Chopped's Craziest Characters

A lot of chefs compete to be the Chopped Champion, and that means a lot of personality. Some competitors are quiet and focus, others are arrogant and antagonistic and some are just plain nutty. Check out some of the craziest characters in Chopped history.

Grin and Bare It

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.

NEEDS NEW IMAGE: Blessed with Talent

Chef Christopher Coombs is very successful for his young 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.”

Out of Control Chef

Judge Scott Conant describes Chef James Gillespie as “a Tasmanian devil… out of control.” Besides spending most of his cooking time provoking his competitors (link out to separate video of him teasing Wade Burch), he’s chaotic, overly-confident, and very defensive of his messy cooking style.

Cocky Competitor

Chef Tryg Siverson thinks he deserves to win, and he says so even after he loses. An immensely confident contestant, Tryg’s cocky attitude – as well as his antagonistic demeanor – annoys both his competitors and the judges.

Check Your Ego

When she competed on Food Network Star, Chef Penny Davidi didn’t come out victorious. Despite her loss, she’s confident that 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 even leads her to talk back to Judge Scott Conant.

Not Just a Pretty Face

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 her both her chef skills and her good looks.

Halloween Hilarity

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.

Extraterrestrial Contestant

Nutty Chef Isaiah Frizzel 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, once lived with 43 cats at once, and has a strong connection with aliens – he even thinks he originally came from an alien planet.

Unnerving Ingredient

It can really rattle a Chef to get an unexpected ingredient in the mystery basket, so when Chef Siggy Solitto 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.