Jason "Jay" Santos was a contestant on Season 7 of Hell's Kitchen. He was the runner-up of that season.
Personality
Best known for his blue dyed hair, Jay was one of the most consistent chefs of that season. He rarely got angry, and was known for his showmance with Holli, as they would flirt at almost every opportunity, starting during the black jacket phase.
Season 7
Episode 1
Before the Signature Dish Challenge, Jay was shocked when Ramsay was making out with a female chef, but when that woman turned out to be Ramsay's own wife, he thanked God for that as they just licked their teeth, while calling him a filthy bastard. During the challenge, when Mikey revealed his Hell's Kitchen tattoo, he exclaimed that he had just one word to describe it, which was "what the fuck". He was the fifth person from the blue team to have his dish judged by Ramsay, and went up against Stacey. His dish was unknown, but the steak was praised for being beautifully seasoned, and he won the round over Stacey.
The blue team won the challenge 4-3, and they were eventually rewarded with a breakfast in bed prepared by the red team the next morning. Back in the dorms, the men felt more pressure while studying the menu for the opening night. The next day, during prep, Jay was not impressed by Scott's leadership, saying that he was the strongest talker on the team, but probably not the strongest cook.
During dinner service, Jay was responsible for serving Caesar salads tableside. At one point, while serving his salad to a customer, he talked about how it was his first time in Hell's Kitchen when the latter told the same thing about himself. After Salvatore and Benjamin were kicked out, he was reintegrated in the kitchen, and assigned to the appetizer station. After Mikey was kicked out, the blue team merged with the red team to serve all the remaining customers. The blue team won the service.
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
Episode 5
Episode 6
Episode 7
Episode 8
Episode 9
Episode 10
Episode 11
Episode 12
Episode 13
Episode 14
Episode 15
Season 10
Episode 16
Season 13
Episode 15
Jay made a cameo as a customer for the 200th Hell's Kitchen dinner service. He was eating at the same table as Rock (Season 3), Elise (Season 9), Christina (Season 10), and Jon (Season 11).
Trivia
- He participated in the fourth different-gender finals of Hell's Kitchen.
- He is the seventh runner-up, and fourth male runner-up of Hell's Kitchen.
- He is the first runner-up ever to completely avoid nomination throughout the entire season.