Crime Scene Kitchen: Everything To Know About Judge Curtis Stone

Judge Curtis Stone has kept up a professional demeanor on Crime Scene Kitchen, even as the bakers suit up with gloves and investigate the mysterious desserts. Overall, Curtis finds ways to lavish praise in the case of baking disasters, and he is apologetic about having to cut contestants that somehow consistently guess the wrong dessert. At the same time, Curtis has fun watching how bakers interpret the clues, as well as how off-the-mark some of them can get.

On Crime Scene Kitchen, which is hosted by Joel McHale, judges Curtis Stone and Yolanda Gammb are the only ones who know what the mystery desserts are. Even Joel isn’t allowed to know what the dessert until after judging, though he’s always ready with a fork or spoon to dig into the meal. After the big reveal happens, Curtis and Yolanda highlight the clues that the contestants should have paid more attention to. The way that Curtis remains stonefaced while someone presents a lemon pie when the dessert was actually Bostom Cream Pie – actually a cake with creamy filling and nuts – is quite remarkable.

As a chef, Curtis Stone earned a Michelin star in 2019. Curtis grew up in Melbourne, and he fell in love with cooking due to his grandmother. At first, Curtis pursued a bachelor’s degree in business. When he switched careers, Curtis worked in Australian restaurants before traveling to London and debuting as a chef at the Savoy. People took notice as he completed his training. Curtis returned to Australia to start expanding his cooking expertise, but he was also hired in the UK to appear in multiple cooking programs. In 2006, TLC asked him to become the host of their show, Take Home Chef, which soon became a hit. This kickstarted his career as a reality TV chef in the US, as he frequently appeared on NBC and alternated as a host, a judge, and a contestant. For instance, some fans might have seen him on The Biggest Loser rather than on the Food Network, where he became a rising star during its early years. He was also on Celebrity Apprentice, but getting fired on that show is no shame considering the source.

Cooking isn’t Curtis’ only passion, as he also apparently also likes surfing. That inspired his first show, Surfing on the Menu, in 2003. Later, in 2005, he released a book with the same title. Fellow chef and show co-host Ben O’Donoghue recalls that one time they hit the waves. A rip current trapped Curtis and could have drowned him, but Ben saved his life. Ben jokingly said that it proved that Curtis is king on land, but Ben rules the seas.

Outside of appearing on Crime Scene Kitchen, Curtis also gives back to communities as much as he receives. He was made Ambassador of the Sea in 2011, an Australian nonprofit, and worked to raise money for children in need. The organization focuses on providing kids a happy childhood, no matter the circumstances, and helping them find fun, inspiration, and nurture. Ambassadors spearhead fundraising for Cottage By the Sea and raise awareness of the organization.

Curtis looked particularly amused when no one got a particularly hard clue on Crime Scene Kitchen, and outlined that a seemingly red herring could have netted them the win if they had thought to look at the name outside of a coffee cup instead of what was inside. Alas, not all of the clues rely on the food that may have gone unused or used within the kitchen – you have to know how to interpret seeming contradictions as well.