When you talk to model Celinee Santos about the toughest part of a reality show like ‘Top Chef VIP,’ she doesn’t hesitate. For her, it’s all about the “psychological pressure.” This former Dominican beauty queen, crowned Miss Dominican Republic in 2024, is one of 20 contestants on the fourth season of the cooking competition. She feels the judges are being extremely harsh this time around.
“I feel they are being very unfair and very cruel,” Santos shared in an interview with US Weekly en Español. Just this week, she had a rough moment during a cooking challenge. A peeled avocado and some flour dough fell to the floor. The judges laid into her for trying to use them in her recipe anyway.
Chef Toño de Livier was visibly upset, even pointing out she was serving food that had been on the floor. This incident left Celinee shaken. Not only did it hit her emotionally, but it also put her at risk for future elimination rounds. “In the previous season, they did taste pasta from the floor from another contestant,” she explained, “and from me, well, you saw the show and the drama that happened. I know it was wrong, but it was a spur-of-the-moment thing, lacking experience.”
She even brought up the “three-second rule,” a kitchen myth some chefs teach. “If it’s on the floor for less than three seconds, you can pick it up,” she argued, “especially dough that hasn’t been cooked yet. But rules are rules. You have to follow them and accept them.” Chef Toño de Livier is joined on the judging panel by Chef Betty Vázquez, also from Mexico, and Chef Inés Páez “Tita,” who is from Celinee Santos’ home country.
Toño de Livier showed his annoyance
Her Overall Experience on ‘Top Chef VIP 4’
Celinee calls her time on the Telemundo reality show an “extraordinary experience.” She’s learned so much and gotten a taste of working in television. Still, she made it clear that the day-to-day grind is completely draining.
“I have built-up tiredness,” she said. “I miss my family. I’ve been away from home for months, in an environment that isn’t mine, totally different. No matter how strong you are, or how much you say critiques don’t hurt you, they do, one way or another, because emotions are raw.”
She also admitted that fitting in and getting along with her fellow contestants was hard at first. However, she has found true friends. “It started with Lorena, and also with Curvy and Nicole. I feel our friendship has grown stronger little by little because I believe you have to get to know people and give them a chance.”
“Many come from other reality shows,” Celinee Santos added. “Many play villains in other soap operas. They have strong personalities. So if you let them, you’ll ‘die’ in this competition.”
Celinee Santos at the Miss Universe pageant in 2024. Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images
Who Will Win ‘Top Chef VIP’? Celinee’s Picks
Celinee Santos is not giving up on the competition. She plans to keep fighting until the end. However, she openly admits she doesn’t feel she has the judges’ favor to win the fourth season. “My teammates don’t seem to like me,” she stated. “And it seems the chefs don’t either. I don’t know if it’s personal, but I’m not the most favored in this season.”
Even so, she vowed to keep “giving water to drink” to her teammates and the judges. This is an expression used in the Dominican Republic when someone provides plenty to talk about, meaning they are controversial.
When asked about a possible winner for ‘Top Chef VIP,’ Celinee quickly named Argentine actor Juan Soler. “I see him as one of the greats,” she affirmed. “He’s a great cook and a great human being.”
She also spoke highly of Mexican actress Lorena Herrera. Celinee noted that Herrera has experience from other cooking shows. “I feel she has everything needed to win,” she said. “Experience is not something you can fake. She also loves to cook, so she has an advantage.”
Regarding Salvador Zerboni, a Mexican actor and one of the season’s most talked-about contestants, Celinee sees him as a “villain character.” She explained, “Some people play a character. They say something, they offend you, and then they talk to you like nothing happened. They even apologize off-camera because they are playing characters. Many things happen behind the scenes, including comments and hints that show up on camera.”
Will Celinee Santos Do Another Reality Show?
Despite the intense psychological pressure that comes with these TV formats, the model is not closing the door on new projects. “My personality apparently works very well in reality shows,” she shared. “I’m very authentic, very outgoing, and I give people something to talk about. I’m a little controversial, and I like that.”
Beyond the drama, ‘Top Chef VIP’ gave her more than just TV exposure; it taught her how to cook. “I’m someone who demands a lot from myself,” she concluded. “I like to give my best. This taught me so much about cooking. I didn’t cook anything before, and now I’m a chef.”
You can catch the reality show airing Sunday through Friday on Telemundo at 7:00 pm ET / 6:00 pm CT. It’s also available for live streaming on Telemundo and Peacock.