Fox’s culinary reality competition, Next Level Chef Season 5, just concluded its semi-final episode, and one contestant was eliminated. The semi-final was an intense cook-off between four highly-skilled professional chefs. Since the final round will feature only three contestants, one of them had to head home after coming so close to the title and cash prize.
Who was eliminated in Next Level Chef Season 5 semifinal?
At the end of Next Level Chef Season 5 semi-final, the Florida-based professional Chef Gabrielle Coniglio Fricker was eliminated.
The episode began with a time-bound challenge where the Top 4 — Darian Bryan, Cole Lawson, Connor Caine, and Gabrielle — were given a mystery protein. They all had 30 minutes to come up with a semi-final worthy dish. Since Darian had an advantage from a previous challenge, he decided to use it and get a head start.
At the end of the challenge, Gabrielle and Connor’s dishes were the least impressive, leading them into the elimination round. There, the two had the complete freedom to cook whatever they wanted, but had only 25 minutes to do it.
While Gabrielle presented a veal schnitzel, Connor made pan-roasted veal chops. All three judges, Gordon Ramsay, Nyesha Arrington, and Richard Blais, had high praise for both dishes. However, Gabrielle’s attempt fell a little short, which ultimately led to her elimination.
Who are the finalists of Next Level Chef Season 5?
Darian Bryan, Cole Lawson, and Connor Caine are the three finalists for the show’s final challenge next week. The finale, titled “The Final Level,” will air on Fox on Thursday, May 21, 2026.
Next Level Chef is a cooking competition series in which talented chefs battle in a three-story kitchen under the mentorship of its three judges. The show features a combination of professional cooks, social media cooks, and home cooks as they work toward winning the title, a $250,000 cash prize, and the chance to work under all three judges at their restaurant.
British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay created the show. He also co-produced it under his production company, Studio Ramsay Global, in collaboration with Fox Alternative Entertainment.
