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When I wake up in the morning, the first thing I do is piss excellence.

Kevin Cottle was a contestant on Seasons 6 and 18 of Hell's Kitchen. On Season 6, he was the runner-up, and on Season 18, he ranked in 14th place.

Season 6[]

Episode 1[]

Main article: Episode 601 - 16 Chefs Compete

After receiving some tips from Jean-Philippe and former Hell's Kitchen contestants, Ramsay ordered all the chefs to cook their signature dishes. While cooking his dish, Kevin declared that he was a legitimate chef, that he won almost every award any chef could get, and that he was there to win Hell's Kitchen first and foremost. Before tasting the signature dishes, Ramsay announced the prize position of the season, which Kevin found tremendous and declared that he could not be more psyched. Ramsay also announced that for the first time ever, the Signature Dish Challenge would occur as a regular team challenge, with each contestant going head-to-head. He was the sixth person of the blue team to have his dish judged by Ramsay and went up against Ariel. He was criticized for putting coffee sauce over a perfectly cooked steak, and neither he nor Ariel won the round. When Van won his round, he was impressed because Van was having talent underneath his muscles.

The blue team won the challenge 3-2, and they were rewarded with a dinner on the Hell's Kitchen patio, where they ate dishes from Ramsay's London West Hollywood, in Los Angeles. The next morning, because the blue team drank too much and not studied the menu, they were slow to do their prep.

During dinner service, Kevin was on the appetizer station with Andy. He succeeded to get his first appetizers out, along with Jim, after 40 minutes. Apart from that, he was not seen much, and service was eventually shut down after Louie's elimination.

When both teams were lined up, Robert joined the blue team, and Ramsay declared the blue team winners for serving a few entrées out, compared to the red team's zero. At elimination, Kevin and his teammates said goodbye to Robert, who was just integrated on the red team.[1]

Episode 2[]

Main article: Episode 602 - 15 Chefs Compete

The next morning, both teams got down in the blue kitchen, where Ramsay introduced the Shrimp Cleaning Challenge. Kevin was the sixth person from the blue team to have his shrimps judged by Ramsay, and gave a perfect performance of 9 shrimps out of 9, being praised by Ramsay.

The blue team won the challenge 45-44, and they were rewarded with a day at Newport Beach for a lunch of seafood, shrimps and raw bar with Ramsay, and a dessert on a 40-foot mega yacht. During the reward, Kevin declared it could not have been a better day as being on a mega yacht, enjoying the ocean.

The next day, during prep, Kevin helped Tony, who was struggling to properly cut a grapefruit, but Tony did not appreciate. During dinner service, he was on the garnish station. Before tickets came in, Joseph, Van, and himself motivated each other, and later, when he saw Tony sending raw scallops to the pass, he declared that maybe he could cook at home, but not on the line. When Tony started his scallops over, he reached over and helped, being very aggressive when he told Tony to flip the scallops. When he got ready, he told Jim that he was sending the scallops to the pass. Because of his help on the fish station, appetizers were finally getting out of the blue kitchen. Later, he commented that he could not believe Van would hit Jean-Philippe during a heated argument. Moments later, he had to take Tony's station over once again and cooked the halibut on the garnish station. Eventually, he sent his halibut to the hot plate, but it was raw, which he acknowledged. After a lot of struggle in both kitchens, Ramsay ordered both teams to send shrimp cocktails to the dining room and shut down both kitchens.

When both teams were lined up, Ramsay named both teams losers and asked them to nominate two people each. Kevin was not nominated for elimination, which was delayed until the following episode because of the infamous Joseph incident.[2]

Episode 3[]

Main article: Episode 603 - 14 Chefs Compete

After Joseph's departure and Tony's elimination, Kevin and his teammates welcomed Robert, who has just been transferred to the blue team as they were three members down.

Back in the dorms, the chefs went to bed, trying to get some sleep, but very early in the night, alarm bells started to go, Sous Chef Scott, holding a flashlight, told everybody to get out of the restaurant immediately as an emergency was called. Then, fire trucks arrived to Hell's Kitchen and the chefs got outside. But, Ramsay was standing with the firefighters, revealing that it was a fire drill. He introduced the Firefighter Pasta Meal Service Challenge, and all the chefs got back in the dorms to change. During the challenge, Kevin was putting pressure on Andy, about the garlic bread, and asked him what was the temperature of his oven, which Andy answered it was at 500 and going. Later, he put more pressure on Andy, along with Sous Chef Scott, telling him to hurry up. Finally, when the bread came out of the oven, he reached over and sent it to the dining room himself. Later, he took vocal control of the blue team, determined not to lose, and helped his team rallying to complete their tickets. Unfortunately, it was not enough as the red team finished theirs before them.

