Originally posted onApril 21, 2025 @ 12:25 pm
Antonia Lofaso Wins Food Network’s Tournament of Champions VI
Antonia Lofaso was crowned the champion on last night’s finale of Tournament of Champions VI, taking home the belt and prize of $150,000. After weeks of dominating the randomizer and going head-to-head with some of the most talented chefs in the culinary world, Antonia won the final round of the win-or-go-home competition. Throughout the action-packed tournament, host and executive producer Guy Fieri put the culinary skills of 32 of the nation’s most celebrated chefs to the test in the bracket-style, single elimination tournament. Heading into the finale, Tournament of Champions VI had already reached 11 million P2+ viewers (across Food Network/Max/Discovery+) and is on track to be Food Network’s highest-rated series among P25-54 for the fifth year in a row, with ratings up +85% vs. prior six-week timeslot benchmarks. During its run, the series has also ranked as the #1 non-news/sports cable program for P25-54 with the penultimate episode notching a season high .97 P25-54 /1.1 W25-54 L3 rating.* The series has also resonated online with TOC-related content earning more than 57M social impressions and more than 38M video views across platforms to date.
“I did not initially want to come back and compete this year. I had been there five times before and done well so thought maybe that could be enough, but a change in perspective and a change of heart had me back in the hunt for the title,” said Lofaso. “Winning TOC has truly been an incredible journey and one of the greatest moments of my life.”
The pressure and emotions were high in last night’s final cooking battle as newcomer chef Sara Bradley, faced off against number one seed and six-time TOC competitor, chef Antonia Lofaso. The randomizer dished out some welcome, and not so welcome, items in the final battle that dictated that the chefs make a hot and cold dish using wagyu beef, huitlacoche, and a sausage stuffer plus not one but two wildcard envelopes that added additional requirements of one dish being spicy and one dish being sticky. After racing around the kitchen to complete their dishes in only 60 minutes, the competitors watched as the judges entered including TOC champions Maneet Chauhan, Mei Lin, Brooke Williamson and surprise judge and icon, Martha Stewart. When the tasting and deliberating was done, it was Antonia’s Glazed Sticky Beef Saladand Spicy Wagyu Sausage and Huitlacoche Mash that scored the highest, and with that a new champion was crowned earning the title, the belt and $150,000.
“TOC is consistently one of Food Network’s top-rated series and this season proved why, with unbelievable cooking and creativity, intense, fast-paced competition, and an exciting finish with a newcomer facing off against a six-time contender who almost didn’t come back,” said Betsy Ayala, Head of Content, Food, Warner Bros. Discovery. “It was lights-out action all season long culminating in a fairytale ending as TOC’s own Antonia Lofaso makes history as the season six champion.”
Tournament of Champions VI was produced by Knuckle Sandwich and Lando Entertainment for Food Network.
*Source: Nielsen L+3 data, Prime (8P-11P), 3/2/25-4/13/25. Linear reach based on a 1-minute qualifier across premieres & repeats in Total Day, streaming reach based on internal data. Cable ranking based on premiere & repeat delivery.
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