ASHEVILLE – One hard day of work could put $75,000 in the hands of an Asheville chef.
Food Network’s grueling and ambitious reality culinary competition, “24 in 24: Last Chef Standing,” will return for Season 2 on April 27.
Chef Ashleigh Shanti, owner of Good Hot Fish, will be one of the 24 contestants tested in the kitchen in the nonstop cooking battle, shot in real time over 24 hours.
“24 in 24 is a wild ride ― we knew having a culinary competition play out over 24 hours in real time would be risky, but the experiment could not have gone better and delivered our newest hit,” Betsy Ayala, head of content, food, Warner Bros. Discovery, said in a news release. “Season two is even more unpredictable, these chefs are using every drop of skill, confidence and adrenaline to make it through a whole new gauntlet of challenges, making this show a must-watch.”
Here’s what to know about the high-stakes competition and the local restaurateur vying to be the last chef standing.:
“24 in 24: Last Chef Standing” contestants and hosts
Shanti, a 2025 James Beard Awards Best Chef: Southeast semifinalist, opened the modern fish camp eatery, Good Hot Fish, in January 2024. The Season 19 “Top Chef” alum went head-to-head with Chef Bobby Flay on Food Network’s “Bobby’s Triple Threat,” which aired last fall.
In October, Shanti, a Virginia Beach, Virginia native and Asheville resident, debuted her first cookbook, “Our South: Black Food Through My Lens.”
Shanti will compete against renowned restaurant chefs, Food Network veterans and an Iron Chef: Elia Aboumrad, Brittanny Anderson, Gabe Bertaccini, Samantha Cruz, Leslie Daniel, Richie Farina, Ilan Hall, Stephanie Izard, Kevin Lee, Arturo Leighton, Laurence Louie, Star Maye, Kelsey Murphy, Marc Murphy, Nini Ngyuen, Kathleen O’Brien, Damaris Phillips, Michele Ragussis, Zurisadai “Zuri” Resendiz, Jonathan Sawyer, Lawrence “LT” Smith, Bryan Voltaggio and Dara Yu.
Celebrated chefs and restaurateurs Michael Symon and Esther Choi will host.
Symon is the powerhouse behind restaurants, Lola, Mabel’s BBQ, Roast, Bar Symon, Angeline and B Spot Burgers. He has authored cookbooks, including “Symon’s Dinners Cooking Out” and “Simply Symon Suppers.” No stranger to television, he has appeared on many culinary programs as co-host, judge and competitor, including “The Chew,” “Iron Chef America” and “Burgers, Brew & ‘Que.” In 2008, he won the first season of “The Next Iron Chef” and the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Great Lakes in 2009.
Choi, chef-owner of mŏkbar and mŏkbar Brooklyn and chef-partner of Ms. Yoo, has been lauded for her approach to Korean cuisine, which is rooted in family traditions and combined with modern techniques applied by the New York City Institute of Culinary Education graduate. Choi’s television resume includes co-host of “Beat Bobby Flay” and judge on “Chopped” and “Throwdown with Michael Symon.” She was a finalist on “Iron Chef: Quest for the Iron Legend.”
How to play the game
“24 in 24: Last Chef Standing” will broadcast weekly for its eight-episode season. However, the clock never stops for contestants in the 24-hour competition, divided into eight shifts that “reflect the all-consuming intensity of a chef’s daily life.”
The contestants must rise to each challenge, twist and turn while fighting off fatigue and excelling over fellow competitors.
The chefs will be tested for speed in three challenges in the first episode. Food Network star and judge Antonia Lofaso will decide who gets to move on and who must “clock out.”
Introducing a “golden knife” will test the chefs’ ability to pivot and survive.
The following episodes will focus on resourcefulness, artistry, adaptability, teamwork, risk-taking and elevation.
How to watch “24 in 24: Last Chef Standing”
Season 2 will premiere at 8 p.m. April 27 and air as two-hour episodes over five weeks on Food Network. The season finale will be on May 25, when the last chef standing will be declared and the victor will be presented with the $75,000 grand prize.
Viewers may watch the episodes streaming on MAX the day after the original airing.
For behind-the-scenes coverage, including interviews with the chefs and judges and a set tour with Symon and Choi, follow Food Network’s social channels, use the #24in24 hashtag, and visit foodnetwork.com.
24 in 24: Last Chef Standing
Where: Food Network and streaming on MAX.
Season premiere: April 27.
Info: For more, visit foodnetwork.com.
Good Hot Fish
Where: 10 Buxton Ave., downtown Asheville.
Info: For more, visit goodhotfish.com and follow @goodhotfish and @foodordeath_ on Instagram.
Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Tips, comments, questions? Email tkennell@citizentimes.com or follow @PrincessOfPage on Instagram/Bluesky.
