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     Season 13 

La Tasha McCutchen

"Mama didn't raise no fool!"
Occupation: Kitchen Supervisor
Age: 33
Hometown: Winter Haven, FL
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hk_latasha.jpg

  • Bifauxnen: Whenever the red team goes out to dinner for rewards, she's always dressed in a pantsuit.
  • Book Dumb: "I don't know what 'lacks-a-daisical' is, but when I find out, I'm gonna make sure to never be it again." note 
  • Deadpan Snarker: She had her moments of this.
  • Epic Fail: Was an amazing chef throughout the competition... except for her signature dish, which was just a piece of grilled watermelon that was underwhelming! It just goes to show that the signature dishes aren't necessarily indicative of how well a chef will perform.
  • Flawless Victory: On the way to victory she was never nominated for elimination, and only had two services that could even vaguely be described as sub-standard. In all, there was rarely any point this season where it looked like anyone else would win (Jennifer was the only one in a similar league in terms of consistency, but flopped when it came to running the pass).
  • The Leader: Takes up this mantle for the red team in episode 8, and is probably the reason they did as well as they did in that episode.
  • Nice Girl: Always maintained a positive attitude, and was extremely respectful and cordial towards other chefs, both during and outside of service. When discussing nominations, she would keep things objective and never made it personal. That's not to say she never badmouthed others, but she at least strictly kept it confined to the Confession Cam.
  • Ninja: Sade calls her one in episode 14 when she spends the entire service jumping from station to station and doing everything perfectly.
    Sade: Tash is on fire tonight. She's like a kitchen ninja.
  • One Degree of Separation: Worked for season 5's Paula for some time, reported outside the show.
  • The Pollyanna: Not to the extent of Sterling, but she always focuses on keeping a positive attitude and has never really lost her temper or cussed.
Placement: Winner
La Tasha's Winner Comment - "Oh, my gosh! I won! I'm pinching myself, I'm slapping myself, Is this really happening? If I'm dreaming, please don't wake me up. This is the most incredible feeling of my life, and having my parents there, sharing that with me, priceless."
Ramsay's Winner Comment - "La Tasha has all the right ingredients to be a great chef: she's creative, a strong leader, has great attention to detail and has an outstanding palate. But the thing I love most about La Tasha is her determination. I know that she's ready for the challenge of being my next head chef in Atlantic City, and I couldn't be happier."

Bryant Gallaher

"We're all ups and downs, cause I'm dominant more than you, that's why I'm standing."
Occupation: Lead Line Cook
Age: 29
Hometown: Virginia Beach, VA
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hk_bryant.jpg

  • Batman Gambit: When he was stuck with Frank for his final pick, he tried to work his menu around to make sure Frank couldn't mess it up. Frank would still mess it up, and it forced Bryant to kick him out of service.
  • Deadpan Snarker
  • Get Out!: Does this to Frank after he kept screwing up, even after he made his menu "Frank-proof".
  • Graceful Loser: Sort of, in the finale; while he takes the loss harder than most runner-ups, he eventually gets over it after receiving some encouraging words from his wife and Chef Ramsay, and admits that he's happy for La Tasha.
  • Hair-Trigger Temper: The most tempermental of the blue team, and even got the nickname "volcano" because of it.
  • Hot-Blooded: Santos said in a confessional that he's like a volcano, because "you never know when he's gonna go off".
  • Informed Flaw: Like Sterling, he was referred to as being "dead weight" in episode 4 and was targeted by other members of his team, but he really was nowhere near one of the worst members of the Blue Team and he managed to outplace all 3 of the people who targeted him, who, in reality, had struggled with consistency themselves.
  • The One Guy: Ended up becoming this after Santos's elimination in the first black jacket episode. Interestingly enough, the men had outnumbered the women for most of the season and it wasn't until the two episodes before black jackets there started to be fewer men than women.
  • The Perfectionist: Expresses the opinion that everything about a dish has to be perfect.
  • Pretty Fly for a White Guy: Delves into this at times, especially when he gets angry.
  • Sore Loser: Does not like losing challenges. He is seen quite often in the confession cams complaining about other contestants' dishes. (A few times in particular with La Tasha in the finale.)
    • His dish loses the reward challenge of episode 9 against La Tasha's dish, and he refuses to acknowledge his defeat even while Chef Ramsay explains why he lost, and when Ramsay has everyone taste Sade's dish (which they refused to in the challenge) and saying it was better than Bryant's, Bryant insisted it was "salty".
  • Took a Level in Kindness: In episode 12, he admitted that he'd had fun hanging out with Sade and Santos, and was reluctant to nominate anyone at all. He took another level in the second-to-last episode; he's a completely different person around his wife and adorable baby daughter. It carried through into the final episode, when he treated his team well; even when he threw Frank out of the kitchen mid-service, he remained relatively nice when he did so.
  • Worthy Opponent: After butting heads the entire season, he and Sade came to regard the other as this, with a bit of Vitriolic Best Buds thrown in.
Placement: 2nd
Bryant's Runner-Up Comment - "I worked so hard. I just couldn't come away with that win, but La Tasha, congratulations. You obviously deserve it."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - No comment.

Sade Dancy

"I hate losing. This is my sixth loss in a row, maybe even my seventh, I've lost count!"
Occupation: Lead Line Cook
Age: 25
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hk_sade.jpg

  • Achilles' Heel: As strong of a competitor as she was overall, her inexperience became glaringly obvious in the second-last service, as she came across like a whiny, angsty teenager while trying to get Jennifer to cook the meat correctly. Aside from that she ran the kitchen as well as La Tasha and Bryant did, but it was enough to keep her from reaching the finale.
  • Crazy Enough to Work: Her seared ahi tuna with napa cabbage sauteed with passion fruit in Episode 12's amuse bouche challenge. Everyone was immediately skeptical of the dish, saying that cabbage and passion fruit were two things that didn't go together. To the amazement of both Gordon and to guest judge, Tanya Steel, it was delicious and it easily won the challenge for her team.
  • Epic Fail: In episode 8, the teams were tasked with preparing dishes for a dog show the following night in HK, and Sade decided to make small, diced cubes of New York Strip steak, evidently under the impression that they were cooking food for the dogs. Her reaction when she presented her dish alongside her teammates' human-portioned dishes said it all:
  • Graceful Loser: She takes being eliminated pretty well, stating that she's proud to have made it so far in the competition.
  • No Indoor Voice: Has a very loud voice when she tries to lead the women in Episode 6, to the extent it was distracting her other teammates.
  • Sore Loser: She hates losing challenges, and in episode 10 she is unnecessarily bossy to her team. When her teammates call her out on it, she walks away.
  • Take That!: In episode 9, the other members of the blue team refuse to even taste her dish for the reward challenge, putting up Bryant's dish, which loses the challenge. Ramsay considers Sade's dish better and has everyone taste it, to which Bryant instantly comments that it's "salty", to which Sade responds, "Well, it was better than yours, apparently".
  • Worthy Opponent: After butting heads the entire season, she and Bryant have come to regard the other as this, with a bit of Vitriolic Best Buds thrown in.
Placement: 3rd
Sade's Elimination Comment - "It sucks to be eliminated, especially when you think that you're doing so well. This was not an easy journey, but I still feel like I remained true to myself. I did well in challenges. I made it to the black team. As much as I wanted to win, making it this far, I couldn't have asked for more."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - No comment.

Jennifer Salhoff

"I'm not going to change who I am and fucking sugarcoat everything for everybody to make them feel warm and fuzzy inside."
Occupation: Private Chef
Age: 33
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hk_jennifer_s13.jpg

  • Boyish Short Hair: Sports this as having the second shortest hair of the women that season. Only La Tashas hair is shorter.
  • Brutal Honesty: Does not mince her words at all. Hence her quote above.
  • Cuteness Proximity: The cussing, icy chef disappears as soon as she sees the dogs in episode 8.
  • Deadpan Snarker: As seen here:
    Denine: What's that?
    Jennifer: This is the garnish station.
  • Defrosting Ice Queen: Started out overly hostile, but she's slowly became friendlier and more relaxed to her fellow chefs on the red team (with the exception of Roe).
  • Determinator: Sent to the hospital for dehydration? She bounces back at the beginning of the next episode. Sent to the hospital again for an allergic reaction? She shows up the next day and owns the meat station.
  • Epic Fail: Got a 0 out of 4 on the blind taste test.
  • Non-Gameplay Elimination: While she ultimatley did make it to the black jackets, she nearly fell victim to this twice, first being sent hospital for dehydration, but returned later that evening. The second time, before the 12th service, she got sent to the hospital due to her allergy to coconuts, but retruned the following day.
  • Lady Swears-a-Lot: In the kitchen, she's no worse than most of the other chefs, but in the Confession Cam segments... let's just say that she probably dropped more Cluster F Bombs in the second episode alone than Chef Ramsay himself did in the entire first season.
    • By episode 7, it has gotten to the point where she can barely say a single sentence without being bleeped out at least once.
  • The Rival: To Roe; Jennifer can't stand her inconsistency and surviving several nominations.
    Jennifer: Really, I just want to punch her in the face.
Placement: 4th
Jennifer's Elimination Comment - "I wouldn't have come here if I didn't think I was winning this. I'm more determined and passionate than anybody else. This was not supposed to be the end."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - No comment.

Rosanne "Roe" DiLeo

Also Season 18 (Rookies VS Veterans)
"It's going to be a long day. Princess Perfect Jennifer is going to be unbearable."
Occupation: Head Chef
Age: 33
Hometown: Dallas, TX
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hk_roe_s13.jpg

  • Epic Fail: Got a 4 out of 15 in episode 6's challenge, which singlehandedly cost the women the challenge. To contrast, the next worst dish was a nine out of fifteen.
  • Every Service She Fizzles Out: As the only head chef out of this year's women (the others being line cooks or sous chefs at most), her team-mates have often looked to her for leadership. Aside from the first service and the occasional good challenge performance, however, she generally didn't deliver, which Jennifer called her out on when Roe tried to nominate her during episode 6. Roe did improve somewhat in the latter stages of the red/blue team phase of the season but promptly tanked again when the teams were merged into the black team, leading to her elimination. However, she was one of the strongest members of La Tasha's team in the finale, proving that her problem was more her inconsistency than a major lack of skill.
  • Only Known by Their Nickname: Her real name is Rosanne, but she went by Roe during the show.
  • The Rival: To Jennifer; Roe hates her for her blunt, rude attitude.
  • Small Name, Big Ego: Perhaps the most notable thing about her is how often she boasts about her own talents, despite rarely showing them.
  • Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: During her last service, she tries to help out Jennifer on the fish station. Needless to say, it doesn't go too well.
Placement: 5th
Roe's Elimination Comment - "I definitely do not see myself as a weaker chef than Jennifer. I'm really proud of myself for what I've done here. I won the steaks challenge, I've had some amazing services, but I think past mistakes have haunted me. I definitely think Jennifer should be standing here right now, and I know in the back of my head, I'm just gonna wake up every day and thank God I'm not her."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - "Roe thought she would row, row, row herself into the final four, but her performance tonight in the kitchen put her up a creek with no paddles."

Brian Santos

"I love handling meat, I handle my meat like it's nobody's business."
Occupation: Sous Chef
Age: 33
Hometown: Boston, MA
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hk_santos.png

  • The Alliance: He joins a secret alliance with Steve and Aaron in order to sabotage the other chefs in order to make themselves look better. The alliance however falls apart relatively quickly once Steve is medically eliminated, and after that, Santos would start taking accountability for his mistakes.
  • Deadpan Snarker: Might rival Jennifer for the snarkest competitor of the season..
  • Epic Fail: Despite being one of the blue team's stronger chefs, he got a zero on the blind taste test.
  • Failed a Spot Check: In the eighth episode challenge, he burned his potato goulet which was supposed to be crispy for the judges. This was even after Bryant told him flat out that it looked burnt while they were still cooking in the kitchen.
  • Friend to All Children: As seen during the family night. Slightly backfired, because letting the kids put cheese on their own pizzas in the dining room slowed the kitchen down for a little while in the beginning.
  • Generic Guy: Aside from his alliance with Steve and Aaron, Santos never really stood out much.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He's sarcastic and tends to overestimate his abilities, but he's not that bad of a guy. He's been shown to be able to take accountability for his mistakes, and as seen above, he's actually pretty good with kids.
  • Motor Mouth: He tends to ramble whenever asked to explain something; for example, when explaining the course to the VIPS in episode 12, he talked about it for nearly a minute when the other chefs summed it up in ten seconds.
  • One-Steve Limit: His first name is Brian, but he is going by his surname to avoid confusion with Bryant.
  • Rule of Three: He was eliminated on his third nomination.
  • Small Name, Big Ego: Sort of. Santos was a solid chef and was good enough to make it to the black jackets, but several times Santos hyped himself up only to not be able to deliver. The best example of this was when he claimed to have an amazing palate, only for him to score a zero on the blind taste test.
  • Took a Level in Kindness: Santos initially joined up with Steve and Aaron in order to get themselves further. After Steve's elimination however, Santos would start taking more responsibility for his mistakes.
Placement: 6th
Santos' Elimination Comment - "I feel Chef Ramsay made a horrible decision. I give everything I have every day, and to go out the way I did, I'm pissed off right now. But, being in Hell's Kitchen, I've learned so much. I got a black jacket, so I'm very proud of myself."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - "Santos dodged the bullet in the last two nominations, but tonight there was nowhere to hide."

