The Craziest Characters of Chopped

Chef Dominick Feragola is, as one contestant describes him, “a tornado.” He cuts himself, breaks plates and runs around the kitchen like a mad man trying to outrun his more experienced competitors. But the strangest thing about this Chopped chef has nothing to do with cooking. In his free time, he’s a nude-body painter.

Chef Christopher Coombs is very successful for his age — and he knows it. An arrogant competitor, Chris constantly reiterates that he knows he’s going to win, even referring to himself as “blessed with talent.” But his confidence may be shaken when he goes up against competitor Mackenzie Hilton, as he finds it surprising to “come by a woman in the kitchen … who is so composed.”

Judge Scott Conant describes Chef James Gillespie as “a Tasmanian devil … out of control.” Besides spending most of his cooking time provoking his competitors, he’s chaotic, overly confident and very defensive of his messy cooking style.

When she competed on Food Network Star, Chef Penny Davidi didn’t come out victorious. Despite her loss, she’s confident she’ll win Chopped — and even thinks she’s ready for Iron Chef America. Her big ego rubs her fellow chefs the wrong way, and it even leads her to talk back to judge Scott.

Chef Tryg Siverson thinks he deserves to win, and he says so even after he loses. An immensely confident contestant, Tryg has a cocky attitude — as well as an antagonistic demeanor. His behavior annoys both his competitors and the judges.

The Halloween special of Chopped can be a terrifying experience for all parties involved, thanks to the especially creepy ingredients. Luckily, Chef Sharon Singleton doesn’t take the ingredients — or herself — too seriously. She pokes fun at the Halloween theme, laughs off the challenges of Chopped and provides some much-needed amusement.

A fashion model and private chef, Danushka Lysek sets out to demonstrate her culinary prowess and prove that she’s more than a pretty face. “Looking like I look, you always have to prove yourself more than the regular folks do,” Danushka explains. Luckily, she has no problems in the confidence department — Danushka is plenty vocal about both her chef skills and her appearance.

Nutty Chef Isaiah Frizzell fits right in on the Halloween-themed episode of Chopped and isn’t afraid to share some wacky anecdotes with Chopped viewers. For starters, he’s a firm believer in ghosts. He once lived with 43 cats, and he has a strong connection with extraterrestrials — he even thinks he originally came from an alien planet.

It can really rattle a chef to get an unexpected ingredient in the mystery basket, so when Chef Siggy Sollitto has to use rattlesnake in an appetizer, she has trouble handling the pressure. Her inexperience with the ingredient and chaotic cooking style lead to a plating disaster, and Siggy ends up in tears.