The latest episode of 24 in 24: Last Chef Standing may have completely changed the tone of Season 3.

What started as a high-energy endurance competition has now officially crossed into emotional survival territory after one of the season’s strongest chefs was unexpectedly eliminated in a controversial team showdown.

And fans are not taking it well.

The episode opened by resolving last week’s cliffhanger elimination battle. Two teams were forced into a final cook-off where only one dish from each duo would determine who stayed and who went home.

On one side:
Lee Anne Wong and Joe Isidori.

On the other:
Zac Young and Dawn Burrell.

The pressure could not have been higher. At this stage of the competition, the chefs were already visibly exhausted after hours of nonstop cooking, lack of sleep, and increasing mental fatigue. Fans had been calling Episode 5 “the collapse episode” even before it aired, and by the end of the elimination battle, that label felt completely justified.

Lee Anne and Joe presented a breakfast udon ramen dish that judges praised for being cohesive, comforting, and technically stable. While the concept itself sounded relatively simple compared to some of the season’s more ambitious creations, the execution reportedly stood out.

The judges felt the dish had stronger teamwork behind it and a clearer identity overall.

Meanwhile, Zac and Dawn served a chocolate chunk ice cream dessert with duck fat caramel — a bold sweet-and-savory concept that immediately sounded more experimental and modern. Many viewers initially thought the dish sounded more creative on paper.

But according to the judges, the dessert ultimately felt less substantial than its competitor, especially for such a critical elimination challenge.

What made the outcome especially controversial, however, was the fact that judges Brooke Williamson and Ayesha Nurdjaja appeared to genuinely enjoy both dishes.

This was not a case where one team completely failed.

Instead, the decision felt painfully close.

And that is exactly why the elimination has triggered such strong reactions online.

The biggest shock by far was the loss of Dawn Burrell.

Throughout Season 3, Dawn had consistently been viewed as one of the competition’s strongest chefs. Fans repeatedly praised her technical precision, calm demeanor under pressure, and ability to perform consistently even as the challenges became increasingly chaotic.

In fact, many viewers believed Dawn had one of the clearest “winner edits” of the season.

Production frequently spotlighted her performances, her emotional resilience, and her strategic composure during difficult shifts. By the midpoint of the competition, some fans were already predicting her as a guaranteed Top 3 finalist — if not the eventual champion.

That is why her elimination in a team-based challenge feels so devastating to many viewers.

Across social media, fans have argued that Dawn did not lose because she cooked poorly. Instead, many believe she became a victim of the format itself.

Season 3 has already faced criticism for relying too heavily on twists, partnerships, and team dependency rather than purely individual performance. This elimination only intensified that frustration.

One viral fan reaction summed up the discourse perfectly:

“Dawn lost because of the structure, not because of the food.”

At the same time, fans are also mourning the departure of Zac Young, whose comedic energy and entertaining personality helped balance the increasingly stressful atmosphere of the season.

Losing both Zac and Dawn simultaneously means the competition just lost:
one of its strongest technical chefs,
and one of its biggest entertainment personalities.

But perhaps the hardest part of the elimination was the emotional state of the contestants themselves.

By this point in the competition, the chefs were clearly running on fumes. Several appeared emotionally drained, physically exhausted, and dangerously close to breaking down on camera.

For many viewers, this episode marked the exact moment Season 3 stopped feeling fun and started feeling genuinely brutal.

And judging by the fandom reaction, everyone felt it.