Marcel Accused of Cheating Again | Top Chef: Los Angeles

[@rebeccaoberman443]

I love Marcel!!! Great Chef!!

[@sergiopaz4918]

I can't believe how unprofessional that group of abusers were. How can you accuse without evidence in front of an invited judge. I love that Tom has silenced them, the CUSTOMER doesnt care what happens behind the scenes not because they are not empathic, but because the problems are solved in the kitchen. What a bunch of immature.

[@leahjuniper2031]

i actually found marcel to be arrogant, annoying and of moderate talent. he did not however deserve the physical abuse.

[@cezartb]

Ilan and his gang had a terrible attitude and lied. Unprofessional to the point of bullying another contestant. No food they produce can justify that.

[@lauralarrabee7870]

Elia alleged cheating but had no proof. She always struck me as a whiny victim. Marcel rubbed people the wrong way but Elia took it too personal

[@angelface101ful]

To her defense it was that guy who mentioned stuff in the first place

[@LegendofBen]

Ilan and Sam were too cowardly to call out Marcel, so they pressured Elia to do it instead.

[@metsniper]

I am so glad Top Chef went from being The Real World (with cooking) to an actual serious cooking competition. The first few seasons were hard to get through.

[@hankeng6375]

It is strange to see the first few years (I watched seasons 5-10 first).

[@gurlpleeze]

​@@hankeng6375😂🤣

[@quoriwow]

Say whatever you want about Marcel. but since this season, I have never seen Illan or Elia anywhere again. Marcel however has been on TC again, been all over the Iron Chef series on the FN side and been a part of the Tournament of Champions there. Dude clearly has the chops and respect of the culinary community; regardless of how he was edited in this season and how these clowns felt about him.

[@aimcdaniel1]

사람 ㅅ모두 ㅅ사람 ㄱ

[@lilo4399]

Yep - the jealousy is thick. He's just in his own league and they can't compete. He's cut from a different cloth, so to speak. So he gets targeted for being unique and the generic people gang bully him.

[@emmanuelpressley7267]

Ilan had 3/4 seasons of his own show and several restaurants. Elia was a different story though. Her fight with Tom hurt her career

[@stephanieramona5547]

I've seen Ilian on several other shows judging other chefs. I only saw Marcell selling some frying pans.

[@karmayangzom5497]

@Connie It was Cliff that put him in a headlock on the floor. Crazy ep!

[@Kalahui]

Met Marcel and his brother at the food and wine festival in Hawaii a few years ago. Nice guys. I was a student in Culinary school and helped out a little. They just pulled up a chair and started talking with us.

[@thejedimaster78]

I have never been a huge Marcel fan, in fact I found him rather annoying in this season, but I don't believe he cheated or deserved some of the messed up stuff they did to him. That group decided they didn't like him (which I get) and then began bullying him and lying. It was especially messed up when Cliff assaulted Marcel.

[@anufoalan]

Here’s the thing I’ve seen Marcel in competitions post Top Chef, notably The Next Iron Chef, and in that show he really did do a lot of underhanded things not limited to conspiring with another competitor who was up for elimination to plate their dishes on the same plate to both not be eliminated (the judges called them out on this and it was implied that they had also done this so that perhaps another contestant would be eliminated instead). And while I don’t necessarily think that Marcel actively made the decision to cheat in the kids camp episode, he was certainly aware of what he possibly did before everyone was called out. Where as with this I do believe he was aware that he was moving Elia’s equipment in order to mess her up, maybe not have her eliminated but certainly to cause her grief.

[@lauradrumm9294]

We didn't even see the worst of the bullying because it was edited out to protect the show and the network. Tom wanted to send all of them home, except for Marcel, after the hair incident, but production wouldn't agree so they ended up just sending Cliff home. No matter what you or anyone else "believes" about Marcel he didn't deserve to be bullied throughout the competition.

[@rowdyreidgirl]

I agree. Cliff holding Marcel down violently to shave his head without his consent was WAY TOO FAR. I'm glad Cliff was expelled for that.

