The Hit Cooking Reality Competition Finale Dominated Its Daypart Completing Four Consecutive Weeks as the No. 1 Spanish-language Program in Its Timeslot
MIAMI, FL – October 21, 2026 – Monday night’s Top Chef VIP Season 5 finale led its daypart, delivering 449,000 adults 18-49 and 1.5 million total viewers, helping propel Telemundo to the No. 1 spot among Spanish-language television networks in primetime, averaging 403,000 adults 18-49 and 1.3 million total viewers. The hit cooking competition, which crowned Guty Carrera as its winner, showcased its winning recipe for success throughout the season, ranked as the No. 1 Spanish-language program in its timeslot for four consecutive weeks leading up to the finale, underscoring the strong momentum and audience engagement that carried the season through its final night.
According to Talkwalker Social Content Ratings, the Top Chef VIP finale ranked No. 1 in total interactions among all reality series on television and was the No. 1 Spanish-language reality show across Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube. The finale generated 264,000 total interactions and 2.4 million video views, reflecting strong fan engagement across social platforms.
Hosted by Carmen Villalobos, the finale capped off months of intense culinary competition as finalists Ninel Conde, Kelly Ríos, Lupillo Rivera, and Guty Carrera battled for the coveted title. Following the final evaluation by renowned chefs Antonio “Toño” de Livier, Inés Páez “Chef Tita,” and Betty Vázquez, Guty Carrera was crowned the winner of Top Chef VIP Season 5, taking home the $200,000 grand prize.
Fans can relive the best moments of Top Chef VIP through the Telemundo app, available on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store, or on Peacock. They can also visit Telemundo.com/TopChefVIP and the @TelemundoEntretenimiento YouTube channel for additional content from the competition. Audiences can also join the conversation using #TopChefVIP5 on Instagram, Facebook, TikTokand X via @TelemundoRealities.
Top Chef VIP was a RCN production for Telemundo based on NBCUniversal Formats’ Top Chef franchise, under the supervision of Adrián Santucho, Senior Vice President of Non-Scripted Content, alongside Pancho Calvo, Vice President of Unscripted Content, with Luciano Cardinali as Executive Producer.
Sources: Nielsen Big Data + Panel, LSD, 9/21/26–10/19/26. Talkwalker Social Content Ratings (SCR), linear measurement for live/new total-day programs, 10/19/26. Competitive claims across all of television include broadcast and national cable networks. Rankings are based on same-day 24/7 measurement.
About NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises:
NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises leads the media industry in the production and distribution of Spanish-language content for U.S. Hispanics and audiences around the world. The company serves U.S. Hispanics through its national broadcast network, the cable network Universo, and digital platforms including the Telemundo app, a suite of FAST channels, and streaming services, such as Peacock, among others. The Telemundo Network offers Spanish-language entertainment, news, and sports content reaching 95% of U.S. Hispanic TV households in 210 markets through 30 owned stations and 91 affiliate stations. Telemundo also owns an independent station serving Puerto Rico. Anchored on Telemundo Studios, the network is the #1 producer of scripted Spanish-language content in the U.S., and the only network to produce original content specifically for US Hispanic audiences. Offering over 600 hours of reality TV shows a year, and top-rated live specials such as the Billboard Latin Music Awards and Miss Universe, Telemundo is considered the undisputed Home of Live TV in Hispanic media. The network is also the exclusive Spanish-language home of the world’s two most popular sporting events, the FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games. NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises is a division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.
Press contact:
Gerardo Oyola
Director, Alternative Programming Publicity
gerardo.oyola@nbcuni.com
