Instagram Is Thrilled With Top Chef Canada's Guest Judge

America's longstanding "Top Chef" has a cousin in Canada, and Instagram has let on that a familiar face will visit the Canadian series as a guest judge. Canada is among 15 other international destinations to host a version of "Top Chef," and according to a 2011 article from the Toronto Sun, the show's success in the country was beyond expectations from the very beginning (via Web Archive).

Airing on Food Network, the show is currently in its 10th season with its longest-serving cast member, head judge Mark McEwan, accompanied by Janet Zuccarini, Mijune Pak, Chris Nuttall-Smith, and a more recent addition to the cast, food scientist and new judge David Zilber. Host Eden Grinshpan fills the shoes of Padma Lakshmi in the Canadian version of the television cook-off. Another parallel between American and Canadian "Top Chef" is that a guest judge arrives on the scene every so often, and this time, an illustrious food industry veteran will pay a visit to the set of "Top Chef" Canada.

It does not take a cooking show connoisseur to know who Gail Simmons is. Among her numerous contributions to food media, she is probably best known for her role on the U.S. iteration of "Top Chef" — and justifiably so, as she has been on the show even longer than its iconic host Padma Lakshmi. Less known of Simmons, though, is the fact that she hails from Toronto, Canada, per Food & Wine.

This week, Simmons posted a spoiler for food TV audiences on Instagram, writing, "As you can imagine, I was pretty stoked to return to my homeland for tonight's episode of 'Top Chef Canada.'" It would not be the first time she filled a seat for Food Network's cooking show; she also appeared in an episode of the series' premiere season in 2011, per Toronto Life.

"So great to have you, you need to come back!" "Top Chef" judge Janet Zuccarini commented on the Simmons' post. "Hopefully not the last time I get to sit on a judge's panel with you!!" new judge David Zilber chimed in. From the fan department, more than 3,000 likes and the words "can't wait to watch tonight" summed up the feeling of appreciation in the comments thread.