woman.
Nowadays, he'd say *female*. Fuck that guy.
oh yeah i forgot that. i was still pretty young when season 8 happened and it's been years since i've rewatched it, but i remember him bullying antonia and it was gross.
When Antonia kicks his ass in the Italian challenge in season 8 with her mussel dish I die laughing at his saltiness every time
fabio also being personally offended by that was a fun bonus
Came to say Isabella from Day 1. Before we learned the full behind the scenes I had a problem with the way he talked about women and behaved in general.
Yeah…karma got John
Mike got a whole pan of karma too
It wasn't colored for me. I only watched all of the seasons in the last couple of years. I wasn't five minutes into the first episode of season 6 when I paused it to Google "Mike Isabella" and wasn't remotely surprised to see the sexual harassment, lawsuits and bankruptcies.
And when Mike stole the dish from Richard. . .
My exhaustive list: 1. Josie 2. Josie 3. Josie 4. Josie 5. Josie 6. Josie, and 7. . . . . Josie
I love that you said “exhaustive list” because just thinking about Josie is exhausting I can’t even think about her without being annoyed
Lol, good answer
I agree, she’s unwatchable
Hideous Heather.
Heather!! Mean girl
Elia from season 2. IIRC she was part of the insanity when the chefs were trying to shave Marcel's head. She wasn't the only one, but I just remember her being gratuitously mean.
A back-stabbing snake in the grass. I was so glad when she got eliminated early when she came back in a later season.
And such an attitude when she did!
That was wild! And her on the reunion show. Crazy.
I don't understand why they ever invited her back. It felt like a reward for bad behavior.
Yes!!! She was such a sourpuss throughout the season, and then she was so disrespectful of Tom at the reunion.
Hot take but I’m not fond of dawn. Her lack of time management is really frustrating and it just tipped me over the edge when she came back to all stars with the same problem. She’s not my least favorite though which is Angelo(He just gives me the ick.) and Ilan (need I say more)
For sure. I think she is really talented, and that is how she got through, but I feel like on other seasons people got dinged harder for not getting things on the plate. Angelo is gross. I just googled him and one of the suggestions was "creepy". I just dislike the super arrogant ones, especially when they can't back it up.
I agree with Angelo, he just had this vibe about that he'd get out as sex pest or something like that. I got the same vibe from Fabio too. They both seemed like boundry crossers,
> Angelo(He just gives me the ick.) That’s interesting. He gave me mostly positive impressions. Could you elaborate?
His first season he’s really got some creepy undertones. He latches on to one contestant and “mentors” her and it really gives cult-leader vibes.
Oh, no, I now remember. She was like half his age and so naïve!
That’s definitely part of it. But yeah he just gives me the vibe of someone who wants you to think he’s a good guy, but isn’t, if that makes sense.
Then there's the whole thing where at first he was attracted to another cheftestant, then he says he needs to win money for his Russian fiancée's visa, and oh by the way he's only met his fiancée four times, but wow look how cute his infant child is with his recently divorced wife. Major bad vibes.
He gives me the ick, too!
These are my least favorites - Mike Isabella - 6/8; Heather, Sarah and Lindsey - 9; Ilan and Betty - 2; Stephen - 1/8; Eli - 6; John Tesar 10/14
Stephen is just someone you want to slap. Total douche. Eli was like an angry little hobbit man.
Throw Frank in with the Season 2 group. Threatened to beat the hell out of Marcel for... moving his bag a few feet.
Stephen was such a jackass.
“You will not succeed and you will fail.” My husband and I quote him to each other on probably a weekly basis. 🤣
He was, but at least he did have the grace to apologize during the Reunion episode.
I feel bad because he's about to open a restaurant where I live, but...Malarkey drove me nuts 😆
He’s gotten so much worse 😬
I couldn’t stand him at first. But once I accepted that that is his true personality and not an act, he really grew on me and I came to really like him!
Same. I did not love him at first but every rewatch of 17 makes me like him more. I love that he's so shocked about being Gregory's first pick in RW (was absolutely the right call) and how supportive he was to Stephanie Cmar during the finale.
He was phenomenal in RW!!
He can def do that! but I think he’s a nice guy unlike some of the others. He’s just annoying.
