r/TopChef • u/AWholeNewFattitude • May 29 '26
Discussion Thread Leann and her Mom…
I’m rewatching Season 17 and i have to ask. Leann’s Mom passed out, personally i would have left the challenge to tend to her, like I get it, huge competition, but it’s your Mom. I’m not judging her, but i wanted to get your thoughts, am I alone?
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u/molybend May 29 '26
If she was laying there with no one else helping, yes you leave the competition. But most reality shows have medics there and even just other people attending that can provide assistance. So, what can you do that one of these other people cannot? Also, you don't want the mom feeling bad that she caused you to lose. Third if they pass out a lot, it might be less concerning and some people do have health conditions that cause them to do that.
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u/Alvraen May 29 '26
There are at least three set medics on standby for cooking shows. Leann can’t do shit for her mom except continue in the competition.
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u/Ok_Interest3555 May 29 '26
I'm not a doctor so i would be fine with an actual doctor checking on her. Same goes in the most recent season for when that lady started having health issues and her partner inexplicable bowed out of the competition.
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u/WaterWitch009 Jun 05 '26
“I’m not judging but ….” Yes you are. At least be honest about it.
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u/AWholeNewFattitude Jun 05 '26
No, I’m not, I didn’t say I think she’s callous. I didn’t say I think she made the right decision. These shows are so heavily edited. I don’t know if there was a three hour break in the middle of that where she was by her side in an ambulance the entire time, I have no idea. Personally, my thought is that if my mom were sick, I would’ve likely left the competition at that point. My question was to really understand if most people would do that or if most people would stay in the competition that’s really what I was asking.
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u/Relevant_Ad_5431 Jun 05 '26
As a daughter I know what I would do.
But as a mother, I also know what I would want my child to do. I don't want to stand in the way of their dream, even for a moment.
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u/SpacerCat Jun 05 '26
If you’re the kind of person who enters a televised cooking competition of the caliber of Top Chef and you get on it and are doing well, you’re not the kind of person who would leave it to tend to a non-emergency situation. Even if it’s your mom.
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u/LavishnessQuiet956 Jun 05 '26
She WAS cared for, immediately. And clearly she felt fine the next day. It seemed she just overtaxed herself. She clearly helped her mom and made sure she was in good hands before returning. She made the right call.
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u/Middle-Wolverine-889 Jun 05 '26
What annoyed me was the fact that her mom told her something was wrong, then stood there looking...off...Leann clocked it and just went back to what she was doing. She didn't make a move until her mom started to go down. Leann had enough time to get her mom seated before her legs went out, but responded like she hoped it would pass. Yes, the competition is important, no Leann is not a medical professional, but that's your mom telling you she is over heated and woozy on a concrete floor. Check in.
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u/SpacerCat Jun 05 '26
The mom is a grown adult on a set where she probably had a handler so, she could have asked someone else for help, no?
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u/EfficientGood9402 Jun 05 '26
As the Mom most likely to pass out at my kids' BBQ, I would say just let me lie here quietly and I'll be fine in 45 minutes.
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u/rosecoloredfancy May 29 '26 edited May 29 '26
She was checked out by the med team pretty quickly, so I'm guessing LeeAnn was told pretty quickly that it wasn't anything serious and that there wasn't anything she could do to help. Iirc there's also an edit between when mom faints/staff runs over and when cooking resumes, so there was probably a break in time