The blue team lost the challenge, and they were punished by cleaning the fire trucks left by the firefighters, as well as their equipment, and they would continue by cleaning the dining room inside. Arrived outside, Kevin, along with Robert, was dedicated to clean and polish the fire hoses. When Jean-Philippe came outside to get the blue team for the second part of their punishment, he sprained his two ankles while going upstairs. Inside, he sat on a bench while Jean-Philippe told him a medic was coming. He knew that something bad just happened as his ankle was extremely swollen, knowing that he could be forced to leave the competition. He acknowledged that a chef needed to move fast, but that he would not be able to do it with two sprained ankles, and he and Dave, who also sustained an injury, were transported to the hospital, while the remaining men continued the punishment.

After the punishment, Kevin came back from the hospital, along with Dave, and revealed his right ankle had a stretched ligament, and his left was severely sprained, but he added that it was not worth leaving and that he was there to win the prize. Then, he went to sleep while resting his foot over a pillow. The next day, both teams went in their respective kitchens to begin prep, while he said his legs were not issues anymore as he was determined to win. When the teams were lined up, Ramsay asked him how were his ankles, which he answered they were great.

During dinner service, Kevin was on the meat station. After Van delivered perfect appetizers, he gave him a fist pump. Near the end, he emerged as the vocal leader of the blue team despite his two sprained ankles, and he was the one moving the fastest. His lamb and his chicken were cooked perfectly, and despite Andy's problems on garnishes, entrées were flying out of the blue kitchen, and they got only 4 tickets left. On their last ticket, he was ready to send his chicken to the pass, but Robert was not ready with his salmon, much to his dismay. Despite Robert's problems, the blue team rallied under his leadership, but when Robert was ready with his salmon, the red team had already finished their last ticket and were clearing down. He was very angry at Robert, saying that he was not focused and that the red team caught the blue team up because of him. Despite that, the blue team won the service for having an 83% above average rating from the customers, compared to the red team's 81%.[3]

Episode 4[]

Main article: Episode 604 - 13 Chefs Compete

Back in the dorms, Kevin listened to Van talking about getting Andy out of the blue team.

During the Sausage Strings Challenge, Kevin was paired with Dave, and both of them got two sausage links approved. He was astounded that he and Dave were the only ones from the blue team who scored at that point while the red team was flying through them, and told the men to get something up. The blue team lost the challenge 4-6, and they were punished by cleaning up the dorms, which included the bathrooms, carpets, and kitchen. Back in the dorms, he angrily said it was ridiculous that two Executive Chefs, referring to Robert and Jim, could not make one sausage link, but that led to an argument with Robert over the latter's poor performance. During the punishment, he noticed that Robert was competitive, while Jim was slow and mellow.

During dinner service, Kevin was on the fish station. He got his halibut out perfectly, though had to wait for Andy's lamb only for it to come out cold until Ramsay was forced to send it to an incomplete table. When Dave came back from the hospital with a cast on his broken wrist, he expressed concern about how Dave would continue with only one arm. The blue team eventually won the service.[4]

Episode 5[]

Main article: Episode 605 - 12 Chefs Compete

During the Welcome Home Planning Challenge, Kevin praised Robert's leadership as it gave the blue team clear cut directions, and was not dictating them. He presented the blue team's appetizer which was a spicy seafood style bouillabaisse. Despite La Tasha enjoying it, he lost the round to Ariel, although he believed that women would choose a salad nine times out of ten. Despite that, the blue team won the challenge 2-1 and were rewarded with a day of acrobatic flying in fighter jets.