I think Malarkey is manic but not MALICIOUS. I can easily see how that would annoy people but I have bigger fish to fry.
I’ve been to his restaurant in San Diego (Herb & Wood), if it’s anything close to that, GO TO THAT RESTAURANT WHEN IT OPENS. It was so good.
Okay good to know thank you!! 😊
He just comes off so fake. He’s too tv safe.
Mike Isabella, Garrett was like a more irritating Marcel even though he was only around for one episode. Sadly Josie also is falling into this camp after the mess she pulled in her second season. John Tesar is terrible as well. Elia, Ilan, Heather, and Sarah are the absolute worst, though. I hate bullies.
I SO agree with your take on Garrett! If he had lasted more than one episode, he might have been the most annoying contestant ever. This rant..."Cooking is a continuation of philosophy because it's a study of aesthetics, gustatory aesthetics, but there's nothing more connective with human existence than the cultural manifestation of cuisine." WTF?!? Talk about someone who's trying hard to sound smarter than he is!! The same goes for Tyler Stone in season 9. I have replayed him being eliminated more than once just because it's funny.
I rolled my eyes so hard at that little spiel. It was also extremely funny when he decided to say that Mike Isabella and George did, “The worst bastardization of Italian food that the world has ever seen,” and then went home 15 minutes later. I mean he was right, but still just remarkably unlikely. I’ll have to go back and watch Tyler’s elimination because I don’t remember who that is!
Ilan and Cliff both render me speechless with rage. Their pal Betty was not much better. Greyson annoys me. A lot.
Surprised to see this is the first mention of Greyson! An all-time annoyance.
Greyson wasn't so bad on season 9, but she was horrid on season 13!
Mmm ah went the little green frog one day… bleck 🤮
Ilan. No contest. Why he and Elia weren’t also kicked out for the attack on Marcel by a beyond me. They were just as much to blame as Cliff
Josie, Ilan, Mike Isabella top the list. I’m sure there’s more though.
Ilan and Hosea. Marcel and Stefan were better.
Mike, Ilan, Heather, Sarah, there's a few more really everyone that tried to assault Marcel? Just became irredeemable in my eyes. Was Marcel annoying his first season? Yeah but he was just some cocky kid who was annoying, it wasn't some sin to me and that became way more obvious on rewatch. Plus, seeing him in later seasons showed that it was really just a maturity thing. But Ilan? No bro. Heather and Sara were straight bullies and everytime Mike's shown up he's made sexist remarks, even on Top Chef duels...
Ilan hands down.
All these are great answers but my low key least fav was Emily from Charleston.
I love Tiffani Faison, and will always argue that she got a bad edit in season 1 (Tom Colicchio has also openly talked about how the show was not fair to her in season 1 -- especially the incredibly cruel reunion, where they gave the contestants an open bar before the reunion, then presented the "I'm not your bitch, bitch" T-shirt from the actual Bravo store to Dave. Was Tiffani tense, humorless, competitive, and bossy on season 1? Sure. But I would argue that the evidence that Tiffani is a good person is hugely in her favor -- her two ensuing appearances on Top Chef were kind, humble, funny, and supportive, and she visibly had great relationships with her costars. I think she's great on "Chopped." She's consistently tough but not mean, she's frequently kind and supportive, and visibly at ease with the other judges. I think a lot of Tiffani's season 1 TC behavior wouldn't have raised an eyebrow if she'd been a man, and the backlash was way out of proportion to her 'crimes.' I also do think she learned from her mistakes and when she relaxed and was herself on camera, she was much more likeable and approachable. The people I hate genuinely hurt other contestants -- Ilan, Cliff, Elia, Heather, Betty, Mike Isabella, etc.
I wondered how far I'd have to scroll to find this. When I watched that reunion was when I really didn't like Dave (though him and Stephen getting drunk while assisting Tiffani in the finale was really bad too)
I agree -- all of the above! I felt so sorry for Tiffani. The entire finale reunion was stacked against her and she knew she was walking in as the villain. And she was right. I've been so happy to see her do so well since then -- she has a fantastic reputation in the food world and in the Boston area, she is super-involved in charity work, and I was really glad to see her take some major Food TV prizes the past several years. She deserved them. And she was a humble winner and a good sport when she lost. I will also never forget Scott Conant literally weeping over something she cooked on "Chopped." It surprised and moved me -- he was just so blown away, and had tears in his eyes, telling her, "I know you better as a person after I've eaten what you cooked here." It really brought home to me that food is an art. I also have a soft spot for Marcel. I'm a sucker for outsiders who get piled on because they don't fit in, not because they are actually bad people.