Sterling Wright

"The key ingredient I used was love!"
Occupation: Grill Chef
Age: 40
Hometown: Nashville, TN
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hk_sterling.jpg

  • Beware the Nice Ones: While he is generally quite easygoing, his speech when up for elimination was a rather vicious attack aimed at Steve, his tone of voice displaying more honest anger than pretty much anyone ever nominated showed.
  • Bookends: At the start of the season, Sterling's outgoing personality annoyed several chefs, in particular Bryant, Steve, Santos, and Aaron. While he never gets a chance to make up with Steve of Aaron, by the end of the season, Bryant has a deep respect for him and even calls him his strongest chef in the finale, while Santos is genuinely upset to see Sterling eliminated.
  • Catchphrase:
    • "I'm always 100!" (As in, 100 percent.)
    • Also, "I love you, man!"
  • Cloud Cuckoo Lander: Even from the PREVIEWS, he seems to be this. The editing team had a lot of fun with many of his backstage interviews, including making a music video!
  • Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Has become this by episode 4. To anyone, he would come across as a complete goofball, and his teammates don't take him seriously at all, but he has shown to be one of the better chefs of the blue team, and as shown in the brunch challenge of episode 4, he can definitely take charge in the kitchen with a loud and firm tone. He will sometimes stumble here and there, but overall, he has been consistently good in challenges and dinner services.
    • Badass Decay: He fell apart in the fish station on his final night, screwing up scallops several times and eventually having his station taken over by Roe, leading to a disappointing elimination right before black jackets.
  • Cool Old Guy: At age 40 he was the oldest contestant of the season, and was a funloving guy who despite the opinions of his fellow competitors was extremely passionate about his work in the kitchen.
  • Establishing Character Moment: Him announcing that he's "always a hundred" with a big smile on his face.
  • Extreme Omnivore: During the blue team's punishment in Episode 2 when they had to eat gross seafood, Sterling ate it like it was nothing.
  • Foil: A Southern Black who didn't get much respect from his team yet was an absolute fan-favorite makes him the male counterpart to Season 3's Julia.
    • When it came to respect, Sterling's team was annoyed with his positive attitude compared to the Hell's Bitches who disliked Julia's Waffle House background.
    • Sterling was able to cook sophisticated dishes while Julia was only able to cook simplistic stuff and didn't have a big culinary background (example: she had no idea what a creme brulee was nor the ingredients for it)
    • Sterling was shown being happy-go-lucky and optimistic despite everyone's doubts on him, while Julia was calm and focused chef who had to struggle with "Hell's Bitches" (particularly that of Tiffany and her infamous Waffle House comment on her). Sterling ended up swapping teams, while Julia stayed up to the Reds.
    • Sterling was eliminated before making Black Jackets (he got to keep his jacket though), while Julia made it to Black Jackets but was eliminated during her first night.
    • Sterling accepted his loss well and quietly packs his bags before walking out, while Julia was shown in tears (in a bittersweet way as Ramsay was going to pay for her to go to culinary school).
    • When they returned for service, Sterling was the best chef on Bryant's team while Julia was shown to be slightly resentful on Bonnie (who was the one who put her up for elimination, mind you).
  • Graceful Loser: When he's eliminated, he takes it very well, and hugs Ramsay and the other chefs before leaving. In contrast to many contestants having a walk of shame, he gets a montage of himself calmly packing away his things in a suitcase.
  • Informed Flaw: In Episode 4, he and 3 other members of the Blue Team are targeted by Aaron, Santos, and Steve because he and the others were considered to be dead weight when he hadn't really screwed up once before that episode (the real reason is probably their annoyance with Sterling’s always being so positive). Even after that episode, he only seriously hindered his team on 2 occasions, especially in Episode 13, when he destroyed the fish station before being switched out, which ultimately lead to his elimination.
  • Large Ham: And how.
  • Lethal Joke Character: For most of his journey during Season 13, he was looked down on and looked at as being useless by almost every other chef, but ended up seriously proving his worth after he switched teams. In the Finale, he was probably one of the best, if not the best, chefs on Bryant's team.
  • Mercy Elimination: After his disastrous performance on the fish station, Ramsay forewent the nomination ceremony and eliminated him after service.
  • Nice Guy: Kind and friendly to everyone, even the contestants that didn't like him.
  • The Pollyanna: Despite how quickly they were tanking, he never lost hope that the blue team would pull through their first dinner service (spoiler alert: they didn't). This has continued on, no matter how badly either he or a teammate is doing during a challenge or dinner service, Sterling remains positive and supportive. He also tends to have fun during punishments, much to his team's chagrin.
  • Took a Level in Badass: While Sterling was rather inconsistent throughout his time as a competitor, in the finale, he was easily the strongest chef on Bryant's team, managing to recover Frank's station after Frank was kicked out.
  • Tsundere: If he feels disrespected, he is able to go from literally being lovestruck, telling other contestants that he loves them to biting their heads off harder than even contestants like Jennifer could, as shown in several of his conflicts with Steve.
  • What the Hell, Hero?: He didn't like being kicked out of the kitchen in episode 3 due to being Bryant's station partner when Bryant was sinking the fish station.
Placement: 7th
Sterling's Elimination Comment - "100 is no longer a part of Hell's Kitchen, but I learned a whole lot. I was all happy-go-lucky at first. Some of the other chefs here told me I didn't deserve to be here. He made me come back even stronger. I had to make myself better, and I did that. And on top of that, I got so many wins in challenges. I'm a leader, it took me coming way to California to realize that. I might not have won Hell's Kitchen, but I got something that nobody in Hell's Kitchen have never accomplished; I got Chef Ramsay's heart."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - "Sterling went further in this competition than I thought he would. And even though he was always at 100, it wasn't enough to earn him a black jacket."

Fernando Cruz

"Stop the bullshit, and let's talk business."
Occupation: Executive Chef
Age: 28
Hometown: La Quinta, CA
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hk_fernando.jpg

  • Epic Fail: Like Jennifer and Santos, he got a 0/4 on the blind taste test.
  • The Generic Guy: He did not stand out that much, probably due to his consistency.
  • Older Than They Look: He's 28, but looks like a teenager. Lampshaded by Chef Ramsay:
    Ramsay: Harry Potter looks older than you!
  • "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Gives one to Bryant in episode 10 after he blows up at his team and attempts to nominate Fernando despite the fact that not only did he have a perfect service, most of his recent ones were good as well. This makes Bryant madder.
  • Took a Level in Badass: Like Bryant, he started out weak but grew more consistent. When he was eliminated, Chef Ramsay says he is a good chef but his leadership is questionable.
    • Badass Decay: Unfortunately, he was by far the worst member of La Tasha's team in the finale, doing so bad that he was lucky not to get thrown out (he was, however, accused of trying to sabotage La Tasha's chances of winning by Ramsay).
Placement: 8th
Fernando's Elimination Comment - "It's surreal that I'm actually here, and there's people in there that hasn't show as much potential as I've shown. Bryant has a roller coaster of emotions going on in his head. Santos cannot make the right judgment. I have a lot more technique and passion and cooking techniques than any other person here."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - "Fernando's cooking was adequate, but his leadership was lacking. Being my next head chef requires both."

Aaron Lhamon

"If I had to describe Sterling's crab cake in one word, it'd be FAST. FOOD!"
Occupation: Lead Line Cook
Age: 28
Hometown: Maynard, MA
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hk_aaron_s13.jpg

  • The Alliance: He joins a secret alliance with Steve and Santos in order to sabotage the other chefs in order to make themselves look better. The alliance however falls apart relatively quickly once Steve is medically eliminated, and after that, Aaron would lose faith in the competition.
  • The Ditz: At times, as shown by the above quote.
  • Dye Hard: It was hard to tell, but he did actually have his fauxhawk dyed purple.
  • Foreshadowing: In the beginning of episode 10, he confided in Bryant that he wasn't sure about the grand prize anymore. When he was up for elimination, he decided to quit.
  • Put on a Bus: Since he quit, he lost his place to return for the final service, with Ashley taking it as Steve was injured and couldn’t return in time.
  • Rule of Three: He quit the show after his third nomination.
  • The Scapegoat: Takes the blame for some of Bryant's mistakes in episode 10, though he had certainly made many mistakes himself that night.
  • Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Withdraws from the competition in episode 10 because he feels that he isn't ready to be Ramsay's head chef. Whether this was true or simply to leave on his own terms (as he was likely going home that night anyway), he left Ramsay and the others in shock.
  • Took a Level in Cynic: Coming into the competition, Aaron was as willing to go through Hell's Kitchen as the rest of the competition. Come the ninth service however, he suddenly loses all passion for staying, and quits the competition.
  • True Companions: He genuinely thought of Steve as a friend; when Steve was forced out of the competition in episode 9 from a leg injury, Aaron said that the blue team was going to have a great service for Steve. They gave their best service yet.
  • Wham Line: When he and Bryant were nominated for elimination after the ninth dinner service and Gordon asked him why he should say, he had this to say;
    Aaron: Actually Chef, as much as I would love to run a restaurant for you, I would like to be a michelin star chef, but I don't think winning Hell's Kitchen is actually gonna get me any closer to my goals.
    Gordon: (totally dumbfounded) This is unbelievable!
  • Yes-Man: Comes across as this when it comes to Steve, something which a couple of his teammates call him out on in episode 4, though he grows out of it once the alliance between him, Santos and Steve to sabotage other members of their team doesn't pan out.
Placement: 9th (Quit)
Aaron's Elimination Comment - "When I first came to Hell's Kitchen, I wanted the executive chef spot, but this is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do in my life. Physically, mentally, emotionally, it's 10,000 times more difficult to cook in Hell's Kitchen than it is in any other situation."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - "I found it quite strange that Aaron didn't even have the will to succeed. He clearly didn't belong in Hell's Kitchen."

Frank Bilotti

"Messing up, it's like... I don't know, it's like the monkey and the wrench... uh monkey... uh wrench, and a monkey, monkey, and a... That's not right, hold on."
Occupation: Executive Chef
Age: 26
Hometown: Staten Island, NY
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hk_frank_s13.jpg

  • Brainless Beauty: Easily the most attractive male chef the show has ever had, but was a poor chef.
  • The Ditz: Was often pretty clueless in the kitchen.
    Frank: Messing up, it's like... I don't know, it's like the monkey and the wrench... uh monkey... uh wrench, and a monkey, monkey, and a... That's not right, hold on.
  • Epic Fail: His last night on service, where he crashed hard on the fish station, singlehandedly making the red team lose (the other members of the team had a smooth and flawless service) and duly getting eliminated without Chef Ramsay even bothering with nominations.
    • Continues in the finale. Despite Bryant making his recipes "Frank-proof," Frank still manages to single-handedly sink the Blue Team. Eventually, Bryant throws him out of the kitchen, but by then the damage is already done.
  • The Fashionista: Rare male example. In episode 7, the men depend on him to help them pick their fashions when they won a shopping trip.
  • Funny Foreigner: He's Italian and certainly does have his moments.
  • Graceful Loser: He freely admits that he massively screwed-up after his Epic Fail in episode 9 and takes his elimination calmly.
  • Joke Character: During the Finale, the 2 remaining chefs make it a point to avoid him like the plague, Bryant (who ends up being stuck with him) even prepares a menu specifically designed to the point where Frank wouldn't be able to ruin everything. He still manages to, of course.
  • The Load: Frank was not the best chef that season, making quite a handful of mistakes on several services and then completely crashing and burning in his final regular service and the finale service.
  • Mercy Elimination: After his bad performance on the fish station, Ramsay eliminated him right after service in lieu of a nomination ceremony.
  • My God, What Have I Done?: His performance on the fish station in episode 9 was nothing short of a disaster, and he apologized profusely for having backed his entire team up and to Chef Ramsay for letting him down. It was little surprise to him when he was eliminated before anybody else could even be nominated, and he was greatly ashamed that he wasn't able to perform up to standard.
  • Nice Guy: For all of Frank's faults in the kitchen, he clearly felt awful about them, and often took responsibility for his mistakes.
  • Picked Last: Unsurprisingly, in the finale (between himself and Ashley). La Tasha actually said before the challenge even started that she wanted the win SOLELY to ensure she didn't get Frank. When he does get picked last, he admits that he was expecting it.
  • Pretty Boy: Ramsay even calls him such in one episode.
  • Resigned to the Call: When Ramsay calls back in everyone to announce that despite Steve's exit, he will still be eliminating someone, the look on Frank's face says that he knows that someone is him.
Placement: 10th
Frank's Elimination Comment - "I feel sick to my stomach. The saddest part is that I didn't get to show Chef Ramsay I'm so much better than this, and that's what's really ripping me apart. But I still will always have the passion to do what I'm doing, and I still will succeed in life, doing what I do."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - "Frank wrote me a letter of gratitude, and then, with his performance tonight, wrote his ticket out of here. Ciao Frank."

Steve Rosenthal

"Aaron, you fucking put your hands on me. I'm like about to knock you the fuck out right now."
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hk_steve_s13.png
Occupation: Executive Chef
Age: 34
Hometown: Detroit, MI
  • The Alliance: He joins a secret alliance with Santos and Aaron in order to sabotage the other chefs in order to make themselves look better. The alliance however falls apart relatively quickly once Steve is medically eliminated.
  • Determinator: Deconstructed, he clearly wanted to go on despite his leg injury but Chef Ramsay said no, he couldn't sacrifice his health for the competition.
  • Non-Gameplay Elimination: After injuring his knee during punishment, he was deemed unfit to continue in the competition.
  • Pyrrhic Victory: While he did manage to get his secret allance with Santos and Aaron to succeed in getting one of the chefs he saw as a weak link, JR, eliminated after the fourth service, he ultimately ended up also getting himself nominated for elimantion due to his poor performance on Risotto.
  • Right for the Wrong Reasons: While up for elimination for the third time, he stated that it would be the last time he would be on the chopping block. Technically speaking, he was right, as two episodes later, he would injure his leg and be forced to leave.
  • The Rival: Often gets in disputes with Sterling.
Placement: 11th (Medical exit)
Steve's Elimination Comment - "I'm pissed. I have to leave because of my fucking leg. It's heartbreaking, telling Chef Ramsay I can't go any farther. I'm not gonna let this break me. I'm gonna get my knee fixed so I can get better and get back in the kitchen. Chef Ramsay definitely hasn't seen the last of me or heard of the last of me yet."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - No comment.

