The most popular food show on television has launched countless careers and made a profound impact on the culinary world—as these five chefs can attest.

Bravo! TV’s hit show “Top Chef” has had an enormous effect on the way food, cooking, and chefs are perceived in both the public and the restaurant industry. Much like the Food Network “glamorized” food and cooking, “Top Chef” has glamorized the life of a chef and helped turn dozens of professionals into nationwide celebrity chefs.

So what’s life like when you go from chef to “cheftestant”? Five former “Top Chef” contestants give us the scoop on what it was like to be thrown into the world of entertainment TV—and how it’s helped shape their careers.