During the Welcome Home dinner service, Kevin was at the dessert station. He decided to help Jim on the meat station, and reminded him about an order he struggled to remember as he wanted to be the hero of the night. Once entrées were served, he began prepping his desserts, and he was the only member of the blue team who did not go to the red kitchen as he was sending his desserts. The blue team won the service by a mile over the red team.[5]

Episode 6[]

Main article: Episode 606 - 11 Chefs Compete

During the 700 Calories 3 Course Meal Challenge, Kevin paired up with Robert on the appetizer dish. He presented the blue team's grilled Key West seafood salad, containing 156 calories. Ramsay praised the elements of the dish and called it refreshing. He tied the round with Tennille, but the blue team lost the challenge 1-3. They were punished by picking up the ingredients of the red team's dishes at a local supermarket on a conference bike and prepping both kitchens for the next service. During the punishment, he knew that riding the bike would be difficult because of Robert's 500 pounds, and Dave's cast, while calling it embarrassing. Later, he expressed concern about Robert's health problems, saying that he got jacked up just like on Season 5.

During dinner service, Kevin was on the meat station. He stated that it was painful to watch Jim due to his poor performance, and called the current situation embarrassing. Later, he had a minor spat with Dave over garnish times. Both teams were named joint-losers, and they were asked to nominate one person each.

He was not nominated for elimination.[6]

Episode 7[]

Main article: Episode 607 - 10 Chefs Compete

When Ramsay introduced the Craps Challenge, Kevin expressed fear as he was a bad gambler. He expressed dismay when Dave picked figs, and when he rolled an A, he chose apples, though he admitted that the blue team was already in the shit by that point. During the challenge, he grabbed some of Dave's figs for the sauce, and much to his surprise, they made it taste great. He presented the blue team's braised haddock with a tomato and fig sauce on top of angel hair pasta, and Ramsay praised the dish for the delicious sauce and fish. The blue team won the challenge, and they were rewarded with a trip to Las Vegas, where they stayed at the Palms Casino & Resort, in the Hardwood Suite.

During prep, Kevin and the rest of the blue team were not happy to see Robert come back. When he found out that Ramsay invited some of his own chefs to eat at the new chef's tables, he got concerned that Ramsay would be extra picky as the chef tables were very close to the stations. During dinner service, he was on the garnish station. He was not seen much, but when Ramsay called the team over to look at Robert's raw rabbit leg, he was seen still cooking and got chewed out by Ramsay for that. The blue team lost the service, and Dave was named "Best of the Worst".

He was not nominated for elimination.[7]

Episode 8[]

Main article: Episode 608 - 9 Chefs Compete

During the Blind Taste Test, Kevin was the third person from the blue team to compete and went up against Sabrina. He could only get grapefruit correctly, and the blue team lost the challenge 4-6. They were punished by making palate-cleansing sorbet for the following service, as well as cleaning the sorbet glasses, and taking in deliveries of fruit. During the punishment, he got disgusted when he had to drink a smoothie that was made from duck and risotto.

During dinner service, Kevin was on the appetizer station. He got determined to do well, and his first orders were accepted. Then, he was dedicated to go out and serve sorbets, and during that, he got annoyed when Van's attempt on the risottos were not well received and felt that his team was relying on him too much. Despite that, the blue team won the service.[8]

Episode 9[]

Main article: Episode 609 - 8 Chefs Compete

During the Crepe Challenge, Kevin went up against Suzanne on the dinner round, and served a seafood crepe with goat cheese. While it got mixed reviews as there was a lot going on, it had a great flavor, and he tied with Suzanne, although he felt that Ramsay was throwing a bonus for the red team. The blue team lost the challenge 2-3, and they were punished by prepping both kitchens for the next service while eating boiled cow tongue, stale baguette, and head cheese. During the punishment, he expressed his frustrations of losing another challenge and complained that there was nothing going great for the blue team at the moment.

During dinner service, Kevin was on the fish station. He decided to help Andy when the latter was struggling on crepes and made a respectable serving. Later, he called it a disaster when Andy was slowing the blue team on a crepe, and decided to help him again. After Andy was kicked out, the blue team had a great momentum, and he said that they did not need Andy. Both teams were named joint-losers, and they were asked to nominate two people for elimination together. Back in the dorms, he proposed that Sabrina should be nominated in order to get rid of Suzanne.

Kevin was not nominated for elimination, and after Andy left, he welcomed Suzanne as a new teammate, much to his dismay. Then, he said that he did not want Suzanne on the blue team, but knew that she would go home no matter what team she was on.[9]

Episode 10[]

Main article: Episode 610 - 7 Chefs Compete

Back in the dorms, Kevin bluntly told Suzanne that the blue team was not happy about that decision, and told her that they did not like her attitude while reminding her to act as a team member. Then, he and Van warned her that there was no more throwing people under the bus unless she wanted to be under the bus as well.

