// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did Top Chef VIP season 5 say to the plate? "You're saucy.
| Top Chef VIP | |
|---|---|
| Season 5 | |
 | |
| Hosted by | Carmen Villalobos |
| Judges |
|
| No. of contestants | 20 |
| No. of episodes | 2 |
| 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 | 55 | Lleida, Spain | 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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athenea | IN | IN | IN | |
| Aylín | WIN | IMM | IMM | |
| Caramelo | IN | IN | NOM | |
| Carlos F. | IN | WIN | WIN | |
| Carlos P. | IN | IN | IN | |
| Diana | IN | IN | IN | |
| Divaza | IN | IN | IN | |
| Gaby | IN | IN | IN | |
| Guty | IN | IN | IN | |
| José | IN | IN | IN | |
| Kelly | IN | IN | HIGH | |
| Lupillo | IN | IN | HIGH | |
| Mauricio | HIGH | IN | IN | |
| Miguel | IN | IN | HIGH | |
| Nailea | HIGH | IN | NOM | |
| Nievelis | IN | IN | IN | |
| Ninel | HIGH | IN | IN | |
| Roberto | HIGH | IN | HIGH | |
| Sheynnis | HIGH | — | — | |
| Stephanie | IN | IN | WIN | |
- (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.
- (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.
| ||||
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.