Top Chef’s Gail Simmons Reveals How She’s Changed as a Judge After 20 Years, Teases New Season (Exclusive)

Gail Simmons is reflecting on 20 years as a judge on Top Chef.

“Ultimately, I don’t think my [judging] style has changed that much, but what has changed is allowing us as judges to really speak freely and edit us less,” Simmons, 49, exclusively told Us Weekly while promoting her partnership with Bristol Myers Squibb for their COBENFY Connections campaign, which aims to change the narrative surrounding schizophrenia.

Simmons continued, “I think the world of reality television has softened in a lot of ways, and our show, in particular, Top Chef, is so much more about the food, the cooking, the kitchen, the chefs, than it is about reality that happens outside of the kitchen.”

According to the Canadian cookbook author, “The real juice, so to speak, is what happens in the kitchen.”

She added: “And that’s what our fans want to see and our viewers want to see. So that’s where we’ve really focused our time.”

In terms of her personal judging style, Simmons said that she now “[allows herself], and the show allows itself, to be a lot more about constructive criticism than anything else, and that comes first and foremost.”

“And I think, you know, the chefs overall will tell you that when we talk to them at the judges’ table, it’s because we really want to have a true and honest conversation about food and find out their intention and give them good feedback, so that whatever happens, they can do better,” Simmons explained.

Top Chef first premiered in March 2006. The upcoming 23rd season, which is set to air in 2026, will mark the show’s 20th anniversary.

Simmons told Us what fans can expect from Top Chef season 23, which she says “just wrapped filming” in the Carolinas.

“Well, you know, it’s funny, we’ve spent time in South Carolina, sort of in coastal Carolina before. We’ve never spent time in the kind of northern, more mountainous area of both North and South Carolina,” she shared. “So I learned a lot. It was beautiful, you know, it’s a very unique food way, and it’s just a beautiful, beautiful part of this country.”

As for the contestants, Simmons revealed that “the chefs this season are amazing and fun and up for the challenge, and we give them a challenge.”

Bravo announced in July that season 23 would be filmed in the Carolinas.

“Our Cheftestants will compete in southern hospitality, while embracing the rich Carolina history and cooking in the great outdoors,” the announcement, shared via Instagram, read. “We will be traveling and competing across Charlotte, N.C and Greenville, S.C! 🧡 🔪.”

Past seasons have been filmed in Canada, Wisconsin, Kentucky and even Paris and London for Top Chef: World All Stars.

And while the judges have seen a fair mix of stellar and not-so-perfect dishes over the years, Simmons reassured Us in an interview in March that they have never been “forced [to eat anything]” terrible.

“I think seasons 1, 2, 3, there were a few things along the way, but that was before we had the level of talent [we have now],” she explained.

Though Top Chef has “always” featured professional chefs, Simmons said the show was still “figuring out the formula” in the early seasons.

“And from then on, it’s very rare to get bad food. Remember, these are not home cooks who were trying to be chefs … they are professionals at the highest level. And so these days — for the last several seasons, but certainly this season’s no exception — it’s not about eliminating the worst dish every episode,” she explained. “The food is always so good. We don’t spit things out. Things are rarely egregiously wrong at this point because they’re really talented.”