⁠'24 in 24: Last Chef Standing Season 2 premiere: Who all were eliminated? 

'24 in 24: Last Chef Standing roared back onto Food Network Sunday night, serving up twice the drama and cutting the competition in half by the end of the premiere. The sophomore season wasted no time, throwing 24 chefs into brutal speed tests before eliminating 11 in fierce head-to-head cook-offs.

The premise remains captivating: 24 chefs compete for 24 consecutive hours, facing 24 challenges, with $75,000 awaiting the last one standing. Host Michael Symon promised TV Insider that this season would feature "more twists and turns than the first season so that the chefs wouldn't always know what was coming."

That unpredictability was on full display as contestants raced through egg-whisking, potato-carving, and lemon-juicing challenges before cooking rapid-fire one-bite dishes judged by 'Tournament of Champions' winner Antonia Lofaso.

What happened during the premiere episode of '24 in 24: Last Chef Standing?

Shift 1 of '24 in 24: Last Chef Standing tested pure kitchen velocity. Contestants faced three rapid-fire culinary fundamentals tests:

• Whisking eight egg whites to peak stiffness
• Turning eight potatoes into seven-sided shapes
• Hand-juicing eight ounces of lemon juice

The fastest finishers earned first pick of proteins for the elimination challenge, while the slowest were left with whatever remained. Chef Kevin Lee dominated, finishing first and earning the coveted Golden Knife—a power-granting advantage that let him select his opponent for elimination.

The elimination round on '24 in 24: Last Chef Standing featured a clever twist—the chef standing at each red cutting board could either compete solo against their station neighbor or form a team against two other chefs with matching proteins. This decision point created fascinating strategy dynamics.

Some notable pairings included:

• Kevin Lee versus Michele Ragussis (beef)
• Star Maye against Jonathon Sawyer (chicken)
• Nini Nguyen teaming with Gabe Bertaccini against Richie Farina and Ilan Hall (shellfish)
• "Team MasterChef" (Dara Yu vs. Kelsey Murphy) going head-to-head (pork)

'24 in 24: Last Chef Standing's judge Lofaso conducted blind tastings, eliminating any favoritism toward well-known chefs. Symon warned Stephanie Izard and Laurence "LT" Smith, who chose the mysterious "breakroom" option instead of cooking, automatically advancing but potentially facing consequences later:

"Rest now can equal pain later"

By shift's end, eleven chefs had packed their knives and departed '24 in 24: Last Chef Standing. Michele Ragussis fell to Kevin Lee in the beef challenge. Star Maye couldn't overcome Jonathon Sawyer's chicken dish, while Ashleigh Shanti was outcooked by Damaris Phillips.

The shellfish team challenge saw both Richie Farina and Ilan Hall eliminated when they lost to Nini Nguyen and Gabe Bertaccini's seared scallops. Arturo Leighton's pork creation didn't measure up to Laurence Louie's dumpling, and MasterChef winner Dara Yu was bested by fellow MasterChef champion Kelsey Murphy.

In perhaps the day's biggest upset, experienced chef Kathleen O'Brien-Price advanced while Zuri Resendiz was sent home. The fish category proved fatal for both Sam Cruz and Leslie Daniel, who couldn't match Bryan Voltaggio and Elia Abourrad's spicy tuna crudo. Chef Brittanny Anderson's lamb tartare with smoky potato chips earned the highest praise and a $2,400 bonus from judge Lofaso.

What’s next?

This episode of '24 in 24: Last Chef Standing concluded with just under 3½ hours elapsed in the 24-hour competition. A teaser revealed the "breakroom" advantage might become a liability, with Izard and Smith potentially facing off next week to determine who continues.

With the field cut in half, the remaining 12 chefs face increasingly difficult challenges as fatigue sets in during the around-the-clock cooking marathon. If Shift 1 demonstrated anything, it's that no advantage is guaranteed and strategic decisions can make or break a chef's journey in this uniquely demanding competition.

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New episodes of '24 in 24: Last Chef Standing air Sundays at 8|7c on Food Network.

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