Ashley Sherman

"Once cheese is melted, it doesn't matter if it was hand-grated. You're just doing this to be MEAN!"
Occupation: Lead Line Cook
Age: 29
Hometown: Bethlehem, PA
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hk_ashley_s13.jpg

  • Deadpan Snarker
  • Emotionless Girl: She always has the same expression on her face and never puts any real emotion into her voice.
    • Not So Stoic: ...except for her elimination. While she bows out gracefully, afterwards she's seen crying about her lost opportunity, sounding more emotional than she had all season.
  • Epic Fail: She got the red team kicked out of the kitchen in Episode 7 by sending raw calamari to the Italian Consulates table! It was so bad, Ramsay eliminated on her first time nominated.
  • Friend to All Living Things: Expresses sadness for "all the little scallops" they had to kill for "this unfortunate dinner service".
  • Graceful Loser: Played with. While she acknowledged that her mistake on Episode 7 was a big one, it still hurt to be eliminated by a person she looked up to.
  • Perpetual Frowner: Always seems to be scowling, even when she receives a compliment.
  • Took a Level in Badass: She's actually one of the stronger chefs on La Tasha's team during the finale.
  • You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me!: She pretty much has this reaction upon realizing people eat antelope, alligator, and ostrich.
Placement: 12th
Ashley's Elimination Comment - "I didn't expect to get eliminated tonight, because people have done way worse in this competition than I have. This is all I wanted to do. But I mean, Chef Ramsay obviously just thought that I wasn't good enough... And that's a terrible feeling."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - No comment.

Katie McKeown

"Get used to it, boys. The girls are here to stay on top."
Occupation: Line Cook
Age: 23
Hometown: Dallas, TX
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hk_katie.jpg

  • Extreme Doormat: One of the reasons why she agreed with the other women’s claiming that she was one of the weakest chefs. She actually thought that Sade was weaker than her mainly because of how assertive and loud Sade was, but didn’t want to get Sade mad at her. And given that Sade was actually one of the stronger chefs, she probably was wise not to name Sade as the weakest.
  • Too Dumb to Live: She crossed into this territory when she was put up for elimination alongside Kalen after the fifth service, as she actually agreed with the other women’s claim that she was the one of the weakest chefs overall. Had the other women not named Kalen as the one who should be eliminated, Ramsay probably would have shown Katie the door!
    • Then in the following service, she brought up raw scallops and when Chef Ramsay called her out on it, she dared to state that the scallops were fine when she took them out of the pan! Needless to say, she was sent home after that service.
Placement: 13th
Katie's Elimination Comment - "I most definitely could've handled Chef Ramsay. It was just the girls I couldn't handle. Maybe I should've taken a chance of getting my eyes scratched out. I let strong personalities overcome me, and it sucks."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - No comment.

Kalen Morgenstern

"I think I should stay in Hell's Kitchen because I've only had 2 bad services out of 5."
Occupation: Sous Chef
Age: 32
Hometown: River Oaks, TX
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hk_kalen.jpg

  • The Load: She was unspectacular at best in the first two services, flat-out awful in the three that followed, and carried herself with a generally apathetic, uncaring attitude. It was little surprise that all the other women said that she should be eliminated when Ramsay asked them after her final service.
  • Never My Fault: She blamed her awful performance on appetizers in her final service on Katie, her partner on that station.
Placement: 14th
Kalen's Elimination Comment - "I never, ever, in my wildest dreams, thought that I would get kicked off for doing well, but I'm gonna walk away from here, staying true to myself. Red team, good luck. Karma's a bitch. You better watch your backs, because nobody's got it."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - "In Kalen's mind, her performance was flawless and every dish she cooked was perfect. Unfortunately for her, I live in reality. Dream on, Kalen."

James "JR" Robinson

"If you're gonna give up like this, what's the point of being in Hell's Kitchen?"
Occupation: Private Chef
Age: 29
Hometown: Washington, DC
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hk_jr.jpg

  • Fun with Acronyms:
    Ramsay: "JR? Just RIDICULOUS!"
  • Lazy Bum: Sat out the first punishment, saying that he didn’t come to make beds but to cook and live the good life. He was also willing to send out raw scallops, rather than waiting for them to be properly cooked, just because Chef Ramsay kept bugging him for scallops.
    JR: Chef Ramsay keeps bugging me for these scallops, so, if you want raw scallops, then that's what I'm gonna send you.
  • One-Steve Limit: His first name is James, but he's likely going with the nickname JR to avoid confusion with Sous Chef James.
  • The Quiet One: Wasn’t featured much during his brief stay in the competition, which ultimately led to his elimination as Ramsay felt he wasn’t ready to be a leader.
Placement: 15th
JR's Elimination Comment - "Chef Ramsay is disappointed, because he expected me to lead that station. I could have been more vocal, but I'm not the type to yell over everybody, so I just stay quiet. Sterling, keep it 100. I still love you, but the rest of y'all could just fuck off and keep stabbing each other in the back."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - "I waited for JR to wake up and find his voice, but he never did, and so I let him sleepwalk out of here."

Denine Giordano

"At this point, my strategy will stick to me being about me."
Occupation: Culinary Student
Age: 23
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hk_denine.jpg

  • Genre Blind: Denine clearly didn’t understand that in Hell's Kitchen, Chef Ramsay wants the chefs to work together and be team players.
  • It's All About Me: After being put up for elimination, she’s so convinced that her team threw her under the bus that she states that her strategy would be to care only for herself. This causes the rest of the Red Team to dislike her.
  • Lazy Bum: She refuses to help out in the punishment because she believes that it wasn’t her fault that the Red Team lost, since she earned a point in the challenge. This leads to her teammates getting mad at her and may explain why Kalen refuses to let her help out in the next dinner service.
Placement: 16th
Denine's Elimination Comment - "They couldn't even use my cooking against me. They used my lack of experience. They're a bunch of bitches. And I hope to God that they underestimate those boys like they've been underestimating me, because they're gonna get smacked in the fucking face."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - No comment.

Janai Simpson

"Only Chef Ramsay can take something that looks like a dildo and turn it into a $150 plate. I mean, seriously, I'm just saying."
Occupation: Chef de Partie
Age: 24
Hometown: LaGrange, GA
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hk_janai.jpg

  • Epic Fail: Overcooked a risotto in the second episode by ten minutes! Unsurprisingly, this got her nominated for elimination.
  • Small Name, Big Ego: As seen by her elimination comment.
  • Too Dumb to Live: While she did the right thing by nominating herself, she could have survived by doing anything but saying that she screwed up the risotto “and that’s all there was.” Ramsay wondered where her mind was and eliminated her.
  • We Hardly Knew Ye: Outside of her moments in the second episode, there wasn't much to note about her.
Placement: 17th
Janai's Elimination Comment - "I definitely feel like Chef Ramsay made a mistake. Nobody in that kitchen is better than me. Chef Ramsay may not know it, but, in all honesty, it's his loss that he didn't get a chance to see that."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - "Cooking risotto is elementary, but tonight I found out Janai is still in kindergarten."

John Paul "JP" DeDominics

"F**k it, I'll bring it up. Whatever."
Occupation: Kitchen Manager
Age: 28
Hometown: Boston, MA
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hk_jp.jpg

  • Be Careful What You Wish For: Mentioned that he wasn't sure if he could take being apart from his wife and daughter for so long. Well, how does going home after the first dinner service sound?
  • Epic Fail: Had to cook his signature dish twice due to finishing with 20 minutes left, which led to the fish being dry. Ramsay even threatened him with elimination.
  • Fun with Acronyms:
    Ramsay: "JP? Just PATHETIC!"
  • The Generic Guy: Besides his failures on fish and blame-shifting, he didn't really stand out.
  • Never My Fault: After being nominated for elimination, he tried to shift blame onto Aaron because the latter got the Blue Team off on the wrong foot with problems on risotto, ignoring the fact that he sent up raw lobster and decided to send up halibut even though he thought (correctly) that it was raw!
  • Only Known by Their Nickname: His real name is John Paul, but he went by JP during the show.
  • Press Start to Game Over: Was very nearly on the end of this, as not only did he cook his signature dish twice, but it led to the fish being dry. He managed to avoid this, but it didn't matter in the end as he was the first eliminated.
  • Stopped Caring: When JR told him to take two halibuts that were not ready, despite being hesitant to do so, since they didn't have another halibut, he ultimatley relented, leading to the above quote. His apathy ultimatley led to his elimination over Aaron, who also was disastrous on the rissotto.
Placement: 18th
JP's Elimination Comment - "I'm very disappointed in myself, but I know I'm a great chef. So I still stick to my guns and think that Aaron tanked our kitchen. This ain't gonna be the last time you see me."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - "Everyone in Hell's Kitchen starts at the bottom. Unfortunately, JP stayed there."

     Season 14 

Meghan Gill

"I have been running the pass since I was 20 years old. I'm a badass in the kitchen. Not many people can hang with me."
Occupation: Executive Chef
Age: 28
Hometown: Roanoke, VA
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hk_meghan.jpg

  • The Ace: Oh so much. Rarely has a chef dominated their season to the extent that she had. In particular during services, where she had a single instance of a mistake, which was corrected very quickly.
    • That instance being in Episode 14, where she was preparing fourteen steaks simultaneously, and accidentally sent up one raw New York striploin. Even Ramsay is in disbelief when he points out her mistake, saying "Of all the people." However, unlike many chefs who derail after a mistake, she instantly recovers, and has no future issues.
    • Challenge wise, she was also strong, if only not quite as strong as services. Despite having to endure more punishments than most contestants ever, her team's losses were never due to her (at least not explicitly; she never sunk the team with a dreadful performance), and she always performed adequately if not the best.
  • Badass on Paper: One of the best chefs of the season, but constantly was forced to do punishments due to her teammates being unable to pull their weight.
  • Brutal Honesty: Pulls no verbal punches when criticizing others during service.
  • Deadpan Snarker: After the first service, in which she replaced Chrissa on her station:
    Chrissa: I handled my station.
    Meghan: Is that why I was over there with you?
  • Cosmic Plaything: At least where the challenges were concerned. Despite performing adequately and even occasionally the best in challenges, she had to endure the most punishments of all the season's contestants, the second most of any contestant ever (nine, tied with Motto from Season 18 and only behind Jon from Season 11 with thirteen), and the most consecutive punishments of any contestant in all of Hell's Kitchen. Frustratingly for her, in many head-to-head challenges and King of the Hill, she would only be barely beaten by her opponent.
  • Distaff Counterpart:
    • Appears to be this to Danny from Season 5, in that while she seems a little cocky and constantly talks as if she's a cut above the other contestants, she was able to back that up at every juncture. Being a blonde Supreme Chef with the personality of a sawn off chainsaw, the little pitbull could well pass as one for Ramsey himself.
    • Also to Jon from Season 11, in that she's always powerful and consistent, but rarely gets to enjoy rewards to due the rest of her team dragging her down in challenges.
  • The Dreaded: The opposing team members never like to go up against her in team challenges, as she always performs so well in them. Unfortunately for her however, she received more than her share of punishments due to the rest of her team failing to deliver.
  • Earn Your Happy Ending: She had nine punishments in a row (out of fourteen rewards), but it was definitely worth it in the end when she won.
  • Flawless Victory: Other than a disproportionate amount of punishments (none of which were her own fault), nothing went even slightly wrong for her during the season, and she was never put up for elimination even once. Note that it would also have been a Flawless Victory for T had she won, making them a strong contender for the show's strongest-ever final two.
  • Genre Blind: As much as she was dominant, Meghan twice forgot how the show worked. First was when she joined in the Red Team's plan to eliminate Monique by nominating Sarah despite Mieka being far worse. Ramsay would see through this and eliminate Mieka. The second time results in her What the Hell, Hero? moment, where she attempts to nominate Michelle over Milly, citing process of elimination for her reasoning, only for Ramsay to call her out on it and nominate Milly instead.
  • The Leader: By her own admission, she may be harsh and, at times, rude, but there's no denying that she knows how to lead a team. Chef Ramsay sees this in her early on and encourages her to take on the role of leader; in the next service she leads the Red Team to a much needed victory (they'd had three consecutive losses before that).
    • For this very reason, Ramsay later transfers her to the Blue Team, telling her to whip them into shape.
  • Manipulative Bitch: She attempted to nominate Michelle in Episode 14 due to "process of elimination", despite Michelle not doing anything wrong and Milly being far worse.
  • Not So Above It All: Admitted to taking a guy home on their first date during a game of "Never Have I Ever."
  • The Perfectionist: Demanded perfection from her team when she was running the pass and in the finale, to the point she started micro-managing everything they did. Chef Ramsey actually had to tell her to back down.
  • Pet the Dog: Despite all the crap she gave Michelle over the season (especially in services), she acknowledged her talent and even felt threatened by her in challenges. Michelle ended up being her first pick in the finale.
  • Sore Loser: She did not take her first punishment well, and even threatened to quit the show during it. In a cruel twist of fate, she would end up having to endure eight more punishments back-to-back afterwards.
  • Surrounded by Idiots: Expresses this attitude towards her teammates frequently (and not without good reason). At one point, she gets so fed up, that she threatens to put herself up for elimination just so that she doesn't have to deal with the continued embarrassment.
  • What the Hell, Hero?: Nominated Michelle in Episode 14 as she did not want to nominate Milly, and called it a process of elimination. However, Ramsay saw through it, and berated her for making a decision that reflected poorly on her.
  • Worthy Opponent: Milly considers her one, calling her the best chef on the red team and constantly facing her in challenges.
    Milly: If you want to be the best, you have to face the best.
    • She and T consider each other this, even stating there's no one they'd rather face in the finale than each other.
    • To a lesser extent than T or Milly, Meghan also seemed to consider Michelle this, calling her a badass in one of the challenges for making a souffle and worrying that Michelle would be able to trump her steak (which Meghan was very confident about) with a cheaper cut of meat (which Michelle indeed trumped). While Meghan was sometimes dismissive of her in service, seemingly due to Michelle's age and inexperience, it was clear she believed Michelle had a high level of talent.
Placement: Winner
Meghan's Winner Comment - "Oh my God! Coming down those steps and seeing everybody so excited and so happy for me, that was the best. That was the absolute fucking best. At the end of it, I get to my mother. Just going through the ups and downs with her in my whole life, seeing her at the end of the tunnel was just... Yeah."
Ramsay's Winner Comment - "Meghan has every quality I look for in a head chef: she is passionate, determined and has an amazing palate. But, most importantly, Meghan is a born leader, who makes every chef in her kitchen better. Talent like hers comes along very rarely and I have no doubt that she'll be a great success in Atlantic City."

