How Melissa King Feels About Being Judged On Top Chef
While Melissa King earned the Top Chef crown on All-Stars Season 17, the experience of being on the popular Bravo chef culinary competition might have cut deeper than the perfect score on a duck breast. In a recent Top Chef Instagram comment for the Season 18 announcement, King stated, "You never get over the drama of judges' table." Although King didn't not elaborate on her statement, Gail Simmons did respond with a "sorry." It seems that even hearing the phrase "You are Top Chef" from Padma Lakshmi did not wipe away her past ordeals.
Given King's feelings, it will be interesting to see how her perspective on the cutting remarks changes as she takes to the All Star Top Chef Judging Panel. Since Top Chef Season 18 was filmed in Portland during 2020, this season is the first time a group of Top Chef all-star winners, finalists and favorites will join and rotate as part of a judging and dining panel (per Bravo). As shared in an October 2020 Instagram post, she said, "The beautiful smiles that come out when you're a @bravotopchef judge, not a contestant." Whether or not the past Judges Table trauma tinges King's commentary on the current set of chef-testants remains to be seen.
Who does Mellisa King think is the scariest Top Chef judge?
During an Instagram Live event, Melissa King answered the question that many fans wanted to know: Which is the scariest Top Chef Judge. She commented, "We're all afraid of Tom [Colicchio, pictured above], I would say, because he judges and he thinks like a chef, so he sees everything that we do wrong or right" (also per Bravo). As Colicchio told Mashed, he has certain judging criteria when evaluating a dish. Let's hope the new set of chef-testants have been taking notes and can put the judging revelations to good use.
King further explained (via Bravo TV) that "Padma Lakshmi also intimidates' her." Although the "mom and dad" of Top Chef might be a formidable pair, it seems that she liked Gail Simmons. Referring to her as the "cool aunt," it seems that Simmons is the least scary of the three Top Chef judges. But, as King joins the judging panel for Top Chef Season 18, it will be interesting to see how her judging personality emerges. Will King lean more towards that cool aunt or the tough-as-nails mom and dad? Fans will have to watch the new season to see the outcome.