Top Chef VIP season 5
| Top Chef VIP | |
|---|---|
| Season 5 | |
 | |
| Hosted by | Carmen Villalobos |
| Judges |
|
| No. of contestants | 20 |
| No. of episodes | 15 |
| Release | |
| Original network | Telemundo |
| Original release | August 11, 2026 – present |
| Season chronology | |
The fifth season of the American competitive reality television series Top Chef VIP is premiered on Telemundo on August 11, 2026.[1] The season was announced on October 6, 2025.[2] Carmen Villalobos returned as host. Antonio de Livier, Inés Páez Nin and Betty Vázquez returned as judges. The winner will receive US$200,000.[3]
This season introduced new rules to the competition. If a contestant obtains 8 immunities throughout the season, they will automatically become a semifinalist; if they obtain 12 immunities, they will automatically become a finalist. The contestants are also given the opportunity to earn Silver Spoons, which they can exchange for advantages in the competition.
Contestants
[edit]Twenty celebrities were selected to compete in Top Chef VIP.[4][5]
| Name | Age | Hometown | Notability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athenea Pérez | 30 | Murcia, Spain | Miss Universe Spain 2023 |
| Aylín Mújica | 51 | Havana, Cuba | Actress |
| Carlos "Caramelo" Cruz | 36 | New York City, New York | Influencer |
| Carlos Ferro | 42 | Torreón, Mexico | Actor |
| Carlos Ponce | 53 | Santurce, Puerto Rico | Actor & singer |
| Diana Haro | 25 | Guadalajara, Mexico | Actress |
| Gaby Borges | 27 | Miami, Florida | Actress |
| Guty Carrera | 35 | Guayaquil, Ecuador | TV personality |
| José Joel | 50 | Mexico | Actor & singer |
| Kelly Ríos | 32 | Dibulla, Colombia | Athlete & influencer |
| Lupillo Rivera | 54 | Long Beach, California | Singer |
| Mauricio Garza | 34 | Monterrey, Mexico | Actor |
| Miguel Arce | 41 | Lima, Peru | Actor |
| Nailea Norvind | 56 | Mexico City, Mexico | Actress |
| Nievelis González | 27 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | TV personality |
| Ninel Conde | 49 | Toluca, Mexico | Actress & singer |
| Pedro Figueira "La Divaza" | 28 | Maracay, Venezuela | Influencer |
| Roberto Romano | 36 | Toluca, Mexico | Actor |
| Sheynnis Palacios | 26 | Managua, Nicaragua | Miss Universe 2023 |
| Stephanie Salas | 56 | Mexico City, Mexico | Singer & actress |
Contestant progress
[edit]| Episode # | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aylín | WIN | IMM | IMM | IMM | IMM | IMM | IMM | IMM | IMM | IMM | WIN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | — | LOW | IN | IN | — | — | — | — | — | — | WIN | IN | |
| Carlos P. | IN | IN | IN | WIN | IN | IN | — | WIN | IMM | IMM | IN | — | WIN | IMM | IMM | IMM | IN | — | LOW | IN | IN | WIN | WIN | IMM | IMM | IMM | IMM | WIN | IN | |
| Diana | IN | IN | IN | IN | — | IN | — | LOW | IN | WIN | IN | — | IN | IN | IN | WIN | IN | — | LOW | IN | IN | IN | — | WIN | WIN | IMM | IMM | — | — | |
| Gaby | IN | IN | IN | IN | — | IN | — | LOW | WIN | IMM | WIN | HIGH | IN | IN | WIN | IMM | WIN | IN | WIN | IMM | IMM | HIGH | — | WIN | WIN | IMM | IMM | IN | — | |
| Guty | IN | IN | IN | IN | — | WIN | IN | WIN | IMM | IMM | WIN | IN | IN | WIN | IMM | IMM | IN | — | LOW | IN | IN | IMM | IMM | IMM | IMM | IMM | IMM | IN | — | |
| José | IN | IN | IN | IN | — | IN | — | WIN | IMM | IMM | WIN | IN | IN | WIN | IMM | IMM | IN | — | LOW | IN | IN | IN | — | IN | — | IN | LOW | WIN | IN | |
| Kelly | IN | IN | HIGH | WIN | HIGH | IN | — | WIN | IMM | IMM | IN | — | IN | IN | WIN | IMM | WIN | WIN | IMM | IMM | IMM | WIN | IN | IN | — | IN | IN | IN | — | |
| Lupillo | IN | IN | HIGH | IN | — | WIN | WIN | IMM | IMM | IMM | WIN | WIN | IMM | IMM | IMM | IMM | WIN | IN | WIN | IMM | IMM | IN | — | WIN | WIN | IMM | IMM | WIN | IN | |
| Mauricio | HIGH | IN | IN | WIN | HIGH | IN | — | LOW | WIN | IMM | IN | — | IN | IN | WIN | IMM | IN | — | LOW | IN | IN | WIN | IN | IN | — | WIN | IMM | WIN | IN | |
