- - TOC Qualifier Chefs

Andrea ReiherFebruary 15, 2026 at 8:42 PM

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The road to the main bracket of Tournament of Champions season 7 starts here.

Before the spring premiere of the flagship tournament, 16 chefs will compete in Tournament of Champions: The Qualifiers, battling head-to-head for the final eight coveted spots in the TOC VII bracket. Hosted by Guy Fieri, the four-episode qualifier event kicks off Sunday, Feb. 15 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Food Network.

Each matchup is win-or-go-home. Across eight intense battles, chefs are randomly selected to face off, with blind judging and the unpredictable Randomizer determining who advances and who heads home before the main tournament even begins.

The winners will join the already announced competitors in Tournament of Champions season 7, which premieres Sunday, March 1 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

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How the Qualifiers Work

The qualifier tournament unfolds over four episodes:

Episode 1: "The Qualifiers — A Win Gets You In," Sunday, Feb. 15 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.Sixteen chefs enter. Eight head-to-head matchups determine the first group advancing to TOC VII.

Episode 2: "The Qualifiers — All It Takes Is One Shot," Sunday, Feb. 15 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.Twelve chefs remain. Two more intense blind-taste battles narrow the field further.

Episode 3: "The Qualifiers — Have What It Takes?", Sunday, Feb. 22 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.Eight chefs hit the halfway mark, but only those who conquer both the judges and the Randomizer will move forward.

Episode 4: "The Qualifiers — Two Spots in the Bracket Left," Sunday, Feb. 22 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.Six chefs have already secured entry. The final four competitors face off for the last two bracket positions.

By the end, only eight chefs will survive the qualifier gauntlet and officially enter the TOC VII arena.

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Full List of ‘Tournament of Champions’ Season 7 Qualifier Chefs

The 16 chefs competing in the qualifiers are:

Aarti Sequeira

Aarti SequeiraFood Network (Food Network)Angelo Sosa

Angelo SosaFood Network (Food Network)Ashleigh Shanti

Ashleigh ShantiFood Network (Food Network)Brittanny Anderson

Food Network (Food Network)Chris Oh

Chris OhFood Network (Food Network)Dan Jacobs

Dan JacobsFood Network (Food Network)Erica Barrett

Erica BarrettFood Network (Food Network)Gabi Chappel

Gabi ChappelFood Network (Food Network)

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Giuseppe Tentori

Giuseppe TentoriFood Network (Food Network)Joe Flamm

Joe FlammFood Network (Food Network)Katsuji Tanabe

Katsuji TanabeFood Network (Food Network)Kelsey Murphy

Kelsey MurphyFood Network (Food Network)Kenny Gilbert

Kenny GilbertFood Network (Food Network)Michele Ragussis

Michele RagussisFood Network (Food Network)Stephanie Izard

Stephanie IzardFood Network (Food Network)Viet Pham

Viet PhamFood Network (Food Network)

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These chefs will battle for eight remaining slots in a bracket that already includes fan-favorite returning competitors such as Adam Greenberg, Adam Sobel, Britt Rescigno, Bryan Voltaggio, Carlos Anthony, Claudette Zepeda, Dale Talde, David Viana, Jet Tila, Joe Sasto, Jonathon Sawyer, Kaleena Bliss, Karen Akunowicz, Kevin Lee, Lee Anne Wong, Marcel Vigneron, Nini Nguyen, Sara Bradley, Shirley Chung and Tobias Dorzon—plus four mystery top-seeded culinary icons whose identities will remain secret until they enter the arena.

Season 7 once again features a $150,000 grand prize and the coveted TOC championship belt.

“Year after year, chefs up their gameplay and strategy, so we need to constantly raise the stakes to keep the competition next level,” Fieri said in a statement about the upcoming season. “This year, we put four industry icons in the top seed, immediately putting targets on their backs for the win-hungry competitors. And that alone is the secret ingredient for the most epic season yet.”

After the qualifiers conclude, Tournament of Champions VII: The Bracket Reveal airs Sunday, Feb. 22 at 10 p.m. ET/PT, breaking down the official matchups before the March 1 premiere.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”