24 in 24: Last Chef Standing

Co-hosts Michael Symon and Esther Choi invite 24 of America's most talented and fearless chefs to compete in an intense competition of 24 challenges in 24 nonstop hours. In the first shift, the chefs must endure three challenges testing speed. Whoever can impress judge Antonia Lofaso will survive, and whoever doesn't will be forced to clock out. When Michael and Esther introduce the all-important golden knife, the chefs learn that this epic day of cooking will be full of twists and turns. The chefs that can adjust on the fly have a chance to be the last chef standing.

Co-hosts Michael Symon and Esther Choi begin the second shift with two chefs in a head-to-head elimination battle that tests simplicity. Their assignment is to turn a basic sandwich plus three ingredients of their choosing into a fancy lunch. After judge Graham Elliot decides which chef will clock out, the 12 remaining chefs must use the simplest of tools -- their palate -- to pass a tricky test that impacts their ability to survive a second elimination challenge. It's only hour four, so the chefs are still running on adrenaline and energy ... for now!

The 11 remaining chefs are starting to feel the effects of cooking for seven straight hours. In a shift that tests resourcefulness, Michael Symon and Esther Choi ask the chefs to create a three-course meal worthy of a black-tie event in 60 minutes. But the chefs will have to be resourceful with more than just their time -- ingredients like strawberry milk, pimento cheese, carrot tops, dried scallops, Carolina reaper peppers and shell-on pistachios must also be incorporated into their meal. How they use the ingredients is up to them, but then it's up to judge Jet Tila to decide which chef will be clocking out.

At hour 10, fatigue has officially set in for the 10 remaining chefs, but there's no rest for the weary as they face their most creatively demanding challenges yet. First, co-hosts Michael Symon and Esther Choi give the chefs a mere 10 minutes to turn any available produce into a beautiful plate of food that will be judged not by taste but by appearance. Then, the chefs are assigned famous works of art which they must use for inspiration. Judge Fariyal Abdullahi decides which plates of food taste the best and which plates of food look most impressive, and the chef who does the poorest job will have to clock out.

Hour 13 of this extreme culinary competition features unrelenting twists and turns for the exhausted chefs. First, co-hosts Michael Symon and Esther Choi challenge the nine remaining competitors to turn snacks they find in the breakroom into dessert. Then, after being given only two minutes to shop for a lumberjack breakfast, the chefs must turn their breakfast ingredients into a different meal entirely for judge Brooke Williamson. And that's just the beginning!

Frustration and fatigue mounts in hour 16 as co-hosts Michael Symon and Esther Choi ask the eight remaining chefs to work in teams to make a soup and sandwich, all while handling three culinary curveballs that threaten to ruin their chances at survival. After the first challenge, one team is safe while the other team is left to keep on battling. Judges Carlos Anthony and Brian Malarkey decide who will move on to shift seven.

The chefs are tired and grumpy as shift number seven begins, but they're more determined than ever to get to the final shift and have a chance at winning $75,000. Co-hosts Michael Symon and Esther Choi present the first challenge, which features a three-way battle in spicy street food. Next, it's math time as the chefs must do some measurement calculations after being up for 19 hours! Then, the competitors make a finale-worthy fish dish for judge Andrew Zimmern to earn a spot in the final shift.