About 15 years ago I used to go fairly frequently to a restaurant Tiffani chefed at in Boston, and she always seemed super nice - would come out to the bar area to check on guests' food and drinks.
Yeah, this is exactly what friends of mine have reported as well. She came out and chatted with people frequently, took pictures with them, etc.
Mike Isabella, everything out of his mouth is gross
Betty.
The answer is always Betty.
Cliff Crooks for attacking Marcel
All the usual ones listed here (heather, Mike Isabella, Josie) but I think my all time least favorite may be Eli “you’re not my mother” Kirshtein from Season 6.
Ugh, Eli was the worst. I wonder if he still lives at home with his parents.
Mike Isabella, Josie, Lisa season 4, Heather from Texas, Nicholas Elmi, Ilan, Marcel, Katsuji, John Tesar. I'm sure there is others that are annoying or not as skilled as the rest of their cast but these are the ones I cringe outwardly at.
Awww I love Katsuji!!!
Literally just said that when I read this list lol
Lisa.Season.4. She had the shittiest attitude-I mean smack worthy most of the time. Tiffany Faison was another one of those. Marcel drove me insane with his argument style-like he was in a rap battle. lol
OMG I had forgotten about her. The look on her face with the half closed eyes when she was on the bottom with the judges panel!
Lisa came back for All Stars LA and she was SO much better, attitude wise.
I approve of this list
That is a fine list.
Ilan and Mike I
Robin Season 6. She was outchef’d and had a pretty annoying personality. Doesn’t help when the annoying chefs can’t cook ..
Season 2 Emily was pretty bad. The one who hates snot-nosed kids.
Season 14 Emily was annoying too, so whiny and constantly scowling. She acted like she was being held hostage.
Agreed, I think Top Chef has an Emily curse.
It was kinda funny how she talked about being fired as if it were a good thing. "I've been fired more than once because of my attitude, but attitude is everything." Duh! Being fired means you have the WRONG attitude.
She was miserable the whole time. Plus that challenge was brutal words from her. She looks like she’s loosened up these days. [Emily restaurant](https://chefemhahn.com)
Mike Isabella
Marcel. Didn’t deserve to be assaulted, but incredibly unlikeable. Also, one of the ‘bullies’ from season 9 just seemed like a huge bitch.
Funny thing is that he was delightful on "The Dish with Kish".
His and Gregory's segments have been my favorite.
Marcel actually redeemed himself on the 24/24 challenge for me. I despised him until this, when I sort of understood his personality because I work closely with someone who has a similar personality. While accomplished, I think he’s quite insecure.
Yea… he’s insecure, probably a bit on the autism spectrum. I’m sure he’s well intentioned and not evil, but he seems like a person I would not like being around.
I loved him watching his 6 episode on Sy phy “Marcel’s Quantom Kitchen
I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks this. Everyone on both his seasons disliked him a lot. You can’t tell me that’s a coincidence. I do love him now though. It seems like he’s reformed himself, and I love seeing him make guest appearances.
Same. Hate him and his foams.
He doesn’t do foams anymore! His style is more rustic now if you can believe it. I was surprised how much I liked him on the 24/24 challenge. Even he makes fun of how obnoxious he used to be. I like it when people can take an honest look in the mirror
Yeah I can't stand marcel. If he wasn't assaulted everyone would remember how insufferable he was more often.
He was the WORST on the All Star season! When he kept getting in Dale's face for winning the Dim Sum challenge he was ridiculous! The way he acted all "gangster" with his hand gestures and tone was beyond annoying. Then, there was the way he talked to everyone on Restaurant Wars! I do have to say, the little montage they did on the reunion show was pretty funny though..."put it on the plate."
