FOOD Network fans of cooking competition Tournament of Champions saw a victor crowned, but not the one they were expecting.
The finale to the challenging cooking show aired on Sunday night and finally saw a winner emerge.
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The finale of the series saw New Jersey chef Britt Rescigno duke it out against Chopped judge Maneet Chauhan.
After Britt, 39, lost to Maneet, 47, the 2021 Tournament of Champions winner went on to compete against Antonia Lofaso.
The final portion of the competition was judged by Cat Cora, Lorena Garcia, Michael Mina, Michae White, and Eric Ripert.
When it came time for Antonia and Maneet to face off, they were met with a "wild card envelope" that could hold up to three envelopers' worth of ingredients.
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The game's randomizer chose cacao pods, a side of goat, a heating mixer, and both high-end and low-end styles.
They also needed to make one component of the meal spicy and another layered.
Both contestants had to make this happen in just 60 minutes.
"This is one of the most high-pressure moments that I have been in,"" Maneet said.
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"I feel like I'm not doing enough. It’s like panic mode inside of me," she added.
Maneet chose to make gushtaba kashmiri meatballs out of goat with korma sauce for her high-end dish.
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Alternatively, she made goat sloppy joe for her low-end option.
Antonia made a goat tartare with yuzu vinaigrette for her high-end option and paired it with a quail egg and cacao seed.
For her low-end option, she chose a goat burger with goat cheese ranch and fried onions.
The judges deliberated over all of the dishes and finally awarded scores.
Maneet ended up winning by just one point, as she tied with Antonia in both plating and taste with scores of 9 and 44.
The Chopped judge took the randomizer category score, 37 to 36.
She was then granted a victory over Antonia, becoming the first two-time winner of the competition.
FANS REACT
The victory may have been by a small margin, but that didn't make it any less painful for Antonia's fans.
They headed to social media to share their sadness and frustration over their loss.
"Oh man to lose by one point. So painful. My heart hurts for Antonia," one fan lamented.
"Antonia crying. This sh*t is real," another noticed.
"I love Maneet so much but I was pulling for Antonia! Well done, chefs! Another incredible season of #TournamentOfChampions," a third wrote.
"@chefantonia you cooked so beautifully & from your heart in through the whole competition. I’ve seen you compete in GGG, Previous TOC seasons, etc, you’re awesome. You are still a champ to me. Can’t wait to see what’s next," a fourth addressed Antonia.
"I feel soooo bad for Antonia she wanted it so badly and did such an amazing job this year. But I’m also soooo happy for Maneet at the same time! Either way — WOMEN."
"Damn. I’m legit hurt for Antonia. I love Maneet too though. Antonia not getting that hit me in the heart for real."
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"We're keeping the championship belt in the ladies' club!! Congrats to @ManeetChauhan on her 2nd win! @chefantonia's journey to get here was amazing to see, she has so much to be proud of!
5 seasons with 5 women winners, this is the best cooking show on TV!"
"I’m boycotting from now on…there should not be 2-time winners. The whole randomizer scene is ridiculous- it takes away from the true talent of the competitors! Antonia won in my mind…the end!!"
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