During the Fifteen Canadian Ingredients Challenge, Kevin rejected most of Suzanne's suggestions as he felt that most of them were crap. He presented the blue team's first entrée, which was a caramelized salmon with a pan-seared leg of lamb. It was praised for having a great texture, and he won the round over Ariel. The blue team won the challenge 4-2, and they were rewarded with a day at Campanile and got Whistler beanies that Ramsay picked up on his trip.

During dinner service, Kevin was on the meat station. He was not seen much, but complained about Van's burnt scallops as it was not rocket science. Then, he got concerned when Dave temporarily left due to his injury, but was relieved when Dave decided to stay. Both teams were named joint-losers, and they were asked to nominate one person each.

He was not nominated for elimination.[10]

Episode 11[]

Main article: Episode 611 - 6 Chefs Compete

The next morning, Kevin and the rest of the chefs received black jackets. During the Taste It Now Make It Challenge, he was paired with Tennille. They used turbot, calamari, parsnip, and grapefruit to recreate Ramsay's dish. While they got the fish correct, they got the purée wrong, and failed to plate their garnish despite it being correct, and were out of the running. He was punished by prepping for a Couples Night Service, as well as helping Jean-Philippe to decorate the dining room.

During dinner service, Kevin was responsible for serving a chopped salad appetizer and porterhouse steak for two tableside. Because of Suzanne's mistakes on appetizers, he was forced to distract the diners in order to buy the kitchen sometimes. After Ramsay and Sous Chef Scott left the kitchen, he got the first few dishes plated and sent out, before returning to the dining room. He was one of the three chefs that were not kicked out and, along with Dave and Tennille, completed service. When the three of them were lined up, Ramsay asked them to nominate two people out of the three who were kicked out.

He was not nominated for elimination.[11]

Episode 12[]

Main article: Episode 612 - 5 Chefs Compete

Back in the dorms, Kevin relished in seeing Dave and Tennille argue as it looked like they were self-destructing.

During the Presentation Challenge, Kevin made a Caribbean Sea Bass with orange and papaya. It was named the best looking dish overall and was praised for matching the Caribbean taste he hoped for. He was named joint-winner with Ariel, and the two of them were rewarded with a Bon Appétit photoshoot with Ramsay and Fairchild, at Shutters on the Beach, in Santa Monica. During the reward, he felt like a movie star and felt that it was a taste of what could come if he would win. When he came back, he noticed Dave was in pain from his injured wrist, and told him that he needed to think of himself, but secretly wanted Dave to go home as he was his biggest competitor.

During prep, Kevin got frustrated by Dave's slow speed and stated that nobody could rely on each other anymore. He took the lead, but his pretentious attitude annoyed Suzanne. During dinner service, he was on the garnish station. When it was discovered that the rice for the risotto was overcooked, he revealed that he cooked it during prep. That led Ramsay to lecture him on putting the overcooked rice on Tennille’s station as he was one of the more technical chefs remaining, and he was asked for a standard. When he was forced to restart on his garnishes, he complained that Ariel should have been better than that. Then, he complained about Suzanne's raw sea bass as she should know how to cook fish by the moment. When he tried to rally the group, Ramsay told him that the only reason he got frustrated was that he had to watch that shit unfold before complaining that every table was getting screwed. When the chefs were lined up, they were asked to nominate two people.

Kevin was not nominated for elimination despite being considered by Ariel for the risotto incident. After Suzanne left, he boasted that he was more consistent than the rest of the chefs.[12]

Episode 13[]

Main article: Episode 613 - 4 Chefs Compete

Back in the dorms, Kevin boasted that he knew everybody’s weakness, and unless they knew his, they were all screwed.

During the 80 Vegetarian Portions Challenge, Kevin made an Asian style crepe with beet carpaccio and noticed that the challenge should not be that hard as he was used to making multiple portions at his country club. When he found out that he would be serving to children, he said that it would be tough as his dish was full vegetarian. He lost the challenge to Tennille as his dish was voted the worst, and he was punished by cleaning up the dining room. Back in the dorms, he, along with Dave, wondered how Tennille was able to win the challenge.

During prep, Kevin was a little impressed with Tennille's new knife set that she got from her reward. During dinner service, he was on the appetizer station. He communicated with Tennille as he wanted to prove Ramsay that he could win, and got his appetizers accepted. Later, he felt that Dave should have been medically eliminated if he was in that amount of pain.