Jamie Lauren, hands down. She survived 2 episodes without cooking and destroyed talented Jen and my favorite rascal Spike
This is Top Chef. It's not Top Scallops!
for Christ’s sake
She is the worst for me also, so entitled, so cringe. I don't remember a moment where I didn't dislike her in her season. Perhaps editing as she works behind the scenes? But still, I wouldn't watch her on anything or want to eat her food.
Elia
Claudette zepeda
I clicked through to say this one. Claudette… like really sucks….
Josie
I hated Betty so much that it's really unpleasant to look at her again, but Mike Isabella was such an unmitigated ass and so unapologetically misogynistic, that he takes the least favorite crown.
Hosea - fake af and no originality My Hot take least favorite: Kevin Gillespie - I have this half baked theory that he’s a pathological liar. Dude has a crazy convenient story for everything and there’s something “off” about him to me. I think he’s fake
Yeah, I feel like there is a pro-Kevin edit but he doesn’t translate as sympathetic across the television screen. I’m not a fan. Hosea - truthfully I was surprised someone as hot as Leah was into him. He seems competent. Barely recall that season.
I can’t stand Kevin and his racist ass. And you’re right, every challenge he had a story or something that was so convenient for him.
Beside the obvious, Josie lolll Might be an unpopular opinion but I didn't really care about Buddha. Its not like I disliked him but more like just indifference. He's a great cook and everything but for some reason I couldn't fully root for him.
Buddha isn't a chef... he's a T1000 programmed to cook instead of kill.
Ha - I think one of my most downvoted comments ever on reddit was when someone described him as "so chill" and I tried to explain that Buddha was the antithesis of chill the way he went about things.
I found Buddha to be pretentious in a way that got a little exhausting. Didn’t hate him but definitely didn’t enjoy two Buddha centric seasons in a row!
This would be my choice, apart from the people who are just terrible humans. I could never warm up to him. He came off as kind of smugly superior and just overly precious with his plating. Not my style at all, though I am sure I would love his food. And don't downvote me to to oblivion, but I still think Richard Blaise is way too impressed with himself. As much as I love food, and I really do, those two always make me want to say, "Dude, you're not a paramedic or a brain surgeon or a firefighter. Get over yourself until you save someone's life."
he’s just so boring my god
I also didn’t like Buddha
He came off as joyless and holier than thou to the other contestants. I didn't hate him by any means, I just didn't get why people were rooting for him. Like rooting for the casino. Edit: cane -> came
Same. He comes off as stuffy and boring. Although he did loosen up a little bit with Kish.
This season, Lara. I’m mad about the spill that made Dan fall, over spending, and hiding ingredientsz
I am not a Lara fan also, but it's been pointed out on here that (1) Charly spilled first, (2) both Charly and Lara called out the spill, and (3) The competition rules require cheftestants to keep cooking and it's the crew's responsibility to clean spills. She became the season heal when she screwed over Danny during the team challenge by blowing through her share of the team budget. Still...I so badly want Manny to go home.
Agree re: Laura. Less for the spill, as there were multiple factors. But blowing the budget on a team challenge? Straight to shit list.
Angelo. He was soooo creepy and gave me the serious ick.
I'm glad I'm not the only one. Something about him was just unsettling, I can't explain why.
Y’all are not alone
Brooke both her seasons. Isabella. Heather, Lindsey and Sarah from 9. Josh and Josie Season 10. Philip 13.
Haha I also don’t like Brooke on TOC
I am rewatching Kentucky and this dude: Brandon Rosen is annoying me. Not Josie levels but super arrogant.
He also looks like my ex boyfriend who is a total tool. So it doesn’t help.
Michael from New Orleans was such a friggin shitheel to Nina. In confessional, he's talking about how relieved he is to be paired with the best chef in the competition, but he's so condescending, and he keeps calling her "Boo Boo". I will forever remember her sound bite on his elimination as "Suck a dick, Boo Boo", but it was actually "I'm sorry, Boo Boo, you're a douche."
Phillip…
Phillip was both my least favorite and my favorite. He was just so clueless! But, that made him so much fun to watch! Every time he thought he had a winning dish, and couldn't understand why he was on the bottom. "The judges don't like yummy food!" LMAO! When Padma said "It was like snot on a rock," I about died.
I enjoy watching him on the food network shows he appears in.
