Top Chef All-Stars Officially Announced With 18 Runner-Up Contestants

Bravo

Ladies and gentlemen, it appears that the rumors of a Top Chef All-Stars season are true! TV Guide Magazine released an official report from Bravo that the upcoming eighth run of the Emmy award-winning competitive cooking show will include an all-star cast of eighteen runners-up from previous Top Chef seasons, including Marcel Vigneron, Richard Blais, Fabio Viviani, Stephen Asprinio, Tiffany Derry, Spike Mendelsohn, Michael Isabella, Dale Talde, Tiffani Faison, Jamie Lauren, Antonia Lofaso, Elia Aboumrad, Dale Levitski, Casey Thompson, Tre Wilcox, Carla Hall, Jennifer Carroll and Angelo Sosa.

Even better news? Anthony Bourdain's role won't be limited to the season finale; the chef, author and professional heckler will alternative with Gail Simmons as judge alongside Tom Colicchio and Padma Lakshmi. Let's hope producers keep his gin and tonics flowing underneath the judges' table. If you don't get that reference, pick up a copy of Bourdain's latest book, Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook. Then you'll know what we mean.

If you don't want a spoiler alert to the Top Chef All-Stars season, it might be smart to look away now. Challenges thus far have included hosting a dinner party to celebrate the 35th birthday of former SNL cast member and Late Night host, Jimmy Fallon. Lakshmi told TV Guide Magazine, "It was the most fun I've ever had eating such delicious food" alongside fellow judges, Fallon and Late Night announcer Steve Higgins and head writer A.D. Miles. A later Quickfire challenge featured three special guest judges from the iconic children's TV show, Sesame Street: Cookie Monster, Telly and Elmo.

Top Chef All-Stars premieres Wednesday, Dec. 1 at 10/9c on Bravo.