When the chefs were lined up, Kevin said goodbye to Tennille as she was eliminated during the post-mortem. Later, he received a visit from his wife and son.[13]

Episode 14[]

Main article: Episode 614 - 3 Chefs Compete

Back in the dorms, Kevin felt that everybody seeing their families motivated them all. During the International Cuisine Challenge, he got the last pick, which was Mexico, and he called that an easy dish as almost everybody in the world has made Mexican food before. While cooking his dish, he noticed that Dave was panicking on his dish, and hoped that it would hinder his performance. He made an Orange and Cumin pork tenderloin with molee Mexican chocolate sauce, but when he lifted the dome, Ramsay noticed that the sauce was not on the pork, and he realized that he forgot to plate it. The dish got mixed reviews as, while it tasted good and had an interesting mango sauce, guest judge Thomas Ortega felt that it needed the missing sauce to put it to the next level. He lost the challenge to Dave, and he was punished by prepping for the next service and polishing the silverware in the dining room. He disappointingly knew that if he had plated his sauce, he would have won the challenge. During the punishment, he saw Dave reunite with his loved ones, and got upset that he was so close to seeing his family again, and felt hurt by that. However, that only fired him more as he was determined to win the competition.

During dinner service, Kevin was on the fish station. He was the first person to run the pass and felt that he had to run it the same way he ran the line but better. He read his first ticket clearly and got off to a strong start. When Sous Chef Scott sent halibut instead of sea bass, he caught the mistake and sent it back, much to Ramsay's praise. Then, he complained that Ariel was slowing the team down, and when Ariel sent her lamb to the pass, he saw that it was overcooked and asked for a new mid-rare. That forced him to send an incomplete table of entrées to the dining room. Later, he forced Ariel to cut some bones off the lamb despite her warning against it, but that caused the lamb chops to fall apart as he ordered her to make another. Because of that, no food was leaving the kitchen, and he was running out of time on the pass. Ramsay ordered him to get a grip, and he pushed Ariel for the lamb and called her nuts as he sent over his last table before time ran out. When Ariel was running the pass, he got dismayed when she called out multiple orders as there was a lot to remember, and got confused by it. Then, he was seen dragging his scallops and despite missing a portion, he got it out on time.

Kevin felt Ariel should not advance to the finals as she has been nominated a few times, while Ariel, herself, felt Kevin should not advance to the finals. When Ramsay asked him why he should be in the finals, he said that he was a strong person, and was confident that he could run the Araxi. He was the second person who advanced to the finals, following Dave. After Ariel left, Ramsay congratulated him for making it to the finals, and he was reminded that there was one more challenge for him to face. Then, Ramsay revealed that there was a limo waiting for him outside, and the episode ended as a cliffhanger.[14]

Episode 15[]

Main article: Episode 615 - Winner Announced

Continuing from the previous episode, Ramsay revealed that for their final service, Kevin and Dave would be creating their own menus, with him cooking in the red kitchen. After, he had thirty minutes to get changed in the dorms, and he and Dave headed off in the limo to an unknown hotel, in downtown Los Angeles, where Jean-Philippe was waiting for them. Then, Jean-Philippe told him that they would be heading up to the roof of the hotel to meet Ramsay, and then, Ramsay told them that their final challenge was about to begin, before introducing them to a live audience.

For the Final Signature Dish Challenge, Kevin made a petit clam bake with poached lobster and corn pudding. While cooking his dish, he noticed how different he and Dave were as Dave was making a simple dish, while he himself was making a more complicated dish. While he won two rounds, he ultimately lost to Dave 2-3.

The next day, Kevin worked on his menu, which had some ideas from his head. Later, he reunited with his former teammates, and because he lost the challenge, he was punished by being left with the last pick. First, he picked Van, then Amanda as his menu was heavy on fish despite knowing that she had her own problems, and in the end, he was left with Sabrina. However, he was fine with it as he would have preferred her over Suzanne.

During prep, Kevin was asked a lot of questions by his brigade over his complicated menu. During the sample tasting, he presented his caramelized scallop appetizer, coffee-cured beef tenderloin entrée, and Crème Brulée trio dessert. While Ramsay praised the presentation, he was warned that there were a lot of components on the dishes that he had to execute perfectly. Before service began, Ramsay gave him a Head Chefs' jacket.