| Miguel | IN | IN | HIGH | WIN | IN | WIN | IN | LOW | IN | IN | IN | — | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | — | LOW | IN | IN | IN | — | WIN | IN | WIN | IMM | IN | — | |
| Nailea | HIGH | IN | NOM | NOM | — | — | — | NOM | WIN | IMM | IN | — | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | — | LOW | WIN | IMM | HIGH | — | WIN | IN | WIN | IMM | IN | — | |
| Nievelis | IN | IN | IN | IN | — | IN | — | LOW | IN | IN | WIN | IN | IN | IN | WIN | IMM | WIN | IN | LOW | IN | IN | WIN | IN | IN | — | IN | IN | IN | — | |
| Ninel | HIGH | IN | IN | WIN | WIN | IMM | IMM | IMM | IMM | IMM | WIN | HIGH | IN | IN | WIN | IMM | WIN | HIGH | LOW | WIN | IMM | IN | — | WIN | IN | WIN | IMM | IN | — | |
| Roberto | HIGH | IN | HIGH | WIN | IN | WIN | IN | WIN | IMM | IMM | WIN | IN | IN | IN | WIN | IMM | IN | — | LOW | WIN | IMM | HIGH | — | WIN | WIN | IMM | IMM | WIN | WIN | |
| Stephanie | IN | IN | WIN | WIN | IN | WIN | IN | LOW | WIN | IMM | WIN | HIGH | IN | WIN | IMM | IMM | IN | — | WIN | IMM | IMM | HIGH | — | WIN | IN | WIN | IMM | IN | — | |
| 16 | Athenea | IN | IN | IN | IN | — | IN | — | LOW | IN | IN | IN | — | IN | WIN | IMM | IMM | IN | — | LOW | WIN | IMM | IN | — | IN | — | IN | OUT | ||
| 17 | Sheynnis | HIGH | — | — | — | — | IN | — | WIN | IMM | IMM | IN | — | IN | IN | IN | IN | WIN | IN | WIN | IMM | IMM | — | — | — | — | WDR | |||
| 18 | Carlos F. | IN | WIN | WIN | IMM | IMM | IMM | IMM | IMM | IMM | IMM | IN | — | WIN | IMM | IMM | IMM | IN | — | WIN | IMM | WDR | ||||||||
| 19 | Divaza | IN | IN | IN | IN | — | WIN | IN | WIN | IMM | IMM | IN | — | IN | IN | IN | OUT | |||||||||||||
| 20 | Caramelo | IN | IN | NOM | NOM | — | IN | — | LOW | IN | OUT | |||||||||||||||||||
- (WINNER) The chef won the season and was crowned "Top Chef".
- (RUNNER-UP) The chef was a runner-up for the season.
- (WIN) The celebrity won the Quickfire Challenge, Immunity Challenge, Safety Challenge, or Elimination Challenge.
- (WIN) The celebrity was on the winning team in the Team Challenge and directly advanced to the next round.
- (HIGH) The celebrity was selected as one of the top entries in an individual or team challenge, but did not win.
- (IN) The celebrity was not selected as one of the top or bottom entries in an individual challenge and was safe.
- (IN) The celebrity was not selected as a top or bottom entry in a Team Challenge.
- (IMM) The celebrity didn't have to compete in that round of the competition and was safe from elimination.
- (IMM) The celebrity had to compete in that round of the competition but was safe from elimination.
- (—) The celebrity did not quality for a challenge.
- (—) The celebrity was unable to participate due to personal reasons.
- (LOW) The celebrity was selected as one of the bottom entries in the Elimination Challenge, but was not eliminated.
- (LOW) The celebrity was one of the bottom entries in a Team Challenge.
- (NOM) The celebrity lost an individual or team challenge and was nominated for elimination.
- (NOM) The celebrity was already nominated for elimination but had to compete in that round of the competition.
- (WDR) The celebrity voluntarily withdrew from the competition.
- (OUT) The celebrity lost the Elimination Challenge.
Episodes
[edit]| No. overall | No. in season | Title [6] | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 222 | 1 | "El origen del sabor" | August 11, 2026 | |
|
Quickfire Challenge: The celebrities had 60 minutes to prepare a dish that told their personal story. The winner received immunity and a secret advantage.
| ||||
| 223 | 2 | "Cuatro manos, una meta" | August 12, 2026 | |
|
Express Challenge: The celebrities competed in an express challenge of three stages: separate ten eggs, bread and fry three egg yolks, and whip egg whites by hand to stiff peaks. The winner received immunity from elimination.