Torrece "T" Gregoire

Also Season 18 (Rookies VS Veterans)
"I don't want no damn coffee! I want a cigarette and a W! Can you provide me with that?!"
Occupation: Line Cook
Age: 31
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hk_t.jpg

  • The Ace: Scores the only 5 on the signature dish challenge alongside Meghan, and had a generally strong showing in challenges and services throughout the season. Joins the list of runner-ups who were never nominated for elimination once in their season alongside Season 6's Kevin, Season 7's Jay, Season 9's Will, Season 16's Heather, Season 17's Benjamin, and Season 19's Mary Lou.
  • Butch Lesbian: Nick off-handedly comments that she's this at the start of the ninth episode.
  • Genre Blind:
    • In the fourth episode she pushed for the team to nominate Monique and Sarah, worried that if they nominated the obvious choice of Monique and Mieka, the latter would be eliminated for certain. As just about any longtime viewer of the show could have predicted, Mieka was eliminated anyway.
    • In Hell's Kitchen, it's not enough to cook well; you also have to work well with your teammates. T would get argumentative more easily than the other chefs, and really seemed to have it out for Michelle in particular.
  • Graceful Loser: Like most of the previous losers she was bummed out, but not the least bit sore about her defeat.
  • Horrible Judge of Character: Averted for the most part — she was one of the first people to realize just how much dead weight both Monique and Chrissa were — but she showed some questionable judgment ahead of the final service when she seemed convinced that Christine was going to be her most valuable team member.
  • Jerkass to One: Towards Michelle. While she had her rough patches, T was generally able to at least tolerate working with the others. But whenever Michelle opens her mouth, T flips out on her, no matter what she says. Asking how long? T flips out. Checking to see if T heard her when T doesn't acknowledge her? T flips out. This cost her a lot of fans, despite her otherwise strong skills and performance.
  • One-Letter Name: Her real name is Torrece, but she went by "T" during the show.
  • What Were You Thinking?: Seemed really annoyed when Monique inadvertently insulted Jamaican-born Alison on the bus ride to Hell's Kitchen. She also asked it when Monique served jarred tomato sauce to Ramsay as the Signature Dish Challenge.
  • Worthy Opponent: She and Meghan considered each other this, like most of the Hell's Kitchen finalists.
Placement: 2nd
T's Runner-Up Comment - "To go up against Meghan, it was an honor. I'm thankful for the opportunity, I'm thankful for the experience. For this, I'm truly a better person. I'm thankful. You know, maybe the time that you want it, maybe you're not ready for it. I don't consider it like I lost, I consider it like my opportunity hasn't opened yet. Eventually, it will come, just not today."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - No comment.

Michelle Tribble

Also Season 17 (All Stars)
"If they wanna make fun at me 'cause I'm the youngest and the smallest, like, fuck you guys."
Occupation: Line Cook
Age: 22
Hometown: Dallas, TX
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hk_michelle_s14.jpg

  • Badass Adorable: She's young, tiny, and excitable, as well as a complete monster in the kitchen.
  • Generic Girl: Started out as this; ultimately proved otherwise by the end of the season.
  • Laser-Guided Karma: Inverted in episode 9 - while the rest of her team completely ignored her dish choosing T's dish in favor of hers, a later inspection proved Michelle's dish to be the best of the day. Michelle was obviously pissed, but when it came to lunch, everyone was served protein shakes with the exception of one person, who was served a real milkshake. As luck is, that person happened to be Michelle.
  • Shorter Means Smarter: To some extent. She was the shortest competitor from this year, and proved a generally very strong competitor, reaching the final three.
  • Took a Level in Badass: Despite not getting much attention early on, she ultimately proved herself to be much stronger than anyone gave her credit for. The fact that she managed to reach the final three despite being constantly looked down upon by everyone else speaks volumes to this.
  • True Companions: With Nick.
Placement: 3rd
Michelle's Elimination Comment - "Coming into Hell's Kitchen, I had full confidence in myself, but I knew that no one else would. People were thinking I was too young to be here, but obviously, I've proven them wrong. But I had to overcome some challenges. The hardest part about this competition was definitely the people I was working with, but it was a lot of fun, I got to say. I feel like I'm leaving here on a high. I'm definitely proud of my performance in this competition, and I'm glad I made it this far."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - No comment.

Emili "Milly" Medley

Also Season 17 (All Stars)
"I'm 6'6. I'm swift, but I'm smooth! I ain't gotta be running around all crazy!"
Occupation: Executive Chef
Age: 33
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hk_milly_s14.jpg

  • Always Someone Better: Meghan was often this to him early on, as they frequently faced off in challenges and she won every single time. More significantly, however, she made it to the final over him.
  • Berserk Button: If his rant towards Brendan showed, he really hates people who are more successful than him, but can't back it up.
  • Flawless Victory: The second chef to get a perfect 4/4 on the blind taste test.
  • Gender-Blender Name: Milly is much more often heard as a girls' name, short for Millicent, and often spelled "Millie."
  • Hidden Depths: As mentioned in his elimination comment, he never graduated from a culinary institute or high school.
  • Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: When we meet his wife late in the season, she barely comes up to his chest.
  • No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: In the episode 3 challenge, Adam couldn't get his risotto side ready in time, so Milly gave him some of the rice from his own dish to use. This ended up causing the blue team to automatically lose the challenge, for not presenting eight unique dishes.
  • The One Guy: After surviving elimination over Nick. Lasted all of one episode (in fairness to Milly, it was the penultimate episode).
  • Only Friend: The only blue team member who treated Michael with any semblance of respect.
  • Only Known by Their Nickname: His real name is Emili, but he went by Milly during the show.
  • The Big Guy: He was 6'4, and was easily the tallest chef of the season.
  • You Are Better Than You Think You Are: In episode 7, Ramsay brought him into the storeroom for a pep talk, and Milly tearfully admitted to Ramsay that he's not experienced enough. Ramsay reminded him that he's done well so far, and has made pretty good dishes, and he just needs to be more confident. Apart from improperly slicing one Wellington, he did fairly well in the next service.
Placement: 4th
Milly's Elimination Comment - "Damn, I almost had it in my hands, It was just that close. I was the only one here that didn't graduate from a culinary institute. I probably was the only one here that didn't graduate from high school. I'm very proud of myself, I proved a lot of things to myself that I didn't know. I do this, not for the fame, not for the glitz, not for the glamour, just to cook good food for people. I'm just trying to make the world a better place. For Chef Ramsay to just only see my passion, I love him for that, because at the end of the day, Chef Ramsay didn't judge me. He didn't care where I came from, none of that. All he cared about was my food."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - No comment.

Nicholas "Nick" Peters

Also Season 17 (All Stars)
"I AM THE KING OF HELL'S KITCHEN!"
Occupation: Private Chef
Age: 25
Hometown: Stoneham, MA
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hk_nick_s14.png

  • Badass Boast: As seen in his quote above.
  • Deadpan Snarker: He is very sassy, providing almost half the snark during the later episodes.
  • Experimented in College: Inverted; he tried dating women when he was younger, before fully realizing that he preferred men. This led to a hilarious moment in episode 6 when his ex-GIRLfriend turned out to be their waitress during their reward trip.
  • Lack of Empathy: His response to Milly's and Bret's breakdowns in episode 5 is basically "Wow, why are you crying? Get over it."
  • Only Known by Their Nickname: His real name is Nicholas, but he went by Nick during the show.
  • Pointed Ears: He had a distinctly elfy appearance.
  • Rule of Three: He was eliminated on his third nomination.
  • True Companions: With Michelle.
  • What the Hell, Hero?: He accused Meghan of not even having the balls to look Michelle in the eye when she put her up for nomination despite Michelle doing nothing wrong.
Placement: 5th
Nick's Elimination Comment - "From day one, I definitely was an underdog. I was so nervous, but you have to stick up for yourself, because if you don't, people are gonna walk all over you. I knew I would make mistakes, because I know I'm not perfect. But you have to grow, and you have to be willing to learn and bounce back. The rewards were amazing. It was always something new and definitely exciting. Stress, pressure, it's not so nerve-racking once you gain confidence. It was really cool to kind of just be myself and get as far as I did. I don't think the worst chef left tonight, I think that I was out-performed tonight."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - "Having the remaining black jackets work as my sous chefs was an eye-opening experience. Unfortunately for Nick, it helped me see he's not the leader I'm looking for."

Joshua "Josh" Trovato

Also Season 17 (All Stars)
"You don't have the heart, or the BALLS to be a chef!"
Occupation: Chef de Cuisine
Age: 24
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hk_josh_s14.jpg

  • Badass Boast: After Cameron took over from Josh trying to fix the oven (Josh seemed to have trouble, but Cameron didn't fare any better), Josh told Cameron off:
    Josh: When I'm doing something, don't step on my toes, because I got big feet and you DON'T wanna find them in your ass!
  • Catchphrase: Said "That's crazy!" a lot, particularly when arguing with somebody.
  • The Charmer: He's seen flirting with the girls and making them laugh early in episode 2.
  • Distaff Counterpart: Arguably, to Rochelle from season 12; both are among the younger chefs on their team, both have a nervous laugh, and both are constantly in a cheerful and upbeat mood.
    • That is until he started being a douche of episode 10 where he never take responsibility for anything. Kind of like Zach and Anton.
  • Epic Fail: In episode 10, he served a risotto with white wine in it to high school students, and a capellini that was so raw the noodles were stiff. He was lucky to survive that night.
  • Formerly Fat: If you removed the confessionals where Josh did not bring up being a "former fat kid", his confessionals would cut by at least half. He is quite proud of his weight loss and feels way more confident due to it!
  • Genki Guy: He's so ecstatic to be in Hell's Kitchen that he hasn't stopped smiling since he arrived.
  • Graceful Loser: Took being eliminated extremely well.
  • Leader Wannabe: He spouts off that he is the leader of the blue team, but really, all he is doing is saying stuff without backing it up.
  • Only Known by Their Nickname: His real name is Joshua, but he went by Josh during the show.
  • Signature Laugh: He's usually laughing about something. In service, it's definitely a nervous laugh.
Placement: 6th
Josh's Elimination Comment - "I came here believing in myself, and I was so excited just to have this opportunity. I have a lot of heart, a lot of passion, but it takes being torn apart to get better. Everything that I've been through has made me stronger, and I didn't think that was possible. I'm not disappointed in myself at all, I laid it all on the line. I gave 100% every day. Chef Ramsay, I just want to thank you for believing in me. For Chef Ramsay to allow me to leave on a high note, it's a magical feeling. This is just the beginning for me. I don't know what the future holds. I don't, but I know it's bright."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - "Josh had great passion and a strong service tonight. Unfortunately, it was too little, too late."

Alison Rivera

"This is a complete epic shit show!"
Occupation: Sous Chef
Age: 27
Hometown: Manhattan, NY
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hk_alison.jpg

  • Achilles' Heel: Fish late in the competition. It led to her worst performance before the black jackets, and got eliminated because of it.
  • Brutal Honesty: After Monique escaped elimination in the first episode, Alison flat-out told her that she thought Monique should've gone home.
  • Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping: Has a habit of occasionally lapsing back into her native Jamaican accent.
  • Verbal Tic: When she had to lead, she had the habit of saying "all day", which really got on her teammates' nerves.
Placement: 7th
Alison's Elimination Comment - "It beats me up knowing that the one night of the jackets is when I royally screw myself, but I'm still young, so there's hope. The universe is definitely my oyster at this point. I am a better chef than when I walked in these doors, and if you can deal with Chef Ramsay, I feel like you can deal with anything else in the world."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - "Alison had a strong voice in the kitchen. Unfortunately, she couldn't talk her way into a black jacket."

Randolph "Randy" Bell

"That salmon was so raw, it was almost still swimming!"
Occupation: Line Cook
Age: 45
Hometown: Nashville, TN
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hk_randy.png

  • Achilles' Heel: Despite being one of the most improved chefs, his lack of experience hindered him during services in the second half. It eventually led to Ramsay eliminating him from the winning team.
  • Beginner's Luck: In episode 7, he was worried about his chances in the Greek dish challenge, as he claimed to have never even eaten Greek food; he was extremely relieved to have not received squid as his protein (he got chicken). The guest judge was a highly renowned Greek chef who flew in all the way from New York, and his verdict? "I don't think you can get much more Greek than that." He got a perfect 10 out of 10 from Ramsay and the guest judge.
  • Cool Old Guy: The oldest contestant this season (45) and he's arguably the most likable contestant of the group, as well as one of the most talented (at least as of episode 6).
  • Dude, Where's My Respect?: He's very irritated by being named the "weakest" chef by his teammates (specifically, Nick and Milly) in episode 9. Since he goes up against the ACTUAL weakest chef on the red team, Christine, he wins pretty easily.
  • Hidden Depths: Like with Van before him, Randy's southern accent and mellow nature outside of service resulted in people underestimating his cooking abilities, even himself - despite having never eaten Greek food prior to the Greek food challenge, he ended up getting a perfect score from both Ramsay and the guest judge.
  • In-Series Nickname: From his teammates, "Uncle Randy".
  • Kaizo Trap: He was eliminated from the winning team for having the worst charity performance.
  • Only Known by Their Nickname: His real name is Randolph, but he went by Randy during the show.
  • Picked Last: Between himself and Christine, in the finale.
  • Southern-Fried Genius: While lacking in leadership qualities, he absolutely knew how to cook and single-handedly carried his team in multiple challenges, with even Ramsay surprised by his finesse and knowledge of cooking.
Placement: 8th
Randy's Elimination Comment - "I really felt like my team hung me out to dry, but my head is held up high walking out of here. I just wish I had more experience in the kitchen, because if I could combine that with my leadership abilities, there is nobody in here that would've stood a chance."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - "I love Randy's work ethic. Unfortunately, his positive attitude couldn't camouflage his lack of experience."

