'Top Chef': 'Drama queen' Brian Malarkey's elimination has fans celebrating as they root for Melissa King

Fans say Malarkey gave us some Meryl Streep level drama on the show
Melissa King, Brian Malarkey (NBCU)
Melissa King, Brian Malarkey (NBCU)

This week's episode of 'Top Chef' was stressful to say the least. From Brian Malarkey's breaking point to the one-last quickfire challenge with celebrity chef Jonathan Waxman under the same roof — the tension was palpable. Some came through while others failed. 

At the judges' table, Malarkey shared that he was exhausted, which indicated he wanted out. When host-judge Padma Lakshmi asked how the day had been for him, he said: "Oh, I just had the best time ever," and added, "This is exhausting. I forgot how exhausting this is. And I had a few little issues today that corked me in the wrong direction. I am cooked. I had a great ride my friends." Padma was quick to take the hint and therefore, she directly asked if he wanted to leave the show? But Gregory Gourdet wanted to move to the next round by merit and not because someone just vacated his spot. 

Melissa King emerged on top of it and swooped a second win in a row with her perfect quail dish with Ninja radishes and plum glaze. "It really just highlighted the bird itself. I honestly love this," Chef Brian Bornemann said. 

Meanwhile, fans cannot stop celebrating now that Malarkey is gone, and they are now rooting for Melissa to win. "Good F***ing Riddance To Malarkey! #TopChef," a viewer commented, while another shared: "Malarkey giving us some Meryl Streep level drama TN. #TopChef." Another said, "MELISSA AGAIN!! She’s been absolutely killing it. She’s so fun to watch. Very calm but fun cooking. Always so beautiful on the plate #TopChef." One more posted, "My homegirl Melissa has been consistently blowing everyone out of the water and Stephanie is my sleeper pick who quietly progresses with each challenge and brings it all together in the end #topchef." 

The final leg of the competition will be held in Tuscany, Italy, where five chefs — Melissa, Stephanie Cmar, Bryan Voltaggio, Kevin Gillespie and Gregory — will fight it out to win the coveted title and of course a cash prize, which will help them and their restaurants grow. 

Catch all the new episodes of 'Top Chef' on Bravo every Thursday.

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