24 in 24: Last Chef Standing series 2

The second series of the American reality television series 24 in 24: Last Chef Standing premiered on 27 April 2025 and aired on Food Network.^[1]

The 24 chefs were announced on 12 March 2025.^[1] Stephanie Izard and Bryan Voltaggio previously appeared in the first season as guest judges.

• Antonia Lofaso - Shift 1 and Shift 8

• Graham Elliot - Shift 2 and Shift 8

• Jet Tila - Shift 3 and Shift 8

• Fariyal Abdullahi - Shift 4

• Brooke Williamson - Shift 5

• Brian Malarkey and Carlos Anthony - Shift 6

• Andrew Zimmern - Shift 7

• Challenge #1: The first challenge saw the 24 chefs whisk eight egg whites, tournee eight potatoes, and juice enough lemons to fill an 8-ounce glass. The chef who completed these tasks in the shortest time earned the right to challenge one other chef to a head-to-head cook-off, with the loser being eliminated and the winner going to the breakroom until the start of Shift 2.

Winner: Kevin Lee

Eliminated: Michele Ragussis

• Challenge #2: The chefs continue their speed prep test. As each chef finishes, they choose an open spot at one of 11 two-person stations. Ten of these are arranged into five pairs, each with a different assigned protein, while the last one allows its occupants to go to the breakroom for the rest of the shift.

• Challenge #3: The chefs must create a dish using the protein at their station and the three ingredients from the prep challenge. One chef per protein has a red cutting board, and must decide whether to compete against their station-mate or team up with them to face the pair with the same protein.

Chicken: Jonathon vs Star; Damaris vs Ashleigh

Shellfish: Nini & Gabe vs Richie & Ilan

Pork: Laurence vs Arturo; Kelsey vs Dara

Lamb: Marc vs Kathleen; Brittanny vs Zuri

Fish: Bryan & Elia vs Samantha & Leslie

• Challenge #4: The two chefs, LT Smith and Stephanie Izard, that chose the breakroom instead of a protein in Challenge #2 (subsequently letting them sit out of Challenge #3) must cook head to head making a fancy peanut butter & jelly lunch, using peanut butter, jelly, bread, and three ingredients of their choosing.

Winner: Stephanie (Green apple, onion, cheddar cheese)

Eliminated: LT (Miso, anchovies, gem lettuce)

• Challenge #5: The chefs must determine ingredients in a pasta dish by taste only. The amount of correct ingredients they identify determines the amount of ingredients they get to cook with in the next challenge.

  7 ingredients: arugula, basil, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon, pistachios, parmesan

• Challenge #6: The chefs must cook their best noodle dish using the number of ingredients they earned in the last round.

5 ingredients: Nini, Kathleen, Kelsey

4 ingredients: Britanny,

3 ingredients: Laurence, Damaris, Bryan, Kevin*, Jonathon, Stephanie*

2 ingredients: Gabe, Elia

*As the holder of the Golden Knife for this challenge, Stephanie gained the advantage to add an ingredient to her count and take one away from another chef.

Golden Knife Winner: Jonathon

Eliminated: Laurence

Golden Knife Winner Jonathon was selected to choose 6 ingredients out of 10 to incorporate into a 60-minute fine dining challenge that required the chefs to plate an appetizer (by 20 minutes), main course (by 40 minutes), and dessert (by 60 minutes). He chose carrot tops, strawberry milk, dried scallops, shell-on pistachios, pimento cheese, and Carolina Reaper peppers. Chef Jet Tila was the judge for this episode. The top 4 chefs for challenge 7 and 8 were allowed to sit out the next course(s).

Ingredients: carrot tops, bitter melon, cocktail weenies, truffle oil, dried scallops, Carolina Reaper peppers, fermented black beans, shell on pistachios, pimento cheese, strawberry milk

• Challenge #7: Appetizer

Appetizer Top 4: Kathleen, Jonathon, Gabe, and Nini

• Challenge #8: Main Course

Main course Top 4: Kelsey, Elia, Stephanie, Bryan

• Challenge #9: Dessert

Dessert Top 2: Kevin, Demaris

Eliminated: Britanny

Golden Knife Winner: Elia

• Challenge #10: This challenge was to create a beautiful work-of-art with produce in 10 minutes.

Golden Knife Winner: Elia

Least beautiful plate: Jonathon (loses 5 minutes in the next challenge)

• Challenge #11: The chefs must take inspiration from well-known works of art and will be graded out of 50 visually. Elia advantage as the Golden Knife Winner was to choose her work of art and to distribute the rest of the paintings. She chose Water Lilies by Monet.
• Challenge #12: The chefs must take inspiration from well-known works of art and will be graded out of 50 based on taste.

