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Which Top Chef Competitor Is a Total Douche?

Get the scoop on last night's Singapore elimination challenge. Did the judges make the right decision?

By Marc Malkin Sep 09, 2010 7:09 PMTags
Top ChefJustin Stephens/Bravo

Ed Cotton said it himself on last night's Top Chef: He can be a real douchebag.

His fellow cheftestant Kelly Liken agrees. "He could be a little bit of a douchebag," she told me earlier today from Vail, Colorado, where she owns a restaurant with her husband. "But he's not a jerk."

Oh, really? Even though he secretly prepared two dishes for last night's team elimination challenge after he and the other Singapore finalists agreed to only one dish each?

Read on for our exclusive weekly Top Chef chat to find out what Liken thinks about Ed's sneaky move, Angelo Sosa's crying and the one booted contestant she was really missing in Singapore...

You really broke down last night when you were sent home. How hard was it?
I was sad, of course. You make it that far and you work that hard, it's disappointing. But it was anybody's ballgame last night. I have to be proud of what I did and what I accomplished and the food I cooked last night.

It seems even harder because when it gets to this point, because it gets down to things like a pinch of salt here or a little pepper there.
Somebody has to go home. But I have to tell you it would have been much easier to swallow if I know I messed up. You know, if I overcooked something I'd be like, "I made a mistake today so it's my turn to go." But it's more difficult when you know it's so hard for the judges in their deliberations and so hard for them to choose.

Everyone was surprised that Tiffany was sent home last week. Were you?
Yes! She's an amazing chef...She's fun, she's a great friend and she brings out the best in me. It would have been so much fun for me and her to be in Singapore together competing against each other.

Was Angelo crying last night because he was so sad to see you go or were they tears of joy because he was the one who made it through?
I think the tears started because he thought he was going home. If you noticed, he sort of welled up before they announced anything. But in the end, I think it was probably a combination of both. He was sad I was going but incredibly relieved he wasn't.

Ok, now Ed. I have to say I was really surprised by his douchery. Were you?
You know, he's really sarcastic. He's funny. He can think on his toes in terms of his wit...He's just kind of sarcastic and outspoken and for the most part, it's awesome because it lightens the mood. But every now and again he goes too far and somebody gets pissed off.

Do you think the judges should have considered the fact that he prepared two dishes? You were supposed to be working as a team.
At the end of the day we were told so many times, "You are being judged by the food in front of me right this minute and nothing else." Those are the rules.

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Should Top Chef's Ed Cotton be added to our What a Douche photo gallery?