A New Top Chef Season Is Coming, and There's a Big Twist

Sharpen your knives and set your DVRs: Top Chef is coming back.

The beloved Bravo series will return for its 14th season on Thursday, Dec. 1 at 10 p.m. ET/PT and this time they’re heading down south to Charleston, South Carolina.

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This isn’t your standard season, though: In an unprecedented twist, eight new chefs from around the country will go up against eight returning chefs from previous seasons. The past cheftestants have not yet been revealed, but here’s hoping they’re ones that will bring the drama (Marcel!).

Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons will return to the judging panel along with a fresh face: Masterchef and Top Chef Masters alum Graham Elliot.

Watch the clip below to get a sneak peek of what’s to come.

The first-time competitors include Annie Pettry (Louisville, KY), BJ Smith (Portland, OR), Emily Hahn (Charleston, SC), Gerald Sombright (Marco Island, FL) Jamie Lynch (Charlotte, NC), Jim Smith (Montgomery, AL), Silvia Barban (Brooklyn, NY), and Sylva Senat (Philadelphia, PA).