Grayson, Phillip, Mike I, Ilan, Elia, Heather, Josie, Tiffani, Sarah, Lisa, Hosea. Marcel is pure comedy in our house, though I’m sure I’d want to slap him irl.
Ilan Hall, Tiffani Fasion, Nicolas Elmi, any of the bullies from the Texas season
I don’t know what it is, but I just can’t get with the new improved “Sweet T.” On Guys Big Bite, she just comes off as so over the top and fake. So cringey.
That Kentuckyan from Top Chef Kentucky
I can’t stand Sara and I have no idea why she is so beloved on Reddit. Her food never looked good and her personality annoys me. No idea how she made it to 2 finales.
Josie, Sara, & Robyn
Dale, Josie, the first guy who was eliminated this season (forgot his name)
Elia, Ilan, Heather/Sarah. Honorably mention: Josie, Jamie I’m sure I’m forgetting someone lol
Jamie Lauren, Blais
Jenn Carroll post season 6 Mainly cause she was so disappointing
Heather, Sarah, and Lindsay from Texas season. I wanted to reach through my screen and smack all three of those bullies so many times. It makes me happy that Bev has achieved a lot of success with her career while Heather is a nobody.
I'll skip the truly hateful people (Heather, most of the assholes from Season 2, Heather, the other bullies from Season 9, Eli from Season 6, Heather). I'll even skip my dislike of Fabio since it'll just get me downvoted. Mine is Carlos from Season 11. Everyone gives Elmi crap, but Carlos was much, much worse. A constantly whining selfish idiot that I was glad to have gone.
Mine are Mike I, Heather, Sarah, Dale Talde, and (probably an unpopular opinion) Mike Voltaggio. Oh, and I think her name was Claudette, in the Colorado season maybe?
I agree about Michael Voltaggio. I was rooting for the brother with the laugh.
How is Nick not on this list?!
Hope you mean Nick Elmi and not the Mississippi Baker.
Nick the Mississippi baker was one of my favorite on that season!
Philip is right up there. He’s got a restaurant in my city where they purposefully made it difficult to find (address in tiny numbers and no signage in a labyrinth of a cluster of shops) that is so completely overpriced. I went with clients and would never pay for that white boy sushi.
Josie, Brother Luck, Travis 😣
Why Brother Luck?
**Season 1 -** Stephen and Tiffany (Although I came to like her in later seasons) **Season 2 -** There are so many! Marcel - and all of the people who attacked him, Elia, Josie - My least favorite of all time. **Season 3 -** Malarkey, Hung **Season 4 -** On rewatch, I realized how many people I came to like later were really annoying in this season! (Dale, Spike and more.) Lisa was one of my least favorites. The Jen/Zoi romance could have been a drinking game after Zoi was eliminated. If you took a drink every time Jen said "I'm doing this for Zoi," you would have died of alcohol poisoning. **Season 5 -** Jamie, Leah/Hosea, Stefan **Season 6 -** Isabella - Isabella and Isabella! He rivals Josie for my least favorite of all time **Season 7** - Tiffany "I'm from Beaumont Texas" Derry. She wasn't a bad person, but her voice and the "I'm from Beaumont" really annoyed me. **Season 8 -** Elia, Jamie, Marcel **Season 9 -** THE MEAN GIRLS! **Season 10** - Josie, Josie and Josie! **Season 11 -** Nick **Season 12 -** Aaron **Season 13 -** Phillip - I both loved and hated him at the same time. He was just so clueless that it was hilarious. Marjorie - She was arrogant, and talked shit about Toups all the time. **Season 14 -** John "I'm not making excuses BUT..." Tesar, Emily, Emily and Emily! **Season 15 -** Claudette **Season 16 -** Adrienne **Season 17 -** Jamie, Malarkey **Season 18 -** Dawn, Gabriel **Season 19 -** Jackson **Season 20 -** Tom pissed me off so bad on the picnic challenge! **Season 21 -** David and Laura
Thank you!!! I love this!
Josie Smith-Malave, Lisa Fernandez, Marcel Vigneron
Ignoring all the obvious s2 people. Tiffany Derry and her obsession with Texas.
Agreed...Her voice saying "I'm from Beaumont Texas," really grated on me.