In the Season 18 premiere of Hell’s Kitchen, “Rookies vs. Veterans,” chef Gordon Ramsay invites eight former contestants to battle against eight new contestants in the kitchen. The prize: an Executive Chef position at the world’s first Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen which is at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas (and $250,000!). Veteran chefs (Blue Team) are Ariel Fox from Brooklyn (Season 6), Bret Hauser from Ft. Lauderdale (Season 14), Heather Williams from Easton, PA (Season 16), Jen Gavin from Chicago (Season 4), Kevin Cottle from New England (Season 6), Roe DiLeo from Dallas (Season 13), T Gregorie from Draper, VA (Season 14), Trevor McGrath from NYC (Season 8). Another interesting thing is the North v. South subplot.
- 5 of 8 of Veterans (Team Blue) from the Northeast
- 4 of 8 of Rookies (Team Red) are from the South
The rookies (Red Team) includes Chris Mendonca from Boston; Chris Motto from Baton Rouge; Gizzy Barton from Atlanta; Jose DeJesus from the Bronx; Kanae Houston from LA; Mia Castro from Miami Beach; Scotley Innis from Atlanta; and Scott Popovic from Cleveland. Note: Winner of Season 17 was Michelle Tribbe from Dallas, Texas. Ramsay describes the rookies as younger, “feisty and determined” and the veterans as “sophisticated.” Hell’s Kitchen airs Fridays at 9pm on FOX, right after the new sitcom The Cool Kids.
