Top Chef is gearing up for Season 16 in Kentucky, which means another season of its digital companion show Last Chance Kitchen is just around the corner! Bravo is ready to give defeated contestants a way back into the competition and has revealed its lineup of fan-favorites who will kick things off. Brother Luck, Jim Smith, and Carrie Baird will all get another shot to compete after each fell short in previous seasons.
Brother Luck is back in the fray and will certainly be a force to be reckoned with on Last Chance Kitchen. Luck, who has been working professionally in kitchens since age 14, won five straight battles in Season 15 before finally falling short to the eventual Top Chef winner of the season, Joe Flamm. One can imagine he's going to put everything he has into this Last Chance Kitchen appearance.
Brother Luck has a bit of an advantage going in, as he's appeared on other cooking programs since his time on Top Chef. Luck successfully won his episode of Beat Bobby Flay, and was runner-up on an episode of Chopped. He's obviously someone who performs well in timed challenges and could be a strong contender to beat the competition and make his way into Top Chef Season 16.
Alabama chef Jim Smith is back on television and the Top Chef franchise for the first time since Season 14. Smith had a solid start in his first run but ultimately ended up getting eliminated in the 7th week of the competition after losing the sudden death Quickfire Challenge. Last Chance Kitchen will be his shot at redemption, provided he can take the heat of this kitchen's fiery competition.
In the real world, Smith has been continuing his work for the state of Alabama and working on the opening of his first restaurant, The Hummingbird Way. Bravo noted Jim Smith has a strong appreciation for local Alabama ingredients, so perhaps that will be something he tries to work into his time on Last Chance Kitchen.
Carrie Baird is another Top Chef contestant from Season 15 looking to dominate the competition in Last Chance Kitchen and work her way back onto the big show. Baird has achieved the highest amount of success of the incoming veterans, but her fourth-place finish denied her a chance to compete in Last Chance Kitchen.
Carrie Baird is a successful restauranteur in the Denver area, and will soon be opening another restaurant in New Orleans. Her high placement in last season's competition certainly makes her a tough competitor going into Last Chance Kitchen, but her lack of experience on the specific aftershow may hurt her. Viewers will just have to wait and see!
Last Chance Kitchen is scheduled to premiere on Bravotv.com directly following the Season 16 premiere of Top Chef Thursday, December 6 at 9:00 p.m. ET. For a look at what else is on television around that time, or in the weeks beyond that, be sure to visit our fall and midseason premiere guides.
