‘Top Chef’ Is Getting the Kid-Centric Spinoff Nobody Asked For

The easiest way to get studio brass to green light a new cooking competition show, it seems, is to simply add “junior” to the title of an already existing food program. Case in point: Masterchef Junior, Chopped Junior, and, coming soon to your TV, the brand-new Top Chef Junior.

This new kid-friendly version of the 11-year-old cooking show will be hosted by Curtis Stone — the talented Australian chef who somehow gets roped into hosting every single new cooking competition on TV — as well as Vanessa Lachey, an actress/TV host/lifestyle guru person. People notes that this new show will feature kids ages 9 through 14 performing challenges similar to the ones on the O.G. Top Chef, including Restaurant Wars. The 14-episode series will debut in October.

Although Top Chef is the undisputed king of food competition shows, its spinoffs have not always performed as well as the original. Top Chef Duels — which was also hosted by Stone — only lasted one season, while Top Chef: Just Desserts made it to two seasons. Top Chef Masters — yes, Curtis Stone hosted that one, too — had a five-season run that ended in 2013.

Stay tuned for more details on the launch of Top Chef Junior as they become available.

• Vanessa Lachey and Curtis Stone Join Top Chef Junior [People]
• Get Ready for Top Chef Junior [GS]
• All Coverage of Top Chef [E]
• All Coverage of Food TV [E]