Christine Hazel

"Just because someone's louder than me doesn't mean that their dish is always going to be better."
Occupation: Banquet Chef
Age: 30
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hk_christine.jpg

  • Epic Fail: Messed up horrifically on the garnish station in episode 7, contributing to Ramsay kicking out the whole red team. Lucky for her, Sarah screwed up even worse.
  • Four Is Death: Was eliminated after being nominated for the fourth time.
  • The Load: Often has to be supervised by others, and frequently tanks whatever station she's on when left to her own devices. It continued when she was on T's brigade in the finale, resulting in T constantly having to shuffle the team around to cover up her (and Adam's) mistakes.
Placement: 9th
Christine's Elimination Comment - "I am very disappointed to leave Hell's Kitchen. I don't think I was the worst chef on the red team, but it's competition, and people are gonna point fingers, and I definitely was the easy target. But it was a great experience for me. I've learned so much from Chef Ramsay, and I had Michelin-starred chefs trying my dishes on a daily basis. I feel like I am 50 times better of a chef after coming here."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - "Christine clearly didn't have the faith and confidence of her team. After giving her a chance to Cook For Her Life, she didn't do enough to change their mind or mine."

Adam Livow

"From overcooked to raw lamb. How and why is this happening?"
Occupation: Amusement Park Chef
Age: 31
Hometown: Freehold, NJ
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hk_adam.png

  • Celebrity Resemblance: He kinda looks like tech billionaire Elon Musk.
  • Crippling Overspecialization: He was arguably the blue team's strongest performer in challenges, and even scored a perfect 10 out of 10 in episode 7's Greek food challenge. However, he was generally unspectacular at best during service, and in the following episode, tanked the blue kitchen's meat station and got sent home.
  • Epic Fail:
    • Just like Sarah in the previous episode, his performance in episode 8 on the meat station completely sank the team and resulted in his elimination.
    • Tanked big-time when he was part of T's team in the final service and was probably the most at fault for her failure to win (though to be fair, Christine wasn't much better).
  • Graceful Loser: After his elimination in episode 8, he did what the last several eliminated chefs didn't do, and admitted that he was at fault for his elimination.
  • Squee: In episode 6, when Chef Ramsay sits next to him during the reward lunch.
    Adam: (Confession Cam) He's, like, RIGHT HERE (a pic of Ramsay from the lunch appears next to him), like, "HIIIIII! HOW ARE YOUUUUUUUU?!"
Placement: 10th
Adam's Elimination Comment - "Tonight definitely was my opportunity to step up. That meat station was the place to be. I wanted to bang it out of the park, but it was a disaster of epic proportions. It was just one of those things where you get caught in that quicksand, and you can't get back out. You know, I think Chef Ramsay expected more of me, I expected more of myself. Unfortunately, this is where I ended up."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - "Bret's competition may have ended in the bathroom today, but it was Adam's failure on the meat station that flushed his dream down the toilet."

Bret Hauser

Also Season 18 (Rookies VS Veterans)
"Playtime over, dawg. No more Mr. Nice Guy and shit."
Occupation: Sous Chef
Age: 30
Hometown: Delray Beach, FL
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hk_bret_s14.png

  • Identical Stranger: To Steve from the previous season. Ironically, he ended up leaving the competition in much the same way as him, too.
  • It's All My Fault: Could not have felt more guilty about being forced out of the competition, thinking about his teammates more than himself.
  • The Leader: Saw himself as this, and he did everything he could to back it up in fairness.
  • Manly Tears: Shed them after messing up a calzone during a challenge, even admitting that he had no shame doing so.
  • Non-Gameplay Elimination: Slipped a disc in Episode 8 and ended up leaving the show.
  • Sore Loser: He HATED losing, arguing with his team after episode 4's challenge and accusing the team of being okay with losing challenges.
    • This extended to losing in dinner services as well, as he was livid over being thrown out of the third service.
      "I'm a little furious right now. I fucking hate losing and getting kicked out of the kitchen."
  • What Could Have Been: A YMMV trope, but based on his form, he could have made to black jackets, at least.
    • Which he actually manages to do in his return in Season 18, making it all the way to third place.
Placement: 11th (Medical exit)
Bret's Elimination Comment - "You know, it's my life, it's my passion, but I'm worried about the present and the near future. You know, at this point in time, this is the end. I got a lot of support, that's why I'm not gonna fucking stop doing what I'm doing here."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - No comment.

Sarah Baumert

"It's not fun working with people who hate you. It just royally sucks!"
Occupation: Chef Instructor
Age: 27
Hometown: Dallas, TX
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hk_sarah.png

  • Brainless Beauty: She was a model pre-HK.
  • Cordon Bleugh Chef: Her mixing in pistachios into her lasagne for Episode 5's cheese dish challenge was not well received at all by Ramsay.
  • Crippling Overspecialization: Aside from the cheese dish, she was generally a very solid performer in the challenges, but was never that impressive in the actual services.
  • The Ditz: To an extent; while she's done well in most of the challenges and even one or two services, she has a tendency to get lost and frazzled. It's rare during service that she doesn't have a deer-in-headlights look on her face.
    • In episode 7's punishment, she was clumsily wandering around trying to find an outlet for the vacuum cleaner, irritating her teammates (Meghan in particular) to no end by repeatedly asking where it was.
  • Epic Fail: Her performance on meat in episode 7, which resulted in Ramsay kicking the entire red team out and having the blue team finish it for them.
  • The Friend Nobody Likes: Cited herself as this in her elimination statement. Shades of this appeared in her last episode, as her team finally started to lose patience with her inconsistent services, and after she requested to move to the blue team, looks of relief could be seen on their faces (particularly Josh and Bret) when she was eliminated instead.
  • Rule of Three: She was eliminated on her third nomination.
  • What Were You Thinking?: She got caught saying (although not out loud) "Can we try again?", when Ramsay was tearing the red team a new one during the third service. Needless to say, Ramsay did not let them try again.
Placement: 12th
Sarah's Elimination Comment - "It's hard to cook in a situation where people just don't care about you. These women didn't have my back, and I didn't stand up for myself enough. This was the opportunity of a lifetime, and I blew it. Performance speaks for itself, and I wasn't able to step up."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - "Sarah kept telling me she was here to learn. Unfortunately for her, I'm not looking for learners, I'm looking for leaders."

Brendan Pelley

"Bret just slapped me on my ass. Things are turning around."
Occupation: Executive Chef
Age: 34
Hometown: Bedford, MA
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hk_brendan_s14.jpg

  • Death Glare: Gave one to Cameron in the second episode, when the latter got them both benched for badly cooked fish.
  • The Generic Guy: Never stood out much whilst on the show.
  • Never My Fault: After being nominated for elimination, Brendan claimed that his teammates let him sink on the fish station, ignoring the fact that he sank in part because he was trying to be the hero. By contrast, Nick at least acknowledged his mistakes on the same station. Even after being eliminated as a result, he still didn’t get the point.
Placement: 13th
Brendan's Elimination Comment - "I think Milly thinks I'm someone that I'm not. I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth, but I'm definitely not the worst cook here. There's kids in there that should be washing dishes in my restaurant. Chef Ramsay definitely made the wrong call tonight. His loss."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - "Brendan considers himself a well-read chef. Unfortunately, it's only his books that have a spine."

Monique Booker

"Fuck you guys, I'm still mad at you for putting me up there too."
Occupation: Line Cook
Age: 23
Hometown: Lynn, MA
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hk_monique.png

  • Epic Fail:
    • Her signature dish, where she had the nerve to serve up jarred tomato sauce without a care in the world, and cost her team their last chance to win the first challenge. Her chastising Chef Ramsay for not telling her to use strictly fresh ingredients didn't help her case at all.
    • During the team challenge in what would prove to be her final episode, her idea of a "gourmet" grilled cheese sandwich was to just make the sort of simple sandwich you'd see at a particularly cheap roadside diner, and then add a few sliced tomatoes on top.
    • It's fairly rare that someone gets thrown out for doing poorly on the garnishes, and even rarer for someone to bring Ramsay poorly-cooked garnishes three times in a row.
  • Establishing Character Moment: For both her and T, really. When Monique hears Alison mention she's from Jamaica, Monique asks what's the language then brings up it's probably Rasta. T in the confessional points out how stupid that is to say and hopes Monique gets cut. It establishes Monique as an idiot who never thinks about anything she says, and T as someone who doesn't put up with foolishness.
  • The Friend Nobody Likes: Quickly became this due to her high amount of mistakes. It says something when Alison, Michelle, and T started openly celebrating when it looked like she was going to get eliminated in episode 4.
  • Genre Blind: Serving canned marinara sauce to Ramsay, then complaining that he wasn't specific enough that he wanted it fresh, more than counts. Hell, it may count as being PROFESSION blind.
  • Innocently Insensitive: Toward Alison, who was born in Jamaica:
    Monique: So do you have your own language, or is it just Rasta?
  • Laser-Guided Karma: At the start of the fifth episode, the other women made a last-ditch attempt to understand Monique's problems, but she accused them of trying to exploit her weaknesses to get her kicked out faster and told them to fuck off. In the next dinner service, she crashed and burned, finally resulting in her elimination.
  • The Load: She did poorly in all five of the services and challenges she was around for, except for episode 3's challenge, but even then, she didn't earn a point because Mieka's dish was deemed superior.
  • Never My Fault: Even by the usual standards of the show she was a particularly bad example of this. Not only did she blame Ramsay for not telling her that canned sauce is a no-no, she screwed up in pretty much every service and refused to admit ever being at fault, and when Alison told Ramsay that Monique had burned some scallops, she actually got angry that Alison had told the truth instead of Taking the Heat for her. It eventually got to the point where she claimed to have been nominated for no reason despite screwing up nearly every garnish and not even being aware of what she'd done wrong, which proved the final straw for Ramsay.
  • Rule of Three: She was eliminated on her third nomination.
  • Too Dumb to Live: The signature dish challenge went better than it ever had in HK history, with 15 of the first 17 dishes earning at least some praise. Then Monique presented her dish last, where she admitted to using canned sauce without a care in the world (one of THE ways to immediately put yourself directly in kitchen donkey territory; other than Season 3's Rock and Season 16's Kimberly, no chef who used a prepackaged ingredient in their signature dish has even made it more than halfway through the competition). She then had the nerve to talk back to Chef Ramsay when he called her out on it, where she said she didn't know he wanted fresh sauce. She then said in the confessional that only Italians bother to make their own sauce.
Placement: 14th
Monique's Elimination Comment - "Clearly, these bitches didn't like me since day one. I wouldn't do anything different, because I'm not gonna change who I am to make these bitches happy. We're not here to like each other, we're here to bang out dinner service and get shit done! There's no way I'm the worst cook here, like, are you serious? It's so fucking stupid that I'm standing here right now."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - "Monique acted like she was the victim, but the real victim was anyone who had to eat her food tonight."

Michelle "Mieka" Houser

"Dude, lamb's not a tough dish. We look dumb as fuck!"
Occupation: Sous Chef
Age: 25
Hometown: Olney, MD
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hk_mieka.jpg

  • Cordon Bleugh Chef: Played with; Her signature dish was a bizarre combination of shrimp on a bed of asparagus and peach salsa. Gordon wasn't impressed.
  • The Generic Girl: Never really stood out.
  • Lipstick Lesbian: Offhandedly mentioned her girlfriend in the second episode, before admitting in a later episode that she wasn't romantically interested in men.
  • The Load: One of the weaker chefs on the red team, and in her last two services, she got the red team kicked out of the kitchen.
  • One-Steve Limit: Her first name is actually Michelle, but she went by the nickname “Mieka” to avoid confusion with the other (and much stronger) Michelle.
Placement: 15th
Mieka's Elimination Comment - "Holy shit! I did not see that one coming. I don't believe that what happened tonight was fair. Monique did deserve to go home, but you know, life isn't fair. Some people just get lucky."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - "You've heard the saying "The meek will inherit the Earth"? Well, the Mieka shall not inherit the position as my next head chef."

Michael Dussault

"I got sand in my mouth, I'm soaking wet from the water, I'm freezing... a lot going on here."
Occupation: Senior Center Chef
Age: 38
Hometown: Hartford, CT
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hk_michael_s14.jpg

  • Ambiguously Jewish: He said during the signature dish challenge that he worked in a Jewish retirement community, though didn't actually confirm to being Jewish himself.
  • Butt-Monkey: No one on the team thought particularly highly of him. The only time his team respected him was when he plead his case and survived over Cameron. When he was eliminated, the remaining men outright told the women the team was better off without him.
  • Cloud Cuckoo Lander: In every service, he had at least one moment of this.
  • The Ditz: During the blue team's punishment in episode 3, when Sous Chef James told the men that it was lunchtime, Michael ran upstairs and started cooking his lunch. If he'd watched the show before, he would have known that he was about to be SERVED lunch (and probably not good lunch either).
  • Harsher in Hindsight: An In-Universe example; during the signature dish challenge, Gordon jokingly asks him if anyone ever died eating his food, to which he replied no. Cut ahead to the third dinner service to the hot pan incident, where he could've caused someone a serious third-degree burn. Fittingly, he was given the boot for that one.
  • Lethal Chef: He nearly gave Bret or Josh a third-degree burn by putting down a red-hot pan right next to the fish station's cold pans. This eventually resulted in his elimination, with Ramsay deeming it one of the most dangerous things he'd ever seen on the show.
  • The Load: Michael was easily the worst chef on the relatively strong blue team. He constantly messed up in challenges, and was often a weak link in service.
  • Never My Fault: Was very nonchalant about the hot pan, and in his elimination statement, he specifically said he "made one mistake", refusing to take responsibility for a lot of other screwups he made in his time.
  • Too Dumb to Live: Even after his elimination, he didn't seem to grasp the severity of the hot pan incident. He should count himself lucky that none of his fellow teammates had a chance to grab said pan before Ramsay caught him.
  • What Were You Thinking?: Brought a recipe for the risotto to prep. Chef Ramsay called him out for not knowing the recipe by heart.
    • Got an even worse one in episode 3, after putting a burning hot pan under the fish station, which could've potentially given either of the chefs on the station (Bret and Josh) a burn so severe that they would've had to leave the show. Ramsay eliminated him for this, on top of numerous other screwups.
Placement: 16th
Michael's Elimination Comment - "Michelin star, you know, it's not my thing, I guess. I can go back to where I was at the senior center. I think Nick and Adam are liabilities. You know, serving raw pork, serving plastic in a salad... I made one mistake, I don't feel that should have sent me home."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - "Fortunately for Michael, he can go back to his job at the senior centre. Unfortunately for his residents, it's as the chef."

