When chefs get chosen to compete in a season of Hell’s Kitchen, they have to be overjoyed. After all, they are going to get to cook with Gordon Ramsay, a chef who has prepared food for world leaders and who set a record when he appeared on Hot Ones.
Even though Gordon’s daughter has been praised for being kind when she judges other people’s food, Hell’s Kitchen’s chefs are often made to look like fools. According to two former Hell’s Kitchen chefs, that is because the show’s producers set them up to look awful.
Hell’s Kitchen’s Past Chefs Claim The Show’s Producers Set Them Up To Look Bad
When fans tune in to watch a season of Hell’s Kitchen, it can be baffling to see how the show’s competing chefs behave some of the time. After all, Hell’s Kitchen fans can sometimes see the show’s chefs doing things they never would have expected.
However, based on what some of the show’s former chefs have claimed, things aren’t as they seem on TV. In fact, the chefs claimed that the people who compete on Hell’s Kitchen are manipulated into doing things they ordinarily wouldn’t.
In January 2015, The New York Post published an article about what it is really like to compete in reality shows. That article quoted Hell’s Kitchen’s former competitors, Tek Moore and Jen Yemola, talking about how the show’s producers mess with the chefs.
In Jen’s case, she claimed that after initially feeling excited about competing in Hell’s Kitchen, she quickly figured out things weren’t what they seemed to be.
For example, Jen told the outlet there were double-sided mirrors with secret camera crews the chefs weren’t told about. On top of that, Jen claimed there was a hidden kitchen that was a “mystery” to the chefs.
Jen went on to tell the outlet that the Hell’s Kitchen’s chefs began to realize the show’s producers were working against them. However, that didn’t mean they could do anything about it, since Jen claimed a chef who complained about their treatment was shown the door.
“One of my castmates said, in his confessional, ‘I know what you’re doing to me. I know this is rigged.’ And they axed him.'”
While talking to The New York Post, Tek Moore described another way that she says producers would mess with the chefs. In this case, Tek’s complaint was very telling since it would explain why the chefs make so many mistakes in the kitchen if her claim is true.
While talking to The New York Post, Tek claimed that Hell’s Kitchen producers would switch out ingredients. A chef using the wrong ingredient was a great way to set Gordon up to yell at them, of course.
“Production would come in and mess with ingredients, swap out your salt and sugar — so people would look like complete f*****g a******s.”
Tek went on to explain why some Hell’s Kitchen chefs look like they don’t have the best hygiene. According to Tek, Hell’s Kitchen producers mess with the chefs by not giving the chefs enough showers to stay clean.
“And it was just an unhealthy environment. There were two toilets — like, public stalls — for 16 people. There were three showers with inadequate water heating. I used to watch the show and wonder, ‘Why are all these cooks sitting around in their dirty clothes?’ That’s why.'”
Also during her conversation with The New York Post, Jen Yemola stated that the show’s chefs weren’t given much sleep or food. On top of that, Jen claimed that her season’s cast wasn’t given any emotional support behind the scenes.
According to Jen, that combination led to her feeling out of control, which influenced her infamous decision to cook pasta from the garbage. Jen also explained how much she regretted cooking that pasta. Still, Jen claims the show didn’t give her any emotional support, which left her feeling like a wreck after she went home.
“I was just sick about it. I tried to talk to them about it. I was like, ‘This is my career, this is everything I’ve worked for. My life is over.’ They never sent anyone to talk to me. I didn’t get my period for six weeks after I left. My doctor said it was stress.'”
Hell’s Kitchen Chefs Reportedly Have One Way To Mess Back With The Show’s Producers
When people sign up to star in a reality show, they know that they will be giving up their privacy throughout the filming process. Still, based on Tek Moore and Jen Yemola’s comments to The New York Post, filming Hell’s Kitchen is a lot worse than fans realize.
With Hell’s Kitchen’s producers messing with them, it would make sense if the show’s producers felt powerless to fight back.
However, according to a Mashed article that was updated in December 2023, Hell’s Kitchen chefs can do one thing to mess with the producers and get privacy for a moment.
One of the most expensive aspects of producing some TV shows is getting the rights to play certain songs. According to Mashed, Hell’s Kitchen’s chefs can use that to their advantage since a show has to pay even if someone on a show hums or sings a song.
As a result, Mashed reported that chefs who need a moment of privacy can hum or sing a well-known song. If they do that, Hell’s Kitchen’s producers won’t be able to use that footage since they won’t want to pay to license the song.