[@NellyHuman]

@@anufoalan I'm not sure I understand the problem with your anecdote from The Next Iron Chef. If I'm understanding the situation correctly, he and somebody else were up for elimination, but they could work together to minimize their risk of going home and chose to do so. How is that a controversy? It sounds like pretty standard behavior in a competition. It's always assumed that somebody is going to be eliminated each round, and each competitor works to ensure that they are not the one that is eliminated. Of course working to ensure that you are not eliminated means that somebody else will be eliminated instead. In most cooking competition shows that I see, the competitors talk to the camera about why they make various decisions, and it's pretty common for them to talk about how they did whatever because they want whomever to be eliminated. And that kind of gamesmanship is generally what the producers are hoping for and is why they allow the competitors to have those sorts of choices.

[@ronan_aa]

What an embarrassing display by Ilan and Elia, two whimpering crybabies who couldn't beat Marcel with talent alone, so instead rushed to attempt this shameful backdoor tactic.

[@tphillips37]

Marcel never cheated. They bullied him for no reason. He was a bit arrogant, but he had the talent to back it up. Cliff has somehow come back from being kicked off TC to have his own show. I won't watch it because he's a bully and always will be.

[@neldajackson360]

The band of bullies trying to get Marcel sent home right then and there, they were so petty and even when Marcel called them out right then and there and said "You're obviously talking about me just say it" they rolled their eyes and continued to act like he was the problem. I'm still upset that Marcel didn't win; the biggest bully of them all Ilan didn't deserve to win

[@brittanydawn9765]

I agree it!! Plus it should've been Marcel and Sam for the finale two.

[@felipehernandez-pedroza8288]

True. Agree 100%. Marcel should have won.

[@coryjacobs494]

The guy clifford that got booted for holding marcel down when they tried to shave him is a top chef that oversees a lot of gordons restaurants he’s been a judge on Hell’s Kitchen a few times too

[@pammayhew1581]

This is why I love Tom! " I really don't care what happens in the kitchen"

[@sophieknobloch2806]

The only great mystery to the show is how all the early season cast members aged like normal people but Tom & Padma still look the same. If anything, maybe even younger. Where is their fountain of youth. We must find out.

[@bettypearson5570]

Other than Botox and other little tweaks you have to look at the aging process. We change dramatically in appearance from infancy through childhood and the process of change is slowing down as we get older. People will appear to change more between 20 and 30 than they will between 30 and 40 or 40 and 50. Alot of the changes that happen at the older years are more noticable in the body than the face; muscle tone diminishing, bones thinning, hair graying (if left natural) internal organs giving way to disease, etc. While they may be getting small doses of Botox for the wrinkles and just a little lip filler eventually those little tweaks start adding up until they start looking a little freakish. It all goes in time.

[@mr.r4692]

I think they were all haters just plain jealous of him

[@NEAmarillo79107]

Ella again running her mouth as always just because she doesn't get her way out of all the Top Chef Season 2 finale Part 1 Marcel is the most successful since Top Chef Season 2 I don't like Ella because she demands and has a attitude problem I glad Tom put her in her place here

[@robertogi680]

bruh if you claim he is cheating and then you can't even give a single example you end up looking like a complete idiot 🤣

[@hunterwalker3360]

It’s widely reported that after the head shaving incident, Tom wanted everyone involved to be disqualified, not just Cliff and to award Marcel the competition. I feel like that’s what he’s hinting at, when he’s talking about not caring how they behave in the KITCHEN…..

[@scallen3841]

Then they should have gotten rid of them

[@junebuchholtz287]

Jealous of Marcel...how childish.. His food was fantastic

[@felipehernandez-pedroza8288]

Marcel should have won this season.

[@mayragonazalez5790]

Nunca ganó y tiene mucho talento

[@traceruari3143]

Marcel can be rather abrasive. However he is so creative.

[@belle4652]

After years of watching this show, certain things became clear.... The judges don't care about attitudes or cocky tirades...they judge ONLY the food. Whatever happened in the kitchen, stays in the kitchen. Let the chaos reign alright as long as you deliver on taste and presentation. Shows why some contestants get along tight i.e Spike & Marcel.....

[@scorpio1019]

Marcel should of won Top Chef. Think about it, the issue with Cliff and people calling him a liar.

[@or529]

Season #2 chefs were the complete opposite of the chefs from Season #18. They helped each other out and had a real sense of comeraderity; not pettiness and backstabbing of #2.

[@michaelyciano2123]

How does one cheat in a cooking show? When cooking in front of people.

[@ericsaxon5736]

If you turn off someone's heat, while they have their food cooking or add ingredients that were not meant to be there, that would be considered sabotage aka cheating. I don't know that he did that but it is possible.

