A lot of people are turned off by Gordon Ramsay, but I like him. Sure, he screams at people in the kitchen, but it’s sort of what he knows. It’s the boot camp approach, and it’s what he went through himself. More importantly, he’s a hell of a nice guy when you aren’t cooking for him, and a lot of what he does is because he’s quite seriously trying to help people. If you’ve seen Kitchen Nightmares, you know that there are a lot of families and restaurants that would have been sunk if not for him and/or the show. He may call you a donkey, but one of these donkeys is winning a prize that could well set them up for life.
HELL'S KITCHEN: Chef Gordon Ramsay turns up the heat in Season 6 of HELL'S KITCHEN premiering Tuesday, July 21 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2009 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Brian Bowen Smith/FOX
Season 6 of Hell’s Kitchen starts off with the craziest circumstances yet, the wildest bunch of contestants, and probably the best prize. This year, the winner will become head chef at Araxi Restaurant in Canada, just in time to greet the Olympics. A cash prize is great, but setting you up for a great career is rather preferable in my book.
The crew this time around is even more varied than normal, and they don’t make it through the traditional “signature dish” beginning without displaying some truly odd ideas about becoming the next great chef. We also quickly discover that there is more than one person who is confusing just in the fact that they showed up. Whether they don’t seem to have any respect for Ramsay, look to be a new Lacey in the making, or just act like Francis “Psycho” Soyer from Stripes, there are a few people who slipped through the screening process.
Now if you’re skeptical like me, you’ll be thinking that they didn’t slip through, but were picked especially for their “specialness.” Ramsay actually has an interview where he talks about this season, and mentions that people often criticize the fact that the contestants don’t quite seem to have a lot of ability. His response is that he doesn’t care if they’ve been to culinary school or such, he just wants them to have the love and the palate. He’s got a chance to fulfill someone’s dream, and it doesn’t matter what their resume says, what matters is if they actually prove themselves.
I have to give him that in the end, because I’ve already seen one chef on Top Chef Masters who never had any formal training, and if that show can have people without credentials (sort of), why can’t Ramsay pick a few nuts and give them a shot?
There’s also a surprise guest during the premiere, and though I can’t divulge, I think the whole idea really says a lot for how cool Ramsay really is.
Brian Bowen Smith/FOX
There’s nothing normal about the entry into this season, apart from a lot of yelling, and there are surprises, twists, and throwdowns flying around from all sides. Even our lovable, Belgian Jean Philippe gets caught in the crossfire. Seriously, how do you piss off Jean Philippe? But, nothing will prepare you (well, except for several displays of odd attitude) for the most bizarre showdown Ramsay has ever faced. The clip below will give you a quick taste of the alarming turn a pretty simple question can take.
All the burners are on this season, although at one point they aren’t… again, and things are definitely set to boil. And, in case you’re wondering, yes, the first service is once again the worst thing Ramsay has ever seen.
You’ve really got to set your Tivo for this one, and you can click here to do so Hell’s Kitchen on Tivo. We’re starting off with what is definitely the wildest premiere, and the next week follow-up is certainly not going to let up.
Below find a clip and some info from the press release.
Are You Screening?
Tuesday nights will sizzle this summer when Chef Gordon Ramsay welcomes the nation’s most talented and trained chefs yet to a sixth course of his unscripted series HELL’S KITCHEN. The cutthroat competition begins with a two-hour season premiere Tuesday, July 21 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX and makes its time period premiere the following week Tuesday, July 28 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT).
Each week Ramsay grills the ambitious hopefuls, putting them through rigorous culinary challenges and testing them to see who can handle the pressure of a fast-paced kitchen where only the skilled survive. In each episode, Ramsay will eliminate one chef while the rest remain to fillet their way toward the grand prize of a Head Chef position at Araxi Restaurant in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. Established in 1981, Araxi continues to raise the culinary bar in Whistler. The winning contestant will have the added privilege of joining executive chef James Walt in welcoming the world during the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
On the two-hour season premiere, Chef Ramsay wastes no time and sends the 16 chefs to the kitchen to create their signature dishes. Unlike past seasons, the signature dish challenge becomes a team challenge, pitting the men against the women. After the signature dishes of each team are presented to Gordon, one team will receive a coveted special prize, while the others will experience the agony of losing in Gordon’s kitchen. Don’t miss when an aspiring chef goes head-to-head with Chef Ramsay for the first time ever in the most explosive, most outrageous and most intense elimination round ever seen on HELL’S KITCHEN.
The 16 HELL’S KITCHEN chefs are:
The Red Team:
Name: Amanda
Age: 27
Occupation: Sous Chef
Currently Resides: New York, NY
Hometown: Vancouver, WA
Name: Ariel
Age: 27
Occupation: Sous Chef
Currently Resides: Los Angeles, CA
Hometown: Santa Cruz, CA
Name: Lovely
Age: 23
Occupation: Children’s Camp Executive Chef
Currently Resides: Chicago, IL
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Name: Melinda
Age: 38
Occupation: Private Chef
Currently Resides: Philadelphia, PA
Hometown: Chadd Fords, PA
Name: Sabrina
Age: 34
Occupation: Restaurant Manager
Currently Resides: Phoenix, AZ
Hometown: New Caney, TX
Name: Suzanne
Age: 24
Occupation: Sous Chef
Currently Resides: Las Vegas, NV
Hometown: Milwaukee, WI
Name: Tek
Age: 27
Occupation: Line Cook
Currently Resides: New York, NY
Hometown: Greenwich, CT
Name: Tennille
Age: 28
Occupation: Executive Chef
Currently Resides: Fairfax, VA
Hometown: Hampton Roads, VA
The Blue Team:
Name: Andy
Age: 39
Occupation: Executive Chef
Currently Resides: Boston, MA
Hometown: Seattle, WA
Name: Dave
Age: 32
Occupation: Executive Chef
Currently Resides: San Diego, CA
Hometown: Chester, NJ
Name: Jim
Age: 34
Occupation: Sous Chef
Currently Resides: Nashua, NH
Hometown: Mendham, NJ
Name: Joseph
Age: 27
Occupation: Sous Chef
Currently Resides: Massapequa Park, NY
Hometown: Massapequa Park, NY
Name: Kevin
Age: 35
Occupation: Executive Chef
Currently Resides: Middleton, CT
Hometown: Plymouth, MA
Name: Louie
Age: 45
Occupation: Diner Owner
Currently Resides: Fitchburg, MA
Hometown: Fitchburg, MA
Name: Tony
Age: 30
Occupation: Culinary Store Manager
Currently Resides: Chicago, IL
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Name: Van
Age: 26
Occupation: Fish Cook
Currently Resides: Dallas, TX
Hometown: Buford, GA
HELL’S KITCHEN is produced by ITV Studios (formerly Granada America) in association with A. Smith & Co. Arthur Smith and Kent Weed serve as executive producers.
Araxi Restaurant in Whistler, British Columbia is firmly established as one of Canada’s finest restaurants. Located at the base of the spectacular Whistler and Blackcomb peaks and between the bountiful Pacific Ocean and the fertile Pemberton Valley, Araxi Restaurant’s combination of breathtaking natural setting and local ingredients is unsurpassed. Since opening in 1981, Araxi has changed the face of dining at the mountain, supporting Whistler’s long-standing reputation as North America’s top ski resort.
