Celebrities Accept the Challenge of Top Chef VIP: They Will Step Out of Their Comfort Zone

The participants of Top Chef VIP come to the competition with very different experiences: some have traveled the world, others have faced high-stakes competitions, and there are those who admit to having little kitchen experience. Now, they must all prove whether they can turn their nerves and the pressure of the kitchen into dishes that can keep them in the competition. For Gaby Borges, stepping out of her comfort zone is not new. Before joining Top Chef VIP, the actress and singer tested her palate during a trip to Japan, where she dared to try flavors she described as extreme and unforgettable. 'There’s everything. There are geckos, snakes, birds, and, well, I said: ‘You know what? Let’s do something different, something that isn’t done in Miami.’ We decided to go to that place and try everything. I didn’t like anything, I mean, nothing at all, but I think I would do it again. It’s very fun, but gross, very gross,' Borges said. Kelly Ríos, for her part, is trading competition circuits for the kitchen, convinced that the discipline, passion, and love she puts into her dishes can become important ingredients for advancement. 'I love to cook. In fact, it’s one of the most beautiful ways I have to show love to the people I care about. So, there’s a fusion of love here, that even though I’ve never taken cooking classes, I want to take the risk, but also of competition and personality, which they need to get to know,' Ríos said. Miguel Arce already knows what it means to face the cameras and the pressure of a reality show, but this time the challenge includes knives, pans, and the possibility that his first dishes will be far from perfect. 'Literally, I’m starting from scratch. And don’t take my word for it, just watch, because my first dishes are likely to be a disaster. But what I can assure you 100% is that every dish I make after that will be better than the last,' Arce said. For Diana Haro, joining Top Chef VIP means not only stepping away from the telenovela set but also taking on a challenge that her family takes very seriously. Before entering the competition, she received a special warning from her grandmother. 'My grandmother was the first to find out that I got into Top Chef. So she told me: ‘If you go, you’re going to do things right; if not, don’t even go.’ So I did talk to her, and she gave me a couple of tips,' Haro said.