Golden Knife Winner: Jonathon (Score of 90)

Bottom 2: Kathleen (Score of 78) and Demaris

Eliminated: Damaris (Score of 70)

• Challenge #13: This challenge was to create the best dessert with ice cream and items from the break room and items on their station within a 20-minute time frame.

Golden Knife Winner: Bryan (with tiramisu)

Three competitors chosen to join Bryan in the break room and go straight to Shift 6: Jonathon, Kelsey, Kathleen

• Challenge #14: Competitors must shop for 2 minutes to cook a lumberjack breakfast. Then, host Michael told the competitors that they should turn these ingredients into a five-star entrée.
• Challenge #15: The competitors must cook without gas.

Winner + $2400: Gabe

Eliminated: Elia

• Challenge #16: The competitors were split in groups of 4 to make a soup and sandwich combo in 28 minutes. One team had Bryan as captain with Jonathon, Kathleen, and Kelsey as members. Bryan chose Gabe has the captain of the other team with Nini, Stephanie, and Kevin as members.

Winner: Bryan, Jonathon, Kathleen, Kelsey - Each team member won $2400 and moved onto Shift 7.

• Challenge #17: As the Golden Knife winner, Bryan had to divide the losing team into two teams. He chose to ask the losing team to draw for their teams. Team 1 was Kevin and Gabe while team 2 was Stephanie and Nini. The challenge was to make 3 hors d'oeuvres - fried, cheesy, and sweet.

Fried Winner: Nini and Stephanie

Cheesy Winner: Gabe and Kevin

Sweet Winner: Nini and Stephanie

• Challenge #18: This challenge was to create a spicy street food dish in 30 minutes. Bryan was given the choice to choose a 3rd chef to go against Kevin and Gabe. Bryan picked himself; if he won, he would receive $10,000 and automatically advance to the final shift. Whoever comes in last would be eliminated.

Winner: Kevin

Eliminated: Gabe

• Challenge #19: This challenge was to make a finale-worthy fish dish, with a base time of 20 minutes. The competitors only have whole fish to work with. Five competitors were to make it to the finale, and two competitors were to be eliminated.

• Challenge #20: Each chef must wager 1-10 minutes on a trivia question before starting challenge #19 above. A correct answer adds the wager to the chef's time, while a miss deducts it. Jonathon, Stephanie, Kelsey, and Nini answered correctly.

Winner: Bryan (18 mins)

2nd Place: Stephanie (22 mins)

3rd Place: Jonathon (22 mins)

4th Place: Nini (30 mins)

5th Place: Kevin (10 mins)

Eliminated: Kathleen (18 mins), Kelsey (30 mins)

Shift 8:Elevate

Challenge #21: The last 5 Contestant will redo Their First Challenge but they only need to whisk 5 Egg Whites,Tournée 5 Potatoes And Squeeze 5 Oz Of Lemon Juice.The Winner Will Get The Golden Knife.

Golden Knife Winner:Kevin(Get To Decide Which Type Of The Protein That Each Chef Will Do In The Next Challenge,And The Type Of Style Of The Dish That Every Chef Need To Do In The Next Challenge.)

Kevin-Shellfish

Nini-Lamb

Stephanie-Pork

Bryan-Chicken

Jonathon-Beef

Style Of Dish In The Next Challenge:Classic Breakfast.

Challenge #22: Each chef must do a Elevated Classic Breakfast In 24 Minutes.

The Version Of The Protein That Each Chef Used In This Challenge:

Nini-Ground Lamb

Kevin-Lobster

Jonathon-Hanger Steak

Stephanie-Iberico Presa

Bryan- Chicken Thighs

Golden Knife Winner: Bryan(Get To Decide Which Type Of The Protein That Each Chef Will Do In The Next Challenge,And The Type Of Style Of The Dish That Every Chef Need To Do In The Next Challenge.)

2nd: Stephanie

3rd: Jonathon

4th : Nini

Eliminated: Kevin

Nini-Lamb

Stephanie-Pork

Bryan-Chicken

Jonathon-Beef

Style Of Dish In The Next Challenge:Fusion Lunch.

Challenge #23:Each chef must do a Elevated Fusion Lunch In 24 Minutes.

The Version Of The Protein That Each Chef Used In This Challenge:

Nini-Lamb Shoulder

Stephanie-Pork Chops

Bryan- Chicken Wings

Jonathon-Japanese Wagyu Steak

Winner: Jonathon

2nd: Bryan

Eliminated: Nini And Stephanie

For The Final Challenge,Both Chef Can Pick From The Not Already Used Version Of All The Type Of Protein(Lamb,Beef,Chicken,Shellfish,Pork) In The Final Dish.

Jonathon-Rack Of Lamb

Bryan-Blue Foot Chicken

Challenge #24: For the Final Challenge,The chefs Will used the rest of their time until the clock reach 24 hours to made a Elevated Modern Dinner.

Winner:Jonathon

Runner-Up:Bryan

• Official website