The Top Chef kitchen only got hotter when Southern Charm’s Craig Conover and Madison LeCroy stopped by as guest judges during Season 23, Episode 7. Craig spoke with BravoTV.com exclusively about the “awesome” experience he got to share with his friend of 15 years.
Though Craig admitted he got “butterflies” and Madison felt “a little nervous” before stepping on set, they both felt lucky to be a part of the action. “I remember standing behind the desk with [Madison] during a break or something, and I was like, ‘How cool is this, Madison?’” Craig recalled. “We’re judges on Top Chef—this is really neat.”
For Craig, the opportunity gave him a new appreciation for one of his favorite pastimes. “To see how incredible those chefs are—and I grew up watching cooking shows—so I’ve always been curious how it works,” he shared. “And it’s exactly what you see on TV.”
Once cameras started rolling, the Southern Charm-ers were seasoned pros. As host Kristen Kish announced the pair as guest judges, Craig revealed a twist to the competition. “We’re honored to be here with y’all, and here in the Carolinas, we’re all about southern hospitality,” Craig said during the April 20 episode. “So who would we be to not show up with a gift?”
The gift turned out to be Cracker Barrel restaurant’s famous peg game, which Madison pointed out was a “staple” at the southern cooking spot. The cheftestants used the pegs to choose their teams, and later whipped up new menu items for Cracker Barrel as part of the competition.
Craig deemed cheftestant Oscar Diaz’s breakfast as his “favorite” of the competition. “Cracker Barrel prides itself on its crispy pancakes. You just nailed it. It was really, really great,” Craig said of the pan de elote with berries, maple, and piloncillo.
Craig Conover and Kristen Kish detail their new friendship
Craig revealed another bonus to becoming a Top Chef guest judge: “I got to become really close with [host] Kristen Kish. That was something really great that I took away from it.” He later added that the two now “stay in contact.”
For Kristen, the experience was equally rewarding. “I love a natural crossover. That is the first time…I met [Craig and Madison], and since then, I’ve seen them so many places,” she shared. “Having guest judges is really important on Top Chef. It offers another perspective. It adds to the conversation. It gives us a different way of thinking or talking about food.”
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She continued, “It’s always really fun and exciting to have non-food people on the show, because it does offer a different perspective.”
At the Top Chef Season 23 premiere party in Charlotte on March 2, new friends Craig and Kristen posed for photos together. Also on the guest list: Southern Charm-ers Shep Rose and Austen Kroll, alongside Southern Hospitality Season 4 cast members Michols Peña, Maddi Reese, and Joe Bradley.
Craig Conover shares an update on his life today
When Craig’s not busy tasting on Top Chef creations, he’s busy working on his “dreams”. In addition to running his home goods business, Sewing Down South, he also launched his own TV production company, Plaid Horse Productions, after filming for Southern Charm Season 11 wrapped.
“After spending over a decade in front of the camera, it feels awesome to be stepping behind the scenes and getting involved from day one—helping shape the vision, build out the programming, and connect with the right people,” he shared in an announcement in September 2025. “Being part of something from the ground up like this is really exciting, and honestly, I couldn’t ask for a better team to bring Plaid Horse Productions to life.”
On April 5, Craig revealed a peek into his production company when he posted a series of photos and videos on his Instagram of a trip to Los Angeles. The photos included an “original screenplay” that he was reading on the airplane. “Head down, dreams loading,” he captioned the post.
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Craig shared more about his new production company—which focuses on producing unscripted series, competition shows, and social experiments—with GQ. “I love the production side. I love making television and sharing my life with people. I just don’t want this to be my only thing. After 12 years, there are more stories to be told,” he said.
ICYMI, Andy Cohen recently revealed more on his “chaotic” night out with Craig, Shep, Austen, and John Mayer.
-Reporting by Stephanie Gormulka
