Guy Fieri Shares Big Health Update & Teases ‘Tournament of Champions’ Season 7

The competition is about to heat up as the road to Guy Fieri’s Tournament of Champions VII begins on Food Network. Season 7 of the culinary March Madness kicks off on March 1, but first comes The Qualifiers on February 15. This is where 16 chefs put out their best one of the final eight slots in the bracket across a series of head-to-head face-offs. Fieri joins Justin Warner and Season 3 winner Tiffani Faison for The Bracket Reveal on February 22. 

Fieri takes pride in bringing this showcase of the best chefs across the country to the forefront. Besides the usual twits and surprises, this time around the top seeds in each division will be “four of the most powerful opponents to ever compete in the series.” Adding to the intrigue is the fact they won’t be revealed until they hit the arena. Those already announced in the tourney include heavy hitters: Adam Greenberg, Adam Sobel, Britt Rescigno, Bryan Voltaggio, Carlos Anthony, Claudette Zepeda, Dale Talde, David Viana, Jet Tila, Joe Sasto,  Jonathon Sawyer, Kaleena Bliss, Karen Akunowicz, Kevin Lee, Lee Anne Wong, Marcel Vigneron, Nini Nguyen, Sara Bradley, Shirley Chung, and Tobias Dorzon. 

They’ll have to impress top tier judges from past winners including double winner of Season 2 and 5 Maneet Chauhan and inaugural champ Brooke Williamson to industry titans like s Alex Guarnaschelli, Cat Cora, Curtis Stone, and Marcus Samuelsson. Only one will be left standing after eight weeks of challenges, walking away with the title including a TOC Championship belt and $150,000. 

Here Fieri sets the table for the action to come and updates us on his health as he recovers from tearing his quad in November. The slipped down a set of stairs while filming his new series Flavortown Food Town, which also coincidently premieres March 4.

Food Network

What are you most proud of as far as providing a platform for chefs at varying stages of their career to test themselves in this arena?

Guy Fieri: This whole TOC experience is a win for me on so many levels.  Being able to provide a platform for these incredible chefs to build their careers is really awesome.  And I’ll tell you, as a chef myself, what I get to learn by watching them is next level.  Every day on set is like living multiple culinary master classes.  On top of that, all of us are very proud that we’re able to showcase these chefs in a way that audiences keep coming back for.  There’s a lot of content out there in the universe and it means a lot that the viewers find it as thrilling as I do.

What makes this year’s field stand out in your eyes? 

You know, all of these chefs are so dynamic, constantly growing and at the top of their games, you never know what to expect. Just when I think I’ve got one of them figured out, they plate up some new dish that just blows my mind.  So, that element of surprise alone stands out each and every season. But for sure, the addition of the top seeded icons adds an unexpected twist that’s sure to make this season epic.

What kind of teases can you provide regarding the secret top seed competitors? 

They are four icons, legends of the industry, all proven competitors, but some haven’t competed in over a decade. While some of them may have judged TOC, none has ever competed on the show. So, with the automatic top seed assignments, we’ve put a target on their back for the title-hungry competitors.

Guy Fieri, as seen on Flavortown Food Fight, Season 1. (Food Network)

What are your thoughts on the judges including past champions being able to pull from their experience in the competition? 

Judges who’ve competed have a unique perspective as they know exactly what kind of curveballs can and will be thrown at these chefs.  What’s also interesting is that they are judging their peers. Take all of that into account and you might think that the judges could have some soft spots for the chefs. But let me tell you, each and every chef on this show, from competitors to judges, is ultra-competitive so the way I see it, those judges who’ve competed before will likely hold the competitors to an even higher standard…if that’s even possible.

 

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How was it going viral for your 58th birthday post by showing a different look.  Even your son Hunter got in on the fun saying that you should start selling insurance. 

My wife, Lori, has kind of been pushing me to go back to the brown hair that I had way back in the day when we met over 30 years ago. Granted, it was a brown mullet. But after seeing me go retro for the Bosch Super Bowl ad, I’m pretty sure she’s fine with me staying as I am today. I love that everyone got such a kick out of it!

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Hunter Fieri - Personality

How has the family banded together to help you while injured? Has this injury given you more appreciation for the little things in life? 

I like to be in control, especially in the kitchen.  So, this whole injury thing has really thrown me for a loop.  But I’ll tell you, when the whole gang got into the mix for our big Thanksgiving and Christmas meals, I was not only thankful but also really proud.  As frustrating as it was to be down for so long, my family was there the whole time making sure that I was taken care of.

What’s the updated prognosis and timeline for recovery? 

I’m back, baby!

What can we expect from your new series, Flavortown Food Fight?

My whole life has been about building the world of Flavortown in my head…until now!  Every DDD (Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives) joint I’ve visited, every meal I’ve made, every show I’ve done…they’ve all led me to create Flavortown Food Fight. Incredible chefs battling it out in a totally new format where they’ll be entering my world, full of the restaurants and funky joints you’d expect in Flavortown. In this format, we’re also giving winning chefs the opportunity to defend their titles….you cook until you lose.  Who knows what kind of run we’ll see some of these chefs go on?!

Tournament of Champions: The Qualifiers, February 15, 8/7c, Food Network (Next Day on HBO Max and and discovery+)

Tournament of Champions VII: The Bracket Reveal, February 22, 10/9c, Food Network (Next Day on HBO Max and and discovery+)

Tournament of Champions VII premiere, March 1, 8/7c, Food Network (Next Day on HBO Max and and discovery+)

Flavortown Food Fight premiere, March 4, 9/8c, Food Network (Next Day on HBO Max and discovery+)