[@28chart]

Marcel should've won. The winner is not deserving.

[@bombshellrita8231]

I've always liked Marcel. They were just intimidated by him and gave him a hard time on his seasons. Haters gonna hate

[@lilo4399]

Yep - the jealousy is thick

[@joebloggs2132]

I admit I didn't like Marcel at first but as the season panned out I hated mostly everyone but Marcel

[@karmayangzom5497]

@@joebloggs2132 Yes! After watching a few times, I came away with such little respect for Cliff, Ilian, Elia, Sam, and Betty. They ended up looking exactly like the horrible people they are.

[@scallen3841]

He did make a lot of snot I mean foam

[@MAGAland2024]

Intimidated? Not hardly. Marcel is just annoying.

[@susanadams3304]

I just watched seasoon 2. I loved Marcel through the whole season. Most of this comment section definetly felt the same way I did.

[@sophieamandaleitontoomey9343]

I’ll be honest. I never liked Marcel. However, the treatment, bullying and eventual assault of him were unacceptable.

[@BotfromChina]

It's funny because I don't see 1 Polynesian Hawaiian at the table 😅

[@catherinediaz5180]

How did he cheat??

[@catherinecangiano9231]

They mobbed Marcel. Elias and Ilan are lying,

[@maddiemaccheese8170]

Literally how do you cheat in Top Chef?? Lol

[@Psychmomx41965]

I said the exact same thing!! Whiney, jealous poor losers!!

[@TheRealPhoenix344]

I loved Marcel! I really feel the other Chefs felt that his unusual style and techniques threw them for a loop. Also, I still see Marcel. I don't see the others, just saying. I would love to try his food.

[@Whatastorymark8]

I hated this season. I thought the winner was awful and should have been eliminated earlier in the season, and many of the other cast members (particularly elia and Betty) were insufferable.

[@jasonsulham1979]

Marcel was shocked that Sam got eliminated

[@NEAmarillo79107]

Come on Ella if you have something to say just say it otherwise we don't care what happens in the kitchen

[@NEAmarillo79107]

Ella you still angry after all these years I still see that you were the problem with Season 2 Marcel was the best chef that season and you know it

[@MissHoneyOnline]

I didn’t watch this season, but if Marcel cheated then they should have spoken up all the way, not hinted.

[@RLucas3000]

It was more a personality thing. Marcel was very young and very full of himself. Of course many of the chefs on the show are similar. And while i sometimes can find that irritating, i didn’t really find him irritating personally. it’s a series worth watching, especially for the previous episode, where Cliff, one of the strongest contestants, was disqualified for holding Marcel down and attempting to shave his head.

[@MoyBeats]

Sam did that weird hinting thing a couple times this season. This was the first season of TC I watched, and enjoyed it when it came out. I recently watched it however and it’s really tough to get through.

[@glitterdogs8465]

Because he didn’t cheat lol

[@avalangrin4904]

I hated this season. The chefs acted like a bunch of “mean girls.” Cliff was a bully, and I hated the way he treated Maya when she decided to leave the competition. Both Elia and Cliff refused to listen to Maya during that challenge, who had catering experience, and then Cliff laid their failure at Maya’s feet. Equally disgusting was Maya playing the martyr and claiming Elia should stay. To me Elia wasn’t worth the gesture, and it really showed Maya’s lack of confidence in her abilities as a chef. I also could not stand Elan the manipulator. Elan was definitely jealous of Marcel’s talent and orchestrated scenarios ( Cliff manhandling Marcel, Elia accusing Marcel of cheating) in order to undermine Marcel. Elan is the least talented winner of TC.

[@frankieseward8667]

@@avalangrin4904 even Nicholas from New Orleans was better.

[@bronwynsmith5704]

I was and have been so annoyed about the way Marcel is portrayed in this show. He was a victim of physical and verbal abuse. This still goes on to this day through the food Network family. It's appalling. He'll never win on these shows because of the way they choose to ignore him as a great chef. I would sue this show for abuse if i was Marcel.

[@gurlpleeze]

🤣😂 he keeps going back he would lose

[@pettiestofbettys]

They removed the truth teller but that's usually how it works. Sam is spineless

[@godofrock117]

What truth teller? She just wanted him gone because she was afraid of his skills.

