“What happened between Michel Sarran and me was very strong,” says Pierre.

He touched the semi-final with his finger but failed to stay in the kitchens of Top chef. After being eliminated for the first time from the competition at the end of the fourth week, Pierre Chomet bade farewell to his comrades and to the brigade leaders this Wednesday evening. His departure was in tears, especially on the side of Michel Sarran, who did not manage to hide his emotion. “Today, I’m not saying that we call each other every day but we send each other messages, we call each other and I would like to go see him this summer in Toulouse”, explains the eliminated candidate at 20 minutes.

How did you experience your elimination at the gates of the semi-final?

I experienced it much better than the first one. It would be a lie to say that I did not want to go any further. I’m happy because I was able to come back into the competition and show what I knew how to do, compared to the first time it got shortened quickly. In the end, a little disappointed but very happy with the last eight weeks of competition because I did my cooking and I had a great time.

How did the faint hope event go?

Frankly, it was hot. I was running everywhere because it goes super fast. A little stressed because you think this might be the last time you cook in Top chef. I tried to make a bite, a little centrifuged juice that I made myself every morning in Thailand. This is what I tried to do again for Stéphanie Le Quellec. The moment I hear Momo ask me for nitrogen, I tell myself that he won because he was going to have me on the temperature differences. I told myself that it was well played on his part because it was going to make a big difference.

When you leave, Michel Sarran bursts into tears. Why was he so affected?

Frankly, what happened with Michel Sarran for eight weeks was just magical. It was great. It was more than a brigade coach of Top chef. The fact that I am returning to the competition, that I am all alone, that brought us closer and united us. I have never been a chef in my life, only a sous-chef and that’s what I felt on the set. I was with my boss, we were having fun, we were laughing. What happened between us was very strong. Today, I’m not saying that we call each other every day but we send each other messages, we call each other and I would like to go and see him this summer in Toulouse. At the end, I felt him touched and to see him moved, it moves me.

What seems crazy is that he looks more touched than you!

He believed in it, he really wanted to send me to the final. A bond was created between us because I was alone for eight weeks on all the events. He believed in me and I believed in him. He was a bit of a good boy, boyfriend-boyfriend and more of a father-son relationship than a candidate and his brigade leader.

By reaching the quarter-finals when you were knocked out for the first time, didn’t you suffer from impostor syndrome?

When I heard other candidates drool over me a bit, I was a little bitter. We all signed the same contract on October 1 before starting the contest where a clause said that there would be a return of the eliminated. Bruno and I had the chance to return to the competition, it was not us who decided that we were going to return to it, it was the chefs. Those who are not happy, I don’t give a fuck. These are the rules of the game, if people are not happy, all they have to do is go see the production or the four brigade leaders. I didn’t steal my seat, I didn’t cheat, I didn’t go to see anyone crying. When I returned to the contest, I told myself that I had nothing more to lose. I didn’t have the mentality to think about what people were going to think at all.

What did this second chance bring you?

I had personal victories because I was on my own so I had the chance to win things with dishes that I liked 100%. The stress, I tried to put it a little in my pocket even if it came back from time to time. I came back to this contest in “you have already been eliminated, you have the chance that we give you another chance so don’t make the same mistakes”. And in fact, it did because otherwise I don’t think I could have made it to the quarter-finals. I was happy with my return.

You had the status of darling with a large part of the public. Have you noticed this over the weeks?

I remained the same guy as in everyday life. I realized that the fourteen other candidates, the cameramen and the journalists were laughing at my bullshit. From there to what they do edits… It’s cool. In the first part of the show, I found that they didn’t show me messing around too much while I messed around like that on show 1. They only showed it when I got back. Why ? I do not know.

Could you ride the wave of notoriety and come up with a cooking show called “Tac tac, bang bang”?

I’d love to (laughs)! I’ve been told a lot that I look good on TV. I tell myself that if I am put on a show where I am really comfortable and 100% of my means, it can be seriously cool and very funny. It’s not me who has the cards in hand, there have been some discussions, we will see what happens but I would like to do a TV show, that’s clear.