Team Challenge: The teams were given 60 minutes to prepare three different empanadas: one empanada with animal protein, one vegetarian empanada, and a third empanada of their choice. The members of the winning team each received four Silver Spoons to exchange for advantages in the competition, while the worst team was nominated for elimination.
| ||||
| 224 | 3 | "La puntería decide" | August 13, 2026 | |
|
Quickfire Challenge: The celebrities, working in teams assigned via knife draw, had 60 minutes to prepare three servings of any dish. Throughout the challenge, team captains could sabotage a team with challenges such as: slice 250 grams of onion, peel ginger, clean shrimp, among others. The top two teams moved on to the Immunity Challenge and each team member received three Silver Spoons.
Immunity Challenge: The celebrities had to knock down bowling pins to obtain the ingredients written on them. Afterwards, they had 60 minutes to prepare their dish.
| ||||
| 225 | 4 | "Empastelados" | August 14, 2026 | |
|
Before the Quickfire Challenge began, Aylín's secret advantage was revealed: save one of the nominees, Caramelo or Nailea, from elimination. She decided to save Caramelo. Quickfire Challenge: The celebrities, working in pairs, had 75 minutes to recreate a cake. However, each member took turns preparing the cake within a specific time interval. The top three teams advanced to the Immunity Challenge.
Immunity Challenge: The celebrities were given 45 minutes to prepare hot dogs from scratch. The winner received immunity from elimination.
| ||||
| 226 | 5 | "Guerra de restaurantes" | August 16, 2026 | |
|
Express Challenge: Immune celebrities Aylín, Carlos F., Lupillo and Ninel were asked to prepare seafood kabobs. The winner became a team captain in the Restaurant Wars Challenge and also named the captain of the opposing team.
Restaurant Wars Challenge: The celebrities competed in Top Chef's traditional Restaurant Wars challenge. Each team was responsible for running a restaurant that would serve 40 guests. The menus had to include a cold and a hot appetizer, two main dishes, one of them being vegetarian, and one dessert. The winning team was safe from elimination. Following the challenge, Ninel decided to withdraw from the competition, feeling she was not suited to compete in the show.
| ||||
| 227 | 6 | "La receta de la despedida" | August 17, 2026 | |
|
Before the Safety Challenge began, Ninel decided to remain in the competition. Safety Challenge: The celebrities selected a recipe written in emojis and had to interpret it in order to cook their dish and complete the challenge. The top four celebrities received three Silver Spoons each and were safe from elimination.
Elimination Challenge: Athenea, Caramelo, Diana, Nievelis and Miguel had 45 minutes to prepare any dish.
| ||||
| 228 | 7 | "Un mercado inesperado" | August 18, 2026 | |
|
Quickfire Challenge: The celebrities, working in teams assigned via knife draw, had 75 minutes to prepare a three-course meal, presenting three servings of each dish. Guty had the advantage of assigning the menus to each team. The top two teams moved on to the Immunity Challenge.
Immunity Challenge: The celebrities were given 45 minutes to cook any dish. The pantry was open for three minutes. Afterwards, the celebrities had to swap cooking stations and cook with the other's ingredients. The winner received immunity from elimination.
Since Lupillo won using Gaby's ingredients, she received four Silver Spoons. | ||||
| 229 | 8 | "Platos que dejaron huella" | August 19, 2026 | |
|
Safety Challenge #1: The celebrities, working in pairs, were asked to prepare a dish based on a memorable moment from previous seasons. The winners were from elimination.
Safety Challenge #2: The celebrities, working in teams of four, were given 60 minutes to individually prepare two servings of a dish. The team captain had to taste the four dishes prepared and choose which one to present to the judges. The winners were safe from elimination.
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| 230 | 9 | "Complot a la cara" | August 20, 2026 | |
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Safety Challenge: The celebrities, working in pairs, had 45 minutes to cook any dish. The pantry was open for three minutes. Afterwards, they had to roll a die and a spinning top. The die determined the number of ingredients and the spinning top determined what would happen to those ingredients. The top three pairs were safe from elimination.
Elimination Challenge: The celebrities were given 45 minutes to prepare soup.
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| 231 | 10 | "La cocina se complica" | August 21, 2026 | |
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Quickfire Challenge: The celebrities, working in pairs, were given 40 minutes to prepare three servings of a dish that used chili peppers as the main ingredient. The pantry was open for three minutes. Carlos F. and Miguel redeemed seven of their Silver Spoons to receive three advantages: 60 minutes of cook time, an open pantry, and present only one serving of their dish to the judges. The top three teams advanced to the Immunity Challenge.
