Scott Conant Doesn’t Hold Back His Disgust and Fans Love Him For It
Whether it’s a talent show, a cooking show, or a dancing show, reality competition shows usually have one thing in common: one judge who’s meaner than the rest. And while sometimes judges take turns being the mean one, there’s still one who’s better at it than the rest. For Food Network‘s Chopped, that person is Scott Conant.
While he’s not really “the bad guy” all the time, Conant has had sent some zingers at the cooking show’s contestants over the years. Fans recently took to Reddit to discuss their favorite insults from Conant.
Who is Scott Conant?
The 49-year-old restaurateur started his career studying culinary arts at the Culinary Institute of America, according to Food Network. He spent his years following graduation working at a number of prestigious Italian restaurants around the New York area. He worked his way and began running the kitchens early in his career, proving his leadership skills as much as his culinary skills.
Conant opened L’Impero, his first restaurant, in 2002. L’Impero garnered a huge amount of critical attention and Conant was named “Best New Chef” in 2004 by Food & Wine Magazine. He has since opened a number of other restaurants around the United States, has published three cookbooks, and has launched a line of cookware and pantry essentials.
Conant has been a regular judge on Chopped for over a decade, since the show first aired in 2009. This year, he began hosting Chopped Sweets, a spin-off of Chopped. Conant was previously the host of Best Baker in America, Chef Showdown, and Beat Bobby Flay.
Some of the worst burns Scott Conant has given ‘Chopped’ contestants
While Conant’s background in the industry makes it clear he knows what he’s talking about in the kitchen, what he’s become known for to fans isn’t so much his culinary knowledge as it is his insults. Fans of the cooking competition recently joined in a discussion on Reddit about their favorite “burns” that Conant has thrown at Chopped contestants over the years.
Some of the favorites include:
“This pasta doesn’t deserve to be on the plate.” Season 18, episode 5.
“Yeah, this is edible if you want to go straight to the hospital.” Season 18, episode 5.
“Is this a joke?” Season 3, episode 13.
“That was the worst thing I’ve ever put in my mouth.” Season 15, episode 2.
Viewers had a great time trying to remember their favorite Conant insults and sharing which episodes they were from so that others could go back and re-watch. If one thing is clear, it’s that Conant doesn’t hold back when it comes to his disappointment.
What do fans think about Scott Conant?
Cooking show judges are often known for being brutally honest (hello, Gordon Ramsay…), and that’s no different for Scott Conant. But, while it’s easy to assume fans would dislike a judge for being unnecessarily mean to contestants, fans like that about Conant.
His insults are usually creative enough to work as comedy during an intense judging scene. One Reddit user stated in the discussion, “I can’t remember anything in particular but just came here to say that he is in my top 3 favorite chopped judges.”
High praise for a show with 45 seasons!
While Conant is known for his quick-witted criticisms on Chopped, one Reddit user pointed out that things are different on his newer show Chopped Sweets. They stated, “Has anyone else noticed that he is so much nicer on Chopped Sweets?”
In this spin-off of Chopped, chefs compete to make the best pastry desserts. As host, Conant has less opportunity to call out contestants on their faux-pas. Those who enjoy his burns, however, can still catch them on Chopped.
