Chopped Castaways (2026)
Chopped Castaways strands 12 elite chefs on a remote island, where survival skills are just as critical as culinary talent. Battling the elements across two grueling cooking rounds each week, competitors must build a working kitchen from basic supplies, earn their signature Chopped ingredient baskets through intense physical challenges, and cook entirely over open fire. Culinary heavyweights Gabe Bertaccini, Maneet Chauhan and Marcus Samuelsson serve as judges throughout the arced competition, offering guidance while deciding who advances—and who is chopped. The season begins as a team competition before dissolving into an individual battle, raising the stakes as the chefs fight to outlast their rivals and claim the $100,000 grand prize. Only the most resilient, strategic, and adaptive chef will survive island life and the pressure of the competition.