[@junebuchholtz287]

He might be but she was embarrassing

[@tammycolipano4208]

Recently watched Cliff judge Bobby’s Triple Threat and was angered all over again that we got stuck with Ilan as Top Chef because Cliff lowered himself to Ilan’s juvenile behavior. Cliff, Sam, and Marcel had far more interesting styles to watch and imagine eating.

[@JulieWalmsley]

I can't even focus on the storyline because Tom's soul patch is such an atrocity. His wife is legit brilliant. How does he not have anyone to tell him what he can't pull off?

[@renshiwu305]

I like Marcel. Ilan and Elia are unbearable.

[@gretchendietz1599]

Didn't like Marcel but this was definitely the worst season of Top Chef - I didn't care for any of them - especially Elia.

[@reaperofthegrey7294]

marcel looking like the guy from Dont Starve

[@gammgammx3174]

Marcel was kind to all of them. The rest of the chefs were bullies!!!

[@brucebanner4543]

Sam looks a little bit like that actor on Lucifer

[@patriciadilday447]

A bit, now that you mention it. Not a bad person to resemble 😈

[@jermelhurst59]

They left her lol

[@JohnDoe-qu7gm]

Sooooo talking is cheating? The food is the food!

[@stanleydogood8874]

This season was always the craziest by far...Cliff bullying Marcel and getting thrown out . . .Elia telling Tom his restaurant serves beef from cows eating genetically modified corn and basically calling out his Vegas restaurant. . . .I think she also shaved her head at one point and, then Padma rumored to be sleeping with Sam and Elan standing with Elia the entire time . . . . I noticed Top Chef stopped using Latinos from Los Angeles ever again and only uses Latinos from other nicer places because the Los Angelinos are f'''king crazy !

[@June-tb4vi]

Would not have watched except for Marcel

[@tj28308]

Elia is so unlikable.

[@technewsfortechnoobs]

Marcel has indeed been around, but I never really found myself liking him. He is just too cocky, arrogant, and "holier than though". He's got skills, otherwise he wouldn't have been on so many competition shows including Iron Chef and Tournament of Champions...but he still just rubs me the wrong way.

[@piratescove4]

Didn't know Jackson Rathbone was in Top Chef.

[@tokestarlive8394]

Dude never cheated what a bunch of hater's

[@josephrocha142]

Nobody cares how the sausage is made. They just want the end product to be delicious. Some of these contestants forgot that.

[@lyndaowen2623]

If Tom doesn't care what goes in the kitchen, then cheating seems acceptable which makes me say goodbye to Top Chef

[@mikecantreed]

You realize this aired 15 years ago?

[@janabernathy7446]

Personally, I've never been able to stomach Marcel. He behaves as if the rest of the world is lacking in intelligence.

[@lillyflower1415]

I feel like they are fair n trying to say people cheat it's like they want a reason to win cuz they fail so they have to weasel out they are childish in a group they want to push Marcel out but I look like this food n flavor speaks for itself I don't even care for marcel but the others are worse in the behavior.n attitudes

[@brendasuelong-bryant3855]

If he's cheating, send him home!!

[@winky32174]

Marcel is gold, the rest are trash!

[@cheech41]

Marcel has some attitude

[@mr.r4692]

Haters, haters, I swear

[@mr.r4692]

So what if he talks too much so what another hater?

[@joepascarella6299]

Marcel and Padma had a thing

[@BlueGreens]

Yeah right, he wishes

[@lindaobrien8538]

Not a fan of Padma.

[@NEAmarillo79107]

Marcel and Padma went steady

[@lindaobrien8538]

Marvel has always been full of himself.he is talented but sort of obnoxious.

[@gymdoc7549]

Haters!!!

[@sharonc1326]

That word is so overused. I guess people can’t disagree or dislike someone these days without it being labeled “haters” 🙄

[@lindaobrien8538]

Sharon c..so right.if you don't agree you are a hater.ridiculous!

[@nataliemscrzysxycoolharris]

Marcel talks too much.

[@Jgarcia68]

and?

[@tphillips37]

He's nervous

[@josephineshoemate7759]

It needs to be canceled.

[@aj8580]

Top chef? Absolutely not!!!

[@softshoes]

Yep it's run it's course, no pun intended. Frankly I'm just tire of all these shows editing it how they want it to be. Faux drama. I need to know if those peas were really stolen.

[@mikecantreed]

This was like season 3