Top Chef Winners, Ranked By Most Instagram Followers | ScreenRant
For over a decade, Top Chef has been the reigning champion when it comes to reality cooking competitions. Sure, there are plenty out there but none manage to pit professional chefs against each other in such an entertaining fashion. There's a reason the show has been nominated for so many Emmys and won one for Outstanding Competition Program.
With such immense talent going head-to-head each season, winners are truly special. Many of them are fan favorites who have gone on to appear on other cooking shows and due to that, they've racked up an impressive follower total when it comes to their Instagram profiles.
10 Paul Qui (25.9K)
By the time season nine rolled around, Top Chef was firmly entrenched as the premier cooking competition series. That iteration took place in Texas and was notable for marking the debut of Last Chance Kitchen, allowing someone eliminated to return to the cast.
The victory went to James Beard Award winner Paul Qui. These days, Qui runs Pao in Miami and Austin restaurants East Side King and Thai Kuhn. His Instagram account doesn't have many personal photos but there are plenty of images of spectacular looking food.
9 Jeremy Ford (38.5K)
Even if you've never seen a single episode of Top Chef, there's still a good chance you'd know who Jeremy Ford is. Most recently, Ford can be seen as one of the three hosts of Fast Foodies, a delightful show where chefs put their own spin on popular fast food dishes.
Ford has captivated audiences with his charming personality and that carries over to his Instagram. Followers can get shots of him on Fast Foodies with celebrities, as well as of his lovely family. Ford won the show's 13th season, which took place in California.
8 Mei Lin (56.6K)
Mei Lin has had one of the more interesting runs of any Top Chef contestant. She was an immediate threat on season two in Boston as she was the sous chef of previous winner Michael Voltaggio. Since winning, Lin went on to become the personal chef of Oprah Winfrey.
She has kept busy, going on to open her own restaurant, Nightshade, in 2019. Lin may not appear in a ton of shows like other past winners but she shines in everything that she does. Her Instagram includes incredible food, throwback photos, and a lot more to enjoy.
7 Kelsey Barnard Clark (78.1K)
One of the more recent winners on this list, Kelsey Barnard Clark pulled off a rare feat. She was able to win a Top Chef season that took place in her home state of Kentucky. Considering she also won the "Fan Favorite" award for her season, it's no wonder Clark has a strong social media following.
In terms of her Instagram, Clark is very active. She posts several times a week and it surprisingly doesn't feature a ton of food. Instead, there's a lot of pictures of her daughters. Plus, her followers adore getting the chance to cook alongside her on Zoom.
6 Stephanie Izard (163K)
From this point on, there's quite a big jump in followers as Stephanie Izard surpasses both the 100K and 150K marks. For the longest time, Izard was the only female winner of Top Chef, taking home the prize during season four. The next woman to win didn't happen until season 10.
Izard is a force, having also defeated chefs like Bobby Flay and Michael Symon to be crowned an Iron Chef. She has opened several restaurants and won multiple major awards. Her Instagram features an almost perfect blend of food and family pictures.
5 Melissa King (172K)
The most recent winner on this list is Melissa King. After coming up just short as a finalist in season 12, King returned for Top Chef: All-Stars in 2020 and won the whole thing. She won more elimination challenges than anyone else in series history and was voted "Fan Favorite."
King recently returned as a guest judge for the most recent season of Top Chef. Along with the obligatory shots of her impressive food, fans love following her Instagram due to her advocation of LGBTQ+ rights and the various charities that she supports.
4 Brooke Williamson (185K)
Brooke Williamson actually seems pretty unstoppable. Her first appearance on Top Chef came during the tenth season where she just barely lost out and came in as the runner-up. She returned for season 14 and picked up the win in impressive fashion throughout.
After winning, she didn't appear a ton but showed up for Tournament of Champions, where she beat the likes of Michael Voltaggio and Antonia Lofaso to win it all. Williamson has a great Instagram with shots from her restaurant Playa Provisions, of her family, and even some workout clips.
3 Michael Voltaggio (220K)
When he won his season of Top Chef, Michael Voltaggio was called the most talented by head judge Tom Colicchio. After all, the sixth season was filled with talent, including Michael's brother Bryan, yet Michael stood out from the rest. He has continued to be great at everything.
His creativity shines in his Instagram account. From funny photos to his remarkable meals to great pictures alongside his brother or the likes of Guy Fieri, it's filled with lovable content. Voltaggio has opened his own restaurants and currently appears on Tournament of Champions.
2 Kristen Kish (235K)
As noted earlier, Brooke Williamson lost when she competed on season 10. That loss came against the incredible Kristen Kish, who became the second female winner in the history of the show. Currently, the talented lady is the chef de cuisine at Menton in Boston.
Kish is popular on Instagram for a handful of reasons. First, there's her great food but there are also shots with celebrities thanks to her role as one of the hosts of Fast Foodies. Kish also came out publicly on Instagram with the announcement of her relationship with her then-girlfriend.
1 Richard Blais (308K)
It makes total sense that Richard Blais tops the list when it comes to the most popular Top Chef winners on Instagram. Blais has competed in multiple seasons (he was runner-up in season four before returning to earn the win in season eight, which was an All-Star season) and appears all over other cooking shows.
Fans wonder how Blais has the time for everything he does. He helped run multiple restaurants, acts as a judge in several shows, and even had a cameo in the 2016 film Why Him? Since he's always doing something interesting, his Instagram is a great one to follow.