Take ten celebrities and place them in a
kitchen. Add
Gordon Ramsay and two butt-kissing
protégées. Sprinkle liberally with an overly ambitious menu, colour co-ordinated outfits and other celebrities hungry for free food and publicity. Watch Gordon simmer.
Hell's Kitchen, a recent addition to the collection of
Celebrity Reality television shows, was broadcast on
ITV and
ITV2 between
23rd May 2004 and
6th June 2004. The format was straightforward: Ten (minor) celebs were given an
intensive course in cooking, and after only a few days' training were
unleashed on a brand new kitchen, catering for other minor celebrities who were hankering after free food and getting their faces back on national television.
Viewers got to vote, via phone and text, for which celebrities they wanted to eject from the kitchen, and the elimination continued every few days over the course of the two weeks until only one celebrity remained.
Gordon Ramsay was assisted in his cooking endeavours by
Angela Hartnett, Head Chef at
The Connaught, London and
Mark Sargeant, Head Chef at
Gordon Ramsay at Claridges, also in London. The front of house was deftly handled by the unflappable and enigmatic Maitre D'
Jean Philippe who stayed calm and smiling throughout, even as he received wave after wave of abuse from Gordon and had to inform hungry guests that their food was not coming.
The ITV coverage was presented by
Angus Deayton, who mingled with the diners seeking opinions and
soundbites. ITV2 coverage was presented by the ever enthusiastic
Mark Durden-Smith who was generally seated at the bar and
Jordan a.k.a.
Katie Price who did the 'meet-and-greet' as hungry and optimistic diners arrived in the hope of some free food.
The Celebrity Chefs - and how you (may) have heard of them
Amanda Barrie - Actress who plays
Alma Sedgwick in
Coronation Street
Belinda Carlisle - Singer
Dwain Chambers - Athlete
Roger Cook - Investigative reporter, most famous for TV's
The Cook Report
Edwina Currie - Writer & Presenter, previously a
Tory MP
James Dreyfus - Actor, most well known for his role in
Gimme, Gimme, Gimme with
Kathy Burke
Jennifer Ellison - Actress & Singer, used to play
Emily Shadwick in
Brookside
Matt Goss - Musician, part of the 80s boy band
BROS
Al Murray -
The Pub Landlord stand-up comedian
Abi Titmuss -
John Leslie's ex-girlfriend
Following an accident involving a
deck chair on the very first evening, Roger Cook had to retire from the programme. The fall had aggravated an old knee injury and he chose to
bow out. He was replaced by:
Tommy Vance - Rock DJ
As well as working together from 8am each morning until the small hours of the following night, the celebrities shared a house. The group's stress levels were very high from the start. They were in each others' company
24/7 and being away from their loved ones, combined with a common feeling that they didn't really know what they were doing or had let themselves in for upset many of them. Always in their minds was fear of ridicule from Gordon's sharp tongue.
There was a great deal of drama from the kitchen, and a selection of the best and worst moments were:
-
Dwain Chambers and Tommy Vance (the latter having only been in the show for 24 hours) walked out. Tommy's reason was that "He left to save his own finger and somebody's else's"1. Dwain's exit was more low-key, just appearing on the second morning dressed in casual clothes and stating that he was going home.
- In the restaurant as a diner, Vic Reeves ordered two fried eggs rather than choosing a dish from the menu. Claiming initially that he was just trying to be helpful as it was a simple dish, when told he couldn't have them he became petulant. Ramsay declared Reeves to be "a professional pleb" and refused to fulfill the order.
- Amanda Barrie attempted to slap Gordon while rowing with him and subsequently left the show saying: "I would like to go home now and watch this show in bed at home with a bottle of champagne and fish and chips. It has been quite an experience chef but I think I should get out of the way chef before I screw up anything else".2
- Edwina Currie simultaneously sharpening knives and eyeing Gordon
- Peter André's parents meeting Jordan for the first time. The moment that the phrase "bunny in the headlights" was created for.
The celebrities were whittled down through the combination of an unsympathetic voting public and the
proclivity of a few to walk at the first challenge. The three finalists were James Dreyfus, Jennifer Ellison and Matt Goss, with Jennfier Ellison being the eventual winner.
Critics of the show slated Gordon Ramsay's behaviour as not being representative of working in the catering industry. A restaurant guide editor commented:
"The programme bears as much relation to a real kitchen as Wacky Races does to Formula One. It seems all Gordon Ramsay is dishing out is humiliation of celebrities and confrontation."
Peter Harden, editor of Harden's UK Restaurant Guide http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/celebrity/hells-kitchen-hell.php
Keith Floyd also attacked the show:
"I think it was a shocking programme - it did nothing to help teach those who want to know about fine cooking and good manners"
from The Independent 6th August 2004
There is reportedly a new series in the pipeline, but at present it is apparently unlikely that Gordon Ramsay will be involved in the project, as he is too busy
3. There have also been talks with the
Fox network about making a US version.
1. Quoting Jon Roseman, Tommy's agent from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3750529.stm
2. from http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/celebrity/hells-kitchen-hell.php
3. from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/3913835.stm