Cameron Spagnolo

"Chef Ramsay is really intimidating."
Occupation: Banquet Chef
Age: 33
Hometown: Jersey City, NJ
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hk_cameron.png

  • Cloud Cuckoo Lander: At times, he spaced out so much that seemed to be on another planet.
  • Graceful Loser: Despite being pretty full of himself in the second episode, especially during prep, he admitted during his elimination that he had no one but himself to blame for what had happened.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: While he did have a massive ego that annoyed the other chefs, he didn't seem like a bad guy. He felt awful and blamed himself for losing the challenge in the second episode, did apologize for his know-it-all attitude, and did comfort Brendan over his bad service.
  • Know-Nothing Know-It-All: Kept trying to use his "knowledge" to dictate things to the blue team in the second episode's punishment; it was apparent that he was talking out of his ass.
  • Nervous Wreck: For all his boasting, once Ramsay rounded on him for a mistake he made, he could never bounce back. He himself even admitted that he was intimidated by Ramsay. This would be what sent him home.
  • Small Name, Big Ego: During the punishment of episode 2, he talked himself up and bragged about stuff he allegedly knew, and proclaimed that he was clearly the best on the blue team...he went home later that episode.
Placement: 17th
Cameron's Elimination Comment - "I really, really, really wanted to win and show everybody that I'm a good cook, I'm a great person, and I deserve it. You know, I buckled under the pressure. I was intimidated, and I lost my sense of cooking, and it cost me. I'm not as smart as I think I am, I guess."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - "Cameron was too intimidated to perform when I was watching him, so I did him a favour and made sure he doesn't have to be around me anymore."

Chrissa Schmerler

"I was in the cookie aisle..."
Occupation: Food Truck Chef & Owner
Age: 34
Hometown: Bellmore, NY
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hk_chrissa_1.jpg

  • Cloud Cuckoo Lander: In general, was totally oblivious to everything that was going on around her and is one of the ditziest contestants to have ever appeared on Hell's Kitchen.
  • Cordon Bleugh Chef: Served Ramsay chicken wrapped in a ginger cookie; he spat it out almost immediately.
  • The Ditz: In addition to her gross signature dish, she was completely inept and clueless in the kitchen; she needed Sarah's help on her station, ultimately getting her kicked out to the dining room, she completely avoided any sort of responsibility by literally standing in the corner, and just stood around doing dishes while her teammates deliberated on who to nominate. And the kicker: she told Ramsay she needed to go to the bathroom during the pre-service debriefing. Finally, when she was eliminated, she wandered off towards the exit without giving Ramsay her jacket; Gordon had to call her over to get the jacket.
Placement: 18th
Chrissa's Elimination Comment - "I'm not gonna cry, because I know I'm too good for this shit, but it's very heartbreaking, because I know I'm a beast in the kitchen. Chef Ramsay asks this before dinner service, 'Are you okay?' That makes me weak, because I pee? Maybe I am a little quirky and different, but... I don't know what to tell you. It is who I am."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - "There is nothing more terrifying to Chrissa than jumping off a building, but there is nothing more terrifying to me than the thought of having her as my next head chef."

     Season 15 

Ariel Malone

"If you want to continue to talk, I will continue to raise my voice! The conversation is now OVER, B!"
Occupation: Country Club Chef
Age: 26
Hometown: Hackensack, NJ
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ariel_malone_0.jpg

  • Consummate Professional: Despite her mutual dislike of Kristin, they work together well in the kitchen.
  • Determinator: Refuses to let a broken foot keep her out of the competition, like Dave from season 6 with his hand.
  • Handicapped Badass: She injures her foot in episode 7 and opts to remain in the competition by wearing a compression boot, meaning that she has to do prep work sitting down and can't really move much from her station during dinner service. In the same episode, despite the service being disastrous, Ariel makes no mistakes in her cooking and it's only thanks to her taking charge that the Red Team is (barely) able to complete service. Afterwards, despite a few bumps, she has remained consistently one of the strongest chefs on her team despite her injured leg.
  • Hypocrite: Nominated Vanessa for elimination after the third service, telling Chef Ramsay that she wasn't a team player. This may have had more weight, had Ariel not overridden the team consensus of Manda in order to nominate Vanessa.
  • Informed Flaw: Her “attitude”. The other chefs kept bringing up that she apparently had an attitude, but at least from what was shown on camera, she actually seemed to be one of the season’s mellowest contestants. In fact, out of the entire final eight, she seemed to get into the least amount of drama out of any of them. While she did still get into some arguments and make some snarky comments, the arguments were pretty much always instigated by the other person, and her snarky comments were mostly in the Confession Cam segments rather than direct jabs to anyone’s face.
  • The Leader: Was often this for the red team.
  • Manipulative Bastard: Shows signs of this, such as by sending Chad up with an improperly prepared salad, and tends to get other people to take dishes that aren't done properly up to the pass in her place.
  • Never My Fault: A lot of the people who were eliminated instead of her felt she had this attitude. To be fair to them, she did have a bad habit of putting up other people's stuff without their asking to let them take the dive and make herself look better. She tried to blame them for this and had an issue accepting responsibility in general.
  • No True Scotsman: According to one of her Confession Cam segments, being on the receiving end of this throughout her life was one of the reasons that she got into cooking. She said that she wasn’t considered black enough for the black kids, Jewish enough for the Jewish kids, or white enough for the white kids, but always felt like she belonged with other chefs in the kitchen.
  • Only Friend: For Jackie. Whenever she and Jackie would argue and it looked like the friendship might end, other contestants would outright mention that Ariel is this for Jackie. Jackie seemed to realize this and would mend the problems AND work extra hard for Ariel to help Ariel win the season.
  • Shadow Archetype: In a way, she seemed to be one to Season 6's Dave. Whereas Dave was very-well liked by his fellow chefs (and the fans), and took responsibility for his mistakes, Ariel was the opposite, getting into several arguments and often throwing chefs under the bus.
  • Smug Super: She was very upfront and arrogant about her skills, but she could back it up in the kitchen.
  • The Rival: Subverted. She and Kristin don't like each other but are professional enough to work together.
  • Took a Level in Badass: She started off average in the beginning, but Ramsay admired how much she grew and backed up her outspokenness, leading to her winning.
  • Worthy Opponent: Admits there's no one she'd rather be in the final two with than Kristin.
Placement: Winner
Ariel's Winner Comment - "This opportunity is just gonna open the doors for me to have a happy life. It's just really an awesome feeling. I mean, I can't even imagine. A quarter of a million dollars? Like, I've never had more than $2,000 in my bank account at one time. I really can't wait to share this with all of my family and friends that have believed in me."
Ramsay's Winner Comment - "Right from the very beginning, Ariel let her presence be known. She was always outspoken but she backed up her confidence with her cooking. Creative, talented and unique, she is an out-of-the-box thinker who will make a great head chef at BLT Steak."

Kristin Barone

"I mean who doesn't want to play with a tiger, right?"
Occupation: Line Cook
Age: 27
Hometown: Chicago, IL
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hk_kristin.png

  • Brutal Honesty: Pulls no punches when criticizing her teammates.
  • Consummate Professional: Despite her mutual dislike of Ariel, they work together well in the kitchen.
  • Deadpan Snarker: She had her moments of this, although they were mainly saved for the Confession Cam.
  • Graceful Loser: Like (almost) all Hell's Kitchen runner-ups, she takes her loss in the finale extremely gracefully.
  • Hidden Depths: She revealed during the signature dish challenge that she got into cooking due to being under house arrest.
  • Humiliation Conga: Went through this in the third episode, where on top of revealing she never made a spanakopita, the one she made was considered disgusting. Later during service, she failed to call back an entree order, resulting in Christina writing the order on her back. Kristin managed to avoid nomination however.
  • Off Screen Moment Of Awesome: Jackie was nearly ejected from the competition for dumping an ashtray on Kristin, but Kristin allowed her to stay just so she could beat Jackie herself.
  • The Rival: With Dannie and Jackie, accusing the former of giving herself false credit and the latter of being a poor performer during service.
    • Also openly admits to hating Ariel, but understands that they still have to work together during service.
  • Worthy Opponent: Eventually comes to regard Ariel as this.
Placement: 2nd
Kristin's Runner-Up Comment - "I'm a little overwhelmed, but this is a turning point in my life, and a turning point in my career. I've grown into someone that I'm so proud of. You know, my picture's not in the hallway, but being a finalist has been the best experience ever."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - No comment.

Ashley Nickell

Also Season 17 (All Stars)
"We are competing to become the head chef at BLT Steak. Not BLT Chicken, not BLT Fish, BLT Steak!"
Occupation: Chef de Cuisine
Age: 27
Hometown: Orlando, FL
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/img_2573.JPG

  • Drama Queen: When Jared took Kristin out for his reward in episode 14, Ashley seemed really pissed. Jared took a long time trying to make her feel better.
    Ashley: (to Jared) You are officially dead to me. We are not friends. You have officially lost the only friend you have.
  • Fag Hag: On top of the fact that she comes from a family of two gay fathers, she also makes a quick comment upon seeing the dining room decorated for a wedding hoping that it’s for “a fabulous gay wedding.”
  • In the Blood: Her two dads are chefs also, and own three restaurants in fact. Deconstructed in Episode 11, when the pressure of living up to their name is shown to stress her to the point of almost having a nervous breakdown, and it's also revealed that she's worried about people thinking she's successful because of them and not her own abilities.
  • Only Friend: For Jared.
  • Taught by Experience: Watched previous seasons of Hell's Kitchen before entering it herself, so she'd know what mistakes to not make.
  • "Well Done, Son" Guy: She really wants to make her dads proud of her. Deconstructed in that the pressure she puts on herself drives her to tears after her first mistake in a long while in Episode 11.
Placement: 3rd
Ashley's Elimination Comment - "I did not come to Hell's Kitchen to walk through that door, I came to Hell's Kitchen to walk through the big door, the door to my future. This has been a wild journey. It has been the hardest thing I've ever done, but I made it very far. I'm proud of myself. After working with my dads for eight years, I have done this entire competition completely on my own. I have done it with my own talent, and I learned that I am one tough bitch. Winning Hell's Kitchen would've been my ultimate dream come true, but my dad is probably really happy deep down that I didn't win because he's not gonna lose me to BLT Steak."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - "Ashley's a young chef with a very bright future. She earned her place in the final three, and I have no doubt that she'll be a great success."

Jared Bobkin

Also Season 17 (All Stars)
"Some chefs choose booze. Some chefs choose drugs as their vice. I guess I choose women."
Occupation: Line Cook
Age: 28
Hometown: Oak Park, MI
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jared_bobkin.jpg

  • Achilles' Heel: The meat station, serving raw chicken at Chef Andi's wedding dinner
  • Badasses Wear Bandanas: Always wore one at services.
  • Drama Queen: He took extreme measures trying to comfort Ashley in episode 14 after she got pissed from Jared taking Kristin out for his reward instead of her, despite Kristin having not much connection with him at all. Fortunately, they reconciled, which sort of exemplified this trope.
    Jared: Ashley, I never meant to hurt you. I'm sorry I hurt you... I'm sorry. Ashley, it's been a hard time!
    Manda: Best drama queen in a reality show goes to... Jared!
  • Four Is Death: Was eliminated after being nominated for the fourth time.
  • Graceful Loser: He was eliminated with Manda, and both took their respective eliminations extremely well.
  • Gratuitous French: Started saying “oui” in one service, confusing Chad and irritating Frank.
  • Hidden Depths: Was a former poker player.
  • Long-Haired Pretty Boy: In an old photo, it was revealed Jared had long, flowing blonde hair.
  • The One Guy: After surviving elimination over Frank. He was also the only guy this season in black jackets, much like Jon from Season 11.
  • Picked Last: Surprisingly, in the finale, between himself and Chad.
  • The Rival: With Frank, due to seeing him as someone who talks about "bouncing back" and learning from their struggles while not delivering himself.
  • Star-Crossed Lovers: With Ashley. Half of his elimination retrospective montage was about her.
Placement: 4th
Jared's Elimination Comment - "From that first moment I came to Hell's Kitchen, I was confident. Right out of the gate, I showed that I'm strong, but I had my fair share of bumps along the way. One of the best things about being on Hell's Kitchen was becoming friends with Ashley. Yeah, we had our fight, but Ashley and I were just genuine friends. It's been a hell of a journey. I may not be the executive chef of BLT Steak, but I'm leaving here with my head held very high."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - "I can't deny Manda's passion nor Jared's commitment, but it was painfully obvious that they just couldn't measure up to my final three."

Amanda "Manda" Palomino

Also Season 17 (All Stars)
"I'm pissed the fuck off! They didn't even throw me under a bus, they threw me under a fucking Mack truck!"
Occupation: Sous Chef
Age: 30
Hometown: Atlantic City, NJ
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/img_2590.JPG

  • Break the Cutie: While she was not the most consistent chef of the season, she got screwed over on a couple of occasions. Such as when Frank shoved her dish in the wedding challenge out and putting two of his own instead, or when Frank barely communicated to Manda during service ten about the French toast, getting Manda kicked out when it burnt.
  • Deadpan Snarker: This quote exemplifies it best.
    Manda: Best drama queen in a reality show goes to... Jared!
  • Determinator: Not the best chef, but for someone with so little confidence in herself she never gave up.
  • Graceful Loser: She was eliminated with Jared, and both took their respective eliminations extremely well. Manda seemed genuinely excited that she was getting back to her kids.
  • Insane Troll Logic: When Ramsay finds a hair in a dish, Manda insists to the Confession Cam that it can't be hers, because her hair is brown and the hair was black, so it must be Jared's because his hair is black. This ignores the fact that not only is Jared bald (and eventually revealed he was a blonde), but the other chef, Dannie, has blonde hair, so by process of elimination...
  • Only Known by Their Nickname: Her real name is Amanda, but she went by Manda during the show.
  • The Rival: With Frank, seeing him as someone who never takes responsibility for his mistakes.
    Manda: Frank's so annoying. He's just trying to brown-nose his way through life. I don't care who you are or what you do. Just do your job!
  • The Woobie: Frank treated her like crap. She was also clearly having a hard time with being separated from her children.
Placement: 5th
Manda's Elimination Comment - "Walking into Hell's Kitchen, I didn't think I was gonna make it past the first week. I was not confident in myself at all. Bad things happen, but then great things happen, too. I've done things while I was here that I would've never have been able to do any other time in my life. You can make it in Hell's Kitchen, you can make it absolutely anywhere, and I've grown throughout this competition. I can't wait to go home and show my kids this new and improved mommy. Jack, Dylan, Audrey, Mommy is coming home! Get ready!"
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - "I can't deny Manda's passion nor Jared's commitment, but it was painfully obvious that they just couldn't measure up to my final three."