When dinner service began, Kevin called his first ticket but was quickly dismayed when Amanda's first attempt on the scallops came out raw. Forty minutes into service, he did not serve any appetizers because of Amanda’s poor performance and was furthered dismayed when her next attempt was overcooked. However, Ramsay reminded him that he could always change the chefs' locations if things were not working out, and after having a near meltdown as he had yet to send his first table of appetizers and Amanda’s pan catching fire, he relocated Van to the fish station and Amanda to the appetizer. His decision paid off as he was finally able to send his first table of appetizers. However, he got angry when Amanda's risotto was sent back for being undercooked and said that she was struggling no matter on what station she was, before asking Van to help Amanda once again. Later, he got James Walt's order and warned his team not to ruin it. However, when Amanda sent a beef tenderloin that was medium-well instead of medium-rare, he accused her of being slow. After, he decided to take a calmer approach and showed Amanda what to do. Because of that, things were clicking more, and Walt received his entrée. Near the end, he only had six tables left and decided to cook two tables at once to catch up to Dave, who had four tables left. Eventually, he finished service, and while he noticed that while he started rough, they managed to bounce back near the end.

After service, Kevin went back to the dorms waiting anxiously for the results and said that it was as stressful as when his wife gave birth to his son. Later, Ramsay called him and Dave down to his office, and he was told to stand in front of a door, knowing it would open only if he was the winner. After waiting nervously for Ramsay's countdown to end, he turned the handle, but his door did not open.

Kevin became the runner-up of Hell's Kitchen, and while he was a little disappointed about not winning, he decided to show his son that it was okay to lose and to never stop dreaming.[15]

Nomination history[]

Week 1 Win
Week 2 Safe
Week 3 Win
Week 4 Win
Week 5 Win
Week 6 Safe
Week 7 Safe
Week 8 Win
Week 9 Safe
Week 10 Safe
Week 11 Safe
Week 12 Safe
Week 13 Safe
Week 14 Safe
Week 15 Runner-Up

Season 10[]

Episode 16[]

Main article: Episode 1016 - 6 Chefs Compete

Kevin returned to Hell's Kitchen as part of a team of returning runner ups. He was joined by Russell (Season 8), Jay (Season 7), Paula (Season 5), Bonnie (Season 3), and Virginia (Season 2). When he appeared, Clemenza called him a force to be reckoned with and knew it was a dream team being formed before hoping the black jackets were on their A-game.

During dinner service, Kevin was on the appetizer station with Russell. At one point, he reminded Virginia and Jay to work together on scallops, admitted that he was starting to get back in sync with how things worked in Hell’s Kitchen, compared it to riding a bike, and the runner ups got their first order accepted. After Jay served an overly peppered sea bass, he saw the former starting to panic and sweating blue bullets, decided to jump in before the runner ups sank, and got his attempt accepted. The runner ups won service over the black jackets.[16]

Season 18[]

Episode 1/2[]

Main article: Episode 1801 - Rookies vs. Veterans
Main article: Episode 1802 - A Fond Farewell

Kevin, along with the other veterans, was in disguise when they arrived at Hell's Kitchen, unknown to the rookies. When they arrived at Hell's Kitchen, they were welcomed by Marino and the Sous Chefs and were given butternut squash risotto for lunch. He was the fourth veteran to reveal himself.

During the Signature Dish Challenge, Kevin chose to go up against Kanae as nobody else wanted her dish, and Ramsay commented to him that he loved a challenge. That caused him to recall how he twisted his ankles back in Season 6, along with losing to Dave in the finals, before commenting that he had a chip he could not get rid of for ten years. During the cooking, he commented that everything from his previous season was coming back to him. He was the second person from the blue team to have his dish judged by Ramsay and presented his chowder version of a fish stew. He scored a perfect 5, and when the score was tied at 29 each, he went up against Mia on the tiebreaker. He lost to Mia, the veterans lost the challenge, and he was disappointed that they lost the first challenge. The blue team was punished by prepping both kitchens for the following service, shelling sunflower seeds, and prepping the mushroom duxelles.[17]

During the Creative Risotto Challenge, Kevin got annoyed by Bret’s boasting and wanted to see if the latter could prove his talk. After Ariel's dish failed to dethrone Mia, he was shocked as the former was a strong chef back in Season 6, leading him to wonder if the veterans were weak, or that the rookies were that good of chefs. He lost the challenge as his dish was not called up for the top four of the veterans.

