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ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: So what’s unique about thisHell’s Kitchenseason?
They haven’t the wish to leave culinary school with a $100,000 debt.
Credit: Patrick Wymore/FOX
So these are warriors.
These are millennials who have been studying on YouTube.
They’ve been taking classes and they’re hungry raw talent.
It’s an interesting mix.
It’s by far the best season we’ve done so far.
Really, the best you’ve done out of all 18?
How do you still manage the outrage that new contestants don’t know how to cook?
If it’s not Pepto-Bismol, it’s Xantac to keep my fing heartburn controlled.
They think they can transfer that skill from running a six-top or 10-top to running a restaurant.
I welcome that attitude.
You’ve said so many colorful things to contestants over the years.
A couple of them, the idiot sandwich and the SpongeBob ones, have become memes online.
What is your all-time favorite rebuke of a contestant?
When they lie it’s the worst insult that any chef can hear.
When somebody lies to you it’s worse than working with somebody who can’t cook.
They also get a bit carried away with these flash materials.
They got the best Japanese knife that costs $700.
Have you ever said something to a contestant that you genuinely regretted?
I don’t record myself and don’t press playback.
By the time it comes out, I’ve moved on.
I take the feedback.
The one thing I’ve realized is you’re able to’t c’mon everybody.
I believe in getting straight to the point.
Don’t give me the problem, give me the solution, that’s crucial.
Are there things that you used to be allowed to say to contestants that you no longer can?
That’s a tough one.
Listen, the climate is changing.
The best chefs in the world are female because they only need to be told once.
I’ve never said anything so below the belt.
In the heat of the moment, it’s like when the Clippers playing the Lakers.
I’m just of-the-moment.
I get it off my chest, I think that’s healthy.
What’s the trashiest, most embarrassing junk food you’ll admit to occasionally eating?
They said [Gordon Ramsay Burger would] last three days.
We went past our 1 millionth burger sold in the first three years of business.
There’s a line outside the door for 90 minutes.
So burgers are my go-to.
I wanted to take two slices of bread and put it on their ears.
When you’re drinking flambe cocktails it needs to be done with caution.
It was a freak accident that we were sincerely apologetic about.
The one I did sit down and watch was the epic rap battle.
That was fing hilarious.
What’s been your reaction to that?
God, the feeble warriors that sit in their dungeons and spout negativity without understanding what we’re doing.
So I’ve been on that level of exploration and understand those cultures.
I’m a chef that needs to get motivated by understanding different cultures.
I helicoptered into Nagaland 50 kilometers from the Burmese border in Northern India and cooked at a wedding.
And so that get accepted into the wedding, I had to buy a fng buffalo.
That was 12 years ago.
Tony Bourdain was a great mate of mine.
We were on the red carpet together last year at the Emmys.
It’s a dream come true.Judge [Uncharted] when you see it.
The research going into [the show] is extraordinary.
We’re [airing in] half a billion homes, 177 countries, in 43 different languages.
You think of the dating shows, and sometimes they’re over-produced in a way that’s formulaic.
Who’s getting the rose?
With this idea,Love Island, it’s absolutely perfect.
There’s temptation and you’re holding your nerve without overcommitting yourself in a way that you look cheap.
It’s aimed at a younger demo.
It will be interesting to see how CBS modifies that explicit insight.
Do I think it will work?
Yes, I do.
It’s going to be a more raw look at relationships.
you could go on Tinder now and swipe someone within 15 minutes.
I think that’s what will come across.
I just watched season 4, and it’s a terrific format.
I’m curious if CBS waters it down or if they’re really going to go for it.
They’re gonna go for it because the youth today are too impatient and distracted.
We need to up the ante.
If CBS keeps it raw it’s going to be a big hit.
I’ve also banned my three daughters from ever appearing on it.
Finally, you’ve hosted more successful U.S. broadcast TV reality shows than anybody else.
What quality do you think has most contributed to your success?
I keep it real.
It’s drama but unscripted.
I don’t like failure.
I identify my own mistakes immediately.
I don’t dwell on things.
I canceled my own show on Fox,Kitchen Nightmares.
He was giving me shit for telling him the truth and I thought, “I’m done.”
We don’t mind you resting it, but we’d like to come back with something stronger."
I rested it for three years and came back with24 Hours to Hell & Back.
Hell’s Kitchen returns Friday, Sept. 28.