Danielle "Dannie" Harrison

"I didn't ask to come back. Fuck it, I didn't ask to come back."
Occupation: Line Cook
Age: 30
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dannie_harrison.png

  • Beehive Hairdo: Looks like this in episode 11 when going out on a reward to the racetrack, topped with a huge flower in her hair.
    Jackie: Dannie ain't going to no racetrack, that girl going to church. Hallelujah!
  • Epic Fail: Gets a 0 out of 4 on the blind taste test challenge.
  • Hidden Depths: Was a former boxer
  • Jerkass: While on the red team, she tended to cause fights and talk down to other chefs. Then when they got frustrated would tell them not to talk to her like that, making them even angrier and just dismissing them entirely. This was especially bad when Hassan joined the team to help it out and she kept clashing with him while acting like she was suddenly the leader of the team. The attitude toned down when she was switched to the blue team, probably because she realized she was transferred due to her weaknesses rather than her strengths. It probably helps that when she joined the blue team, the resident Jerkass of the team Frank was becoming more and more unstable causing the entire team to step back.
  • Leader Wannabe: Tried to be this throughout the season, even to the extent she would clash with Hassan who was sent over to help out. This ultimately never came to fruition.
  • Only Known by Their Nickname: Her real name is Danielle, but she went by Dannie during the show.
  • Screw This, I'm Out of Here!: Abandons Ariel during the final service and walks out after the pressure gets to her.
  • Small Name, Big Ego: Constantly boasts to anybody who listens that she's the best chef in the Red Team, even after she makes big mistakes.
    • Took a Level in Kindness: Became nicer after being moved to the Blue Team, being more focused on trying to be a leader than trying to brag about her abilities. Unfortunately led to her elimination due to her failure to be a leader.
Placement: 6th
Dannie's Elimination Comment - "It's shocking to me that I'm leaving right before black jackets. I was being vocal, I tried to lead the team, and it just wasn't enough, but I know I can walk anywhere and do any job that, you know, is ahead of me, and my future is very bright."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - "Dannie may be a boxer in her spare time, but her lack of fight tonight proved she just couldn't go the distance."

Frank Cala

"You wanna speak to me, you say 'FRANK!'"
Occupation: Marine Chef
Age: 25
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/frank_cala.jpg

  • The Bully: The way Frank treated Manda (and by his own admission, female marines) can only be described as this. He constantly shouted at her, blamed her for every speedbump he could, and his personal quote above is him telling her how to speak to him in any capacity. He didn't let up and got worse as time went on, which really showed Manda's status as a determinator for not folding under his pressure. Even during his exit speech, he was still trying to find ways to attack her.
  • Crazy Enough to Work: He did not have any faith in Manda's skills, and this was best shown during the wedding planning challenge. He made two dishes that resulted in Manda's dish sitting out. While the blue team won in the end, both of his dishes failed to score a point.
  • Drama Queen: Frank was a dramatic contestant, constantly moping or shouting about how much he hates his fellow competitors. Most of his drama with others was started by him rather than them, yet he would act as they started it. His teammates, especially towards the end of his run, got really tired of him because of this.
  • Epic Fail: Having no faith in Manda's skills as a chef, during the wedding challenge, he prepares an extra beef dish and shoves aside Manda's to replace hers with his own. He presents both his dishes to the judges, and both get dinged on for being bad.
    • He also gets 0 out of 4 in the blind taste challenge, at one point answering with "Snickers", flooring everyone and making Ramsay point out that Snickers is not an ingredient.
  • He-Man Woman Hater: In a similar manner to Season 4's Jason, he constantly look down upon and made several disparaging comments about the women, as well as his rant about them that got him fired from the marines.
  • Hypocrite: In the final episode when he came back to help the finalists, he got stuck with Kristin. Kristin had standards and was in control and vocal. Frank, however, had a problem with her attitude and mentioned that kind of attitude is what made people want to kill themselves or you. Frank must have forgotten how he treated Manda the entire season before his elimination. Of course, he was a sexist jerk, so that’s probably justified.
  • Insane Troll Logic: He had a tendency to throw any chef he could under the bus by telling them to watch food he already ruined. Whenever the food inevitably came back, he would say that since the other chef watched his food, his food was now their responsibility, thus his mistakes didn't count
  • Jerkass: Big time, he was pretty openly disrespectful to everyone on his team but especially to women. This extended to real life as well as he loudly bragged about his poor treatment of female marines in his exit interview which lead to him getting demoted as seen below.
  • Laser-Guided Karma: Spent most of his time as a sexist towards the female chefs. His derogatory remarks about female marines in his elimination statement sparked an online backlash from viewers, as well as other active-duty or former military personnel. In response, the Marine Corps launched an investigation and ultimately removed Frank from his position on the Commandant's staff. As an additional moment of karma, Manda, who he constantly trashed on, made it further than he did.
  • Large Ham: Very bombastic and outspoken.
  • Logic Bomb: The following quote, which has been widely mocked and made fun of:
    Frank: She only won because I lost. That's not a winner.
  • The Napoleon: He has the shortest temper despite being one of the smallest guys on his team.
  • Never My Fault: Arguably Frank's second most defining characteristic. He would constantly demand other people to watch his food, food he already had ruined. When his failures made them look bad, he would say that they accepted responsibility and so any mistakes he made are no longer relevant. When his team called him out for his attitude and they won the challenge the next day and were on the reward, he was sulking the entire time because he didn't want to be with backstabbers. All of this without realizing that they had entirely legitimate reasons for putting him up. Jared and Manda repeatedly chewed him out for this not only in confession cams but to his face that despite being a marine, he never accepted responsibility for any mistakes he made. This caused his elimination, which he refused to accept responsibility for and instead blamed it on a "popularity contest" which led to the infamous rant that got him fired from his post in the marines.
  • No Indoor Voice: Demonstrated by his quote.
  • Professional Butt-Kisser: Attempts to be this to Sous Chef Aaron during the durian punishment. His teammates and Sous Chef Aaron see through this.
  • The Rival: With Jared and Manda, seeing the former as a bossy competitor who thinks he knows more than everyone else and having no faith in the latter's skills as he hates working with female chefs.
  • The Stoic: He almost never laughed or even smiled.
  • Straw Misogynist: Continuously made negative comments about women in general, saying that they were bringing drama to his team and that he hates working with them and etc. He even ended up losing his job due to the misogynistic comments that he made on the show.
Placement: 7th
Frank's Elimination Comment - "Unfortunately, it turned out to be Frank's last night, because of a popularity contest. The blue team never had any drama, until the females came aboard, and that's when the ship sunk. And that's exactly why I get fucking female Marines and I send them back wherever the fuck they came from."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - "Like all Marines, Frank was strong and very proud. Unfortunately for him, he's just not ready for the rank of head chef."

Jackie Fuchs

"I am the epitome of Jersey. I'm tough, I'm beautiful, I'm sexy, I will kick your ass and suck your dick all at the same time."
Occupation: Line Cook
Age: 32
Hometown: Jersey City, NJ
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jackie_fuchs.jpg

  • Achilles' Heel: To the otherwise vastly more competent red team; just look at the previous 6 chefs to be eliminated (2 were men who were transferred to the Red Team, the other 4 were from the Blue Team). Her toxic attitude and lack of experience were both part of this.
  • Break the Haughty: With nine chefs left, she costs her team the challenge due in no small part to wasting half the time given just deciding what she should cook. She takes Sous Chef Christina aside to ask if maybe she tried out for Hell's Kitchen too soon due to her lack of experience, and realizes her ego is getting her into problems with more experienced chefs that would be more willing to help her if she was nicer to them. In the dinner service that night she's more subdued and accepts advice that her chicken will be rejected if she takes it up, so she (reluctantly) listens and fires up a new batch. In a more comedic example of this, she was very upset Ashley did not find her attractive and got eliminated in the same episode as she broke down due to being told this.
  • Even the Girls Want Her: Or at least she claims that’s the case. When she started boasting that most lesbians found her attractive, Ashley, who is bisexual herself, told her bluntly that she found Jared more attractive than Jackie.
  • Extreme Omnivore: Ate both the fish head soup and duck feet sandwich punishment meals much to the disgust of her teammates.
  • Four Is Death: Was eliminated after being nominated for the fourth time.
  • Joisey: AND HOW. Self-described, even!
  • Large Ham: Very much so, although it varies on how pleasant it is.
  • Lethal Chef: While bringing pink chicken to the pass, as Jackie did in the fourth dinner service, is a worryingly common occurrence, Jackie is the first person to defend doing so, saying to her team and Confession Cam (but not to Chef Ramsay) that it was only "a little pink", and that she would have served it in her own restaurant.
  • The Load: Outside of a few solid challenge performances, Jackie was more often than not a weak performer on the Red Team due to her lack of experience. Her toxic attitude did not help matters.
  • Pet the Dog:
    • Unlike some chefs in the show, Jackie does appear to get along well with children, as shown in the fifth episode where she compliments a young actress (who also happens to be Millie Bobby Brown before her breakout role in Stranger Things).
    • After a bad joke with Sous Chef Christina, Jackie does apologize to her for writing a crude word on the prep list.
    • Upon returning to the finals, Jackie makes a strong effort to improve her attitude and gives her best performance in the kitchen to help Ariel win the competition. Her efforts pay off as Ariel is then chosen as the winner, prompting an overjoyed Jackie to happily celebrate Ariel's success.
  • The Rival: With Kristin, due to the former's constant criticism of Jackie.
  • Small Name, Big Ego: She considered herself one of the best chefs on the Red Team, but she didn't do much to back that boast up. She admits in one episode she's only been cooking for three months; instead of realizing her obvious inexperience compared to the competition, she holds that as proof of her skill that she's doing just as well as them.
  • Too Dumb to Live: During prep, jokingly wrote a crude name on the prep list. Sous Chef Christina, needless to say, was not amused and tore into Jackie for doing so...and Jackie proceeded to interrupt Christina mid-rant.
    • To her credit, she did at least later apologize to Christina.
  • Took a Level in Badass: In the finale. She was Ariel's first pick and made a strong effort to be a better team worker, determined to help Ariel win. Apart from having difficulty with the sizes of fish, she was arguably Ariel's strongest member and was even able to pick up the slack on the meat station after Dannie basically gave up and walked out of service.
  • Took a Level in Kindness: Jackie was notably more cooperative and level-headed as she returns to the finals, which may have worked in Ariel's favour in winning the competition.
  • What Could Have Been: After the ash-tray incident, Jackie was close to being ejected from the competition, before Kristin allowed her stay...only so she could beat her herself.
Placement: 8th
Jackie's Elimination Comment - "I'm standing here, not on my cooking ability at all, but on how I get mad. They feel like I'm not professional, and maybe they're just intimidated. I mean, maybe they thought I was gonna kill them all. I don't fucking know."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - "Jackie was one of the most outspoken chefs in the history of Hell's Kitchen. It's just a shame her mouth was bigger than her talent."

Chad Gelso

"This is my bounce-back, I'm getting back in the saddle."
Occupation: Sous Chef
Age: 25
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/img_2591.JPG

  • Badass Decay: Started off well enough, but dipped from service six onwards, so Ramsay sent him to the Red Team. Other than winning a challenge for them, he did not improve and was eliminated after two services.
  • The Generic Guy: Focused more on being professional than having a colorful personality.
  • Lantern Jaw of Justice: He has a very noticeable square jaw.
  • Only Sane Man: He tried to be this due to all the other personalities, but he eventually he got dragged into drama, and his performances would start dropping right after.
Placement: 9th
Chad's Elimination Comment - "I had no idea Hell's Kitchen would be this difficult. What pisses me off is just to see some of the people in there move forward that I know shouldn't move forward. The only good thing about leaving Hell's Kitchen is I'm done with the red team, I don't have to listen to the bickering."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - "I gave Chad numerous chances to regain his confidence. Unfortunately, he wasted them all."

Joe Ricci

"When this is all over, can I use you as a reference on my resume?"
Occupation: Sous Chef
Age: 31
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/joe_ricci.png

  • Crippling Overspecialization: A great performer for the Blue Team in challenges, but struggled during dinner services, which lead to his elimination despite being on the winning team that night.
  • The Ditz:
    • One instance with this is when he wasn't paying attention to Ramsay's order, leading to What Were You Thinking?.
    • In one of the challenges, Joe made a lobster salad. However, when Ramsay questioned him on the noticeable lack of lobster in the salad, Joe admitted he "tasted" it "quite a bit". This and Chad's black garlic-covered tuna cost the Blue Team the challenge and forced them to deal with "delivery day".
  • Expy: He's a dorky Nice Guy who is not only funny, but also managed to get along with everyone in his season, placed 10th overall and was eliminated despite being on the winning team. Very much like Salvatore from Season 7.
  • Kaizo Trap: He would be eliminated from the winning team after having an awful performance on garnish.
  • Nice Guy: Easily the friendliest chef of the season, even to the extent he got along with pretty much everyone.
  • What Were You Thinking?: He forgets an order in episode 2 and proceeds to tell Ramsay that he forgot it and asked for the order. Ramsay reacted as you'd expect, leading to his teammates (and himself, in the confessional) uttering this phrase.
    • Another example is more humorous, but pretty much all of the blue team react with amusement when Joe asks Ramsay if he could use him as a reference on his resume.
Placement: 10th
Joe's Elimination Comment - "Hell's Kitchen was much more grueling than I could have ever imagined. It's easy to be an armchair quarterback when you're sitting at home watching it, going, 'Yeah, I could make a risotto.' It's a much different story when you're in the line of fire with Chef Ramsay up your rear end. If ifs and buts were candies and nuts, we'd all have a Merry Christmas, and I'm the one out here right now, so I'm the one that's gotta take it on the chin."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - "Joe had amazing taste profile and was a standout in challenges. Unfortunately for him, dinner services were just out of his reach."