Immunity Challenge: The celebrities had 45 minutes to prepare a dish using ingredients provided the judges and three mystery canned ingredients. The winner received immunity from elimination and a secret advantage.
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| 232 | 11 | "Batalla de Food Trucks" | August 23, 2026 | |
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Express Challenge: The celebrities were asked to prepare mozzarella sticks with a sauce. Once a celebrity completed the challenge they were allowed to pick their team. Team Challenge: The celebrities were split into three teams and each team was responsible for running a food truck. The teams had 75 minutes to prepare three dishes for sixty guests. Kelly had the advantage of assigning the food trucks and dishes. The winning team was safe from elimination and each member received five Silver Spoons.
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| 233 | 12 | "El ingrediente inesperado" | August 24, 2026 | |
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Safety Challenge: The celebrities had 60 minutes to prepare a dish using an exotic protein. The top four celebrities were safe from elimination.
Elimination Challenge: The celebrities were asked to prepare a dish using garlic and mushrooms as their main ingredients. Before the judges announced the eliminated celebrity, Carlos F. decided to withdraw from the competition in lieu of an elimination.
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| 234 | 13 | "Sabores olvidados" | August 25, 2026 | |
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Before the Quickfire Challenge began, Kelly's secret advantage was revealed: give immunity to the celebrity of her choice. She chose Guty. Quickfire Challenge: The celebrities had to keep up with guest judge Chef Ruffo Ibarra in recreating his salmon with hollandaise sauce dish. The four celebrities to best replicate the dish advanced to the Immunity Challenge.
Immunity Challenge: Carlos P., Kelly, Mauricio and Nievelis competed in a Forgotten Island-sponsored challenge, where they had 45 minutes to prepare a filipino dish. They were allowed to pick two celebrities to help them prepare their dish. The recipes were displayed on screens and the teams had to memorize them before they disappeared. The winner received immunity from elimination and shared a secret advantage with their teammates.
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| 235 | 14 | "Tensión a la mexicana" | August 26, 2026 | |
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Quickfire Challenge: The celebrities, working in teams, were asked to prepare a buffet that included three hot dishes and two cold dishes, one of them being Chiles en nogada. The top two teams competed in the Safety Challenge.
Safety Challenge: The celebrities, working in pairs, were given 45 prepare three servings of a main course and a dessert that used corn as their main ingredient. Gaby and Roberto redeemed seven of their Silver Spoons to receive three advantages: an open pantry, prepare an appetizer instead of a dessert, and present only one serving of their dishes to the judges. The top two pairs were safe from elimination.
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| 236 | 15 | "Noche de doble despedida" | August 27, 2026 | |
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Before the Safety Challenge began, Sheynnis announces that she has withdrawn from the competition for health reasons. Safety Challenge: The celebrities were each given a basket with 15 ingredients. One at a time, the celebrities had to take 10 ingredients from one or more baskets. Afterwards, they had to cook with the ingredients that they stole and the top five celebrities were safe from elimination.
Elimination Challenge: Athenea, José, Kelly and Nievelis had 45 minutes to prepare a dish using onions as their main ingredient.
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| 237 | 16 | "Entre crepas y sombras" | August 28, 2026 | |
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Team Challenge: The teams were given 45 minutes to prepare three servings of any dish. One member of each team had three minutes to shop in the pantry, which was pitch black, while being guided by their teammates' voices. The top two teams advanced to the Immunity Challenge.
Immunity Challenge: The celebrities were asked to prepare crepes. They had 10 minutes to shop in the pantry and prepare their mix, 20 minutes of mise en place, and 5 minutes to prepare their crepes in front of the judges. The winner received immunity from elimination.
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References
[edit]- ↑ Villafañe, Veronica (30 July 2026). "'Top Chef VIP' Season 5: Telemundo Moves Premiere To August". Forbes. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
- ↑ "Telemundo ya alista la quinta temporada de Top Chef VIP para 2026 con sorpresas culinarias". Telemundo.com (in Spanish). 6 October 2025. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
- ↑ Girón, Jailene (14 July 2026). "Todo listo para el regreso de "Top Chef VIP": 20 celebridades aceptan el reto por $200,000 dólares". La Opinión (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 July 2026.
- ↑ González, Moisés (13 July 2026). "Conoce a las 20 celebridades que participarán en la quinta temporada de 'Top Chef VIP'". People en Español (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 July 2026.
- ↑ González, Corina (13 July 2026). "Top Chef VIP 2026: ¿Quiénes son los integrantes confirmados? Lista completa de concursantes". Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 July 2026.
- ↑ "Top Chef VIP Episode Guide". tvlistings.gracenote.com. Retrieved 11 August 2026.