Hassan Musselmani

"I'm not screaming, THIS IS HOW I TALK!"
Occupation: Catering Executive Chef
Age: 24
Hometown: Detroit, MI
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/e954f9b4_4fbd_41b6_b62f_a0546921cfab.png

  • Badass Decay: Initially seemed like the favorite to win due to his consistency and strong leadership skills, even resulting in Ramsay sending him to the floundering red team to guide them. Unfortunately, his performances start to tumble after, resulting in him being booted before the top ten.
  • Crosses the Line Twice: This quote:
    Hassan: They don't let my people on stunt planes.
  • Distracted by the Sexy: He was distracted heavily by Ms. Kristin Banta at Sous Chef Andi's wedding reception, which probably was the main culmination in his elimination.
  • Dramatic Irony: Before his elimination, he would state that the red team sending him home would only result in them being torn apart. While he was right on one part (in that, the red team amped up the arguing with Jackie), they also would win the next few services, and only one member of the blue team would make black jackets.
  • For Want Of A Nail: Hassan started out very well, with his signature dish being one of the highest scoring, and was one of the strongest links on the Blue Team. This was to the extent that Ramsay sent him over to the struggling Red Team. As soon as that change happened, the Blue Team would start losing more and more members, with Kevin and Alan being the first two, followed by Eddie in following service, and then Hassan himself right after. Not only that, but the Blue Team's drama was amped up considerably, and by the time of the final six, only one chef who started on the Blue Team (Jared), would make it to the Black Jackets.
  • The Heart: In a way, he was this to the blue team. When he was on the blue team, there was little fighting, and they won all their dinner services save for the first one. However, once he was switched to the red team, the blue team quickly started to crumble, with them fighting more often and losing more people.
  • High Hopes, Zero Talent: As mentioned above, Ramsay quickly saw potential in him, and sent him over to the quickly diminishing Red Team. As soon as he was switched, he ended up struggling for the first time, and combined with the lack of respect shown towards him, he was gone not long after.
  • Large Ham
  • The Leader: He was this on the Blue Team, then immediately took up the role again after being switched to the Red Team. Unfortunately for him, Dannie refuses to accept his leadership, and his own performance starts to tumble.
  • Nice Guy: Despite having an ego, he was without a doubt one of the nicer chefs of the season, even helping Ariel to the hospital.
  • No Indoor Voice: His page quote is his reaction to being told by Ashley to stop yelling during Episode 4's dinner service.
  • Removing the Crucial Teammate: As mentioned above, he was the strongest link on the Blue Team, but once he got sent over to the struggling Red Team, the Blue Team's drama amped up, and they started to lose more and more chefs.
  • Small Name, Big Ego: While it's nowhere near as bad as other chefs before, it became clear that him being sent over to the red team by Ramsay gave him a bit of an ego boost. Unfortunately, it would also result in his performances crumbling.
  • The Big Guy
  • Token Minority: The only contestant of Arabic descent so far.
Placement: 11th
Hassan's Elimination Comment - "I was the best person on the red team, and I'm a team player, and I'm a hard worker. The future for the red team right now, they're gonna fall apart again. They're gonna hate each other, they're gonna scream at each other, and you know what? I hope they do. I don't really care, I'm cheering for the blue team now."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - "I thought a move on the red team would give Hassan a chance to shine. Unfortunately, it only shined a light on his shortcomings."

Edward "Eddie" Jaskowiak

"CSI stands for Crime Scene Investigation, not your Chicken Sucks, Idiot!"
Occupation: Sous Chef
Age: 27
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/eddie_jaskowiak.png

  • Deadpan Snarker: The above quote was presented in this fashion.
  • Distracted by the Sexy: Eddie basically turned into a high schooler when serving the VIP in the fourth dinner service. Understandable, since the blue team VIP was Dita Von Teese.
  • Egomaniac Hunter: Downplayed on the egomaniac part, but it was clear he had a big fondness for hunting.
  • Famous for Being First: The first chef of polish descent.
  • Fatal Flaw: His lack of leadership skills, which bit him hard enough to result in his elimination.
  • HA HA HA—No: This was his reaction when Joe asked Ramsay if he could use him on his resume.
  • Hidden Depths: Stated that he owns over 20 guns, shot his first deer at the age of 16, and did not have a girlfriend at the time of the season.
  • Nice Guy: Snarky tendencies aside, Eddie was easily one of the friendlier and affable chefs of the season.
  • Only Known by Their Nickname: His real name is Edward, but he went by Eddie during the show.
Placement: 12th
Eddie's Elimination Comment - "I was here for a reason, and that reason was to win. I guess I tried too much to be a team player and help too many people besides myself. Just watch what happens to that blue team, they're gonna crumble. I guarantee you, a member of that red team is the one who takes everything home. Story of my life, nice guys finish last."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - "Eddie couldn't lead, and he certainly couldn't follow. And so it was time to get the fuck out of the way."

Alan Parker

"Come on guys, this isn't origami."
Occupation: Sous Chef
Age: 42
Hometown: Lancaster, PA
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/alan_parker_6.png

  • Anime Hair: Probably had the most...unique hairstyle of the season.
  • Beginner's Luck: His first set of scallops to reach the pass were perfect. Unfortunately, that was the last time Alan sent anything passable up to the pass that night.
  • Cordon Bleugh Chef: Topping a risotto with maple syrup of all things is quite an interesting way to start in Hell's Kitchen. Ramsay wasn't exactly eager to dig into that one.
  • Funny Foreigner
  • The Load: Outside of the dumpling challenge, Alan wasn't a very useful teammate, as more often than not he flopped in challenges and in service, something that Kevin was at least able to do both of.
  • Small Name, Big Ego: Saw himself as a strong cook, despite being one of the more inconsistent members of the blue team, as well as making some basic mistakes, such as cooking entrees before appetisers. Even during his elimination night he felt that he was strong.
Placement: 13th
Alan's Elimination Comment - "Chef Ramsay definitely made a mistake tonight. I had a couple missteps in the kitchen, but at the end of the day, blue team, they lost a strong cook. You know, hey, enjoy that, blue team, because I can see a lot of losses coming your way."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - "On a night when the dining room was filled with children, it was Alan who needed a babysitter. He and Kevin should both understand I'm not running a daycare."

Kevin Ridlon

"At this point, I gotta think to myself: 'Well, there's no place else but up.'"
Occupation: Culinary Manager
Age: 29
Hometown: Warwick, RI
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kevin_ridlon.png

  • Epic Fail: Flopped on scallops right after Ramsay personally showed him how to cook them. This ultimately led to his automatic elimination during dinner service.
    • There was also his signature dish, a Caesar salad pizza, which not only had awful presentation, but used pre-made food, nearly getting him sent home.
  • The Load: Constantly screwed up in the kitchen and was the Blue Team's most consistently weak chef, with him only managing to avoid elimination due to Hassan guiding him and being on the winning team. Eventually, Ramsay unceremoniously kicked him off the show in the middle of service just before a team meeting. They still lost that service, and Alan followed Kevin out.
  • Nice Guy: For all of Kevin's faults, it's clear he cared about the mistakes he made, and about his team in general.
  • Non-Standard Game Over: Rather than the usual method of being on the losing team, getting nominated by teammates, and then chosen to leave by Gordon Ramsay, Kevin fails so many times on the scallops that Gordon Ramsay just straight up fires him in the middle of service. He doesn’t even get a final speech and goodbye montage because of this, the show just goes back to the kitchen antics.
  • Press Start to Game Over: Was nearly on the end of this, due to his signature dish having awful presentation and using pre-made food.
  • Poor Communication Kills: Had a number of communication problems throughout the service, with one example nearly resulting in him putting perfectly cooked wellingtons in the convection oven. Thankfully, the others prevented him from doing so. Regardless, this would result in Hassan being the one who usually had to guide Kevin through service.
  • Took a Level in Badass: After his first nomination, he had a strong performance in the dumpling challenge, and even was one of the key members that helped the blue team win their first service. Come next service however, all that is immediately gone.
  • What Were You Thinking?: Who uses premade ingredients for Chef Ramsay? This is described as one of the major stupid moves one can make on Hell's Kitchen; no chef who used canned/frozen/packaged food in their opening signature dish has even made it to black jackets outside of Season 3 winner Rock and Season 16's Kimberly.
Placement: 14th (Eliminated mid-service)
Kevin's Elimination Comment - No comment.
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - No comment.

Melissa "Meese" Davis

"You're gonna put this all on me? Well, you know what? Fuck you, Ariel! You got another thing coming, 'cause your days are numbered."
Occupation: College Chef
Age: 25
Hometown: Upper Darby, PA
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/img_2575.JPG

  • Achilles' Heel: Not a bad chef, but her poor communication skills led to poor performances.
  • Misblamed: By Chef Ramsay in the second service, due to the undercooked snapper that was taken up to the pass. While it was true that Meese was the one that cooked the snapper, she had been out of the kitchen looking for a sizzling pan and had taken it off the stove to prevent it from overcooking, with Ariel being the one to take it up to the pass without asking anyone if it was ready. As for Ariel's reaction...see Never My Fault above.
  • Never My Fault: In the Episode 3 challenge, she was responsible of talking to Kristin's spanikopita dish, but failed to mention that it should have been cut into strips first. This resulted in Kristin losing that round, but Meese argued that she had no fault on that dish, even though it was her fault from the start.
  • Only Known by Their Nickname: Her real name is Melissa, but she went by Meese during the show.
  • Poor Communication Kills: Her habit of freezing up and not communicating during service eventually got her sent home, after three straight nominations because of that issue (along with failing a challenge because she didn't mention something that was part of the recipe).
  • Rule of Three: She was eliminated on her third nomination.
  • What Were You Thinking?: Threw away a load of perfectly good wellingtons due to miscommunication with Manda, earning her this from her team and Ramsay.
Placement: 15th
Meese's Elimination Comment - "I've never been through anything this hard in my life. I'm so disappointed in myself. I was fighting to make a better life for my family, and I blew it."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - "After being nominated three times in a row due to the lack of communication, Meese may want to consider changing her name to Mouse."

Vanessa Soltero

"I'm trying to breathe and cook at the same fucking time, this is hard."
Occupation: Airport Chef
Age: 33
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vanessa_soltero.png

  • Hidden Depths: Despite doing poorly in services, she was able to put forth an impressive performance in Episode 2's dumpling challenge.
  • The Load: Her first night of service, Vanessa got completely frazzled on appetizers, requiring the entire team to bail her out. If not for the fact that the men's team did even worse, Vanessa would almost certainly have been eliminated.
    • Pretty much continues for the rest of her stay, leading to her elimination in the third episode.
Placement: 16th
Vanessa's Elimination Comment - "I'm definitely disappointed that Chef Ramsay wasn't able to see the real me in this competition. This opportunity meant everything to me. I wanted to do it for my mom, because she's my biggest fan. I was supposed to win, I was supposed to win. I told her I was gonna win."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - "Vanessa had a lot of heart. But as far as her cooking was concerned, she made food only a mother could love."

Sherkenna Buggs

"I'm like, 'Wait, let me pinch myself. Oh yeah, this is definitely real, boo. Most definitely real.'"
Occupation: Personal Chef
Age: 30
Hometown: Grand Junction, TN
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sherkenna_buggs.jpg

  • Badass Decay: Was the red team's best performer in the first dinner service, but practically gave up during the second service after burning Arctic Char, and Ramsay hates it when chefs don't fight back.
  • Graceful Loser: Admitted to her faults and was happy to learn something during her short stay.
  • We Hardly Knew Ye: Didn't stand out much.
Placement: 17th
Sherkenna's Elimination Comment - "Tonight, I just hit a bump in the road, and I never bounced back from it, and I completely lost focus. But at the same time, I learned more about myself. I might be small town, but I can get down. Be looking for me. Y'all will hear about me again."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - "When the arctic char was destroyed over and over, so were Sherkenna's chances of being a head chef."

Mark Paras

"I've dreamed of winning Hell's Kitchen for so long, it's honestly my destiny."
Occupation: Line Cook
Age: 27
Hometown: Anaheim, CA
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mark_paras.png

  • Blasé Boast: See below.
  • Dramatic Irony: In his first confessional, he stated that winning Hell's Kitchen was his destiny...he would be the first eliminated.
  • Epic Fail: Burning a pizza on your first night in Hell's Kitchen is a... memorable way to go home.
  • The Load: After burning his first appetizer pizza, Mark basically froze up and never bounced back. Kevin summed it up best:
    Kevin: Mark looks like a deer in headlights when he's getting yelled at. Bro, like, wake up! Hello, you're here!
  • Nervous Wreck: Once he made a mistake, he froze up and never bounced back.
  • Out of Focus: For a first boot, Mark never got that much attention. In fact, he only had one confessional throughout his entire tenure, and it wasn't even in his chef jacket.
  • We Hardly Knew Ye: Didn't stand out much and was sent home after burning a pizza.
Placement: 18th
Mark's Elimination Comment - "I didn't expect this at all. I came in thinking that I was gonna be on top, and here I am, first to be kicked out. Every part of me wishes I could come back tomorrow, you know. It's hard."
Ramsay's Elimination Comment - "Mark was a disaster from the start. The best thing I saw from him was his back as he walked out the door."

Alternative Title(s): Hells Kitchen Seasons 13 To 14

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