During prep, Kevin said that he had some eagerness for opening night. During dinner service, he was on the garnish station. He was not seen much, except for fearing that Jen's pork was overcooked, and the veterans won the service.[18]

Episode 3[]

Main article: Episode 1803 - Hell's Riders

During the Marines Service Challenge, Kevin told the veterans that the challenge meant a lot to him as he was in the navy a long time ago, and wanted to kick butt that day. He was on the garnish station with Heather. At one point, he pushed Heather to send them out now as he thought that fries were not that hard to cook, but they were undercooked and sent back from the dining room. After struggling for most of the challenge, he took the lead, allowing the veterans to push out entrées at a strong pace. The veterans lost the challenge, and they were punished by prepping squid for a calamari dish in that night’s service.

During dinner service, Kevin was on the appetizer station with Trev. At one point, while he did not think hot appetizers were that difficult, the bigger challenge was Trev who was slow plating the salmon dish. Despite that, he and Trev got their appetizers accepted. Both teams were named joint-winners.[19]

Episode 4[]

Main article: Episode 1804 - Hell Freezes Over

Before the Winter Soup Challenge, Kevin was confused about the winter jackets as they were in Los Angeles, and that it was 90 degrees outside, only to find snow out in the front entrance. He was paired up with Roe on the sledding, they were the final pair from the veterans to compete, and the veterans won a ten-second advantage. After seeing that Traci De Jardins was a guest judge, he deemed the former a rock star for winning the James Beard award. He was the fifth person from the veterans to present his dish and presented his classic New England chowder. It was praised for the textures, but Brian Boitano said that he was looking for a clam to eat with, and he scored six points. When the rookies were scoring high points, he was getting concerned, and even hoped that the final two people would stumble. The veterans lost the challenge 41-51, which he deemed a big blow, and they were punished by cleaning all 30 tons of the snow off the front entrance.

During prep, Kevin was shocked when Trev went through multiple batches of poached eggs to get a decent one. During dinner service, he was on the meat station with Trev. At one point, he expressed annoyance on the fact that they keep losing as there were some chefs on the team that was inconsistent. Then, he and Trev argued about seasoning their meat, and Ramsay rejected the steaks for being cold, before being accused by the latter of trying to be the hero and do the work himself instead of asking himself for help. While his refire was accepted, his lamb was overcooked lamb, and when Ramsay asked the meat station who was responsible for that, Trev claimed that both of them were responsible for that, much to his annoyance as that was not true. Then, his second attempt was raw, and a pissed Ramsay brought the veterans into the pantry room. There, Ramsay asked what was going on, and ordered them to bounce back quickly, but he continued to refuse help on the lamb. However, the third attempt was raw, and a fed-up Ramsay decided to cook the lamb himself as he lamented that he never had a bad service in his entire run on Hell’s Kitchen.

Both teams were named joint-losers and were asked to nominate two each. During deliberation, Kevin admitted that meat was the main issue that night, leading to the team feeling that he and Trev were the obvious nominees. He agreed as he did not pull his weight that night, but was willing to take the responsibility.

Kevin was named the veterans' first nominee for elimination, with Trev as the second, and they were joined by Chris and Gizzy from the rookies. During his plea, he knew that he had a bad service, he was ready to bounce back. After listening to their pleas, Ramsay told him to take off his jacket, but instead of being eliminated, Ramsay sent him over to the red team. He would later be joined by Bret and Trev, being exchanged for Gizzy, Kanae, and Mia as Ramsay decided to end the Rookies Vs. Veterans team format, and bring back the battle of the sexes.[20]

Episode 5[]

Main article: Episode 1805 - Fish Out of Water

Back at the dorms, Kevin pointed out how their priorities change when kids come into their lives after Jose talked about his kids, and that no matter what, kids should always be their main priority.

During the Seven Way Cooking Challenge, Kevin was given the poaching method, he was the third person from the red team to have his dish judged, and went up against Roe. He made a poached halibut with coconut curry broth, it was praised for having a nice and flavorable texture, and he scored that round over Roe. After Motto won the pan-seared round, he believed that there was still hope for the red team. When Trev commented that he babysat his cooking, he commented that he would never leave his kids with the former.

The red team lost the challenge 3-5, and they were punished by participating in composting day, which involved mixing all the waste that was accumulated in the 18 seasons of the show and mixing it with manure that would be arriving soon. When Ramsay noticed that Kevin looked upset, the latter said that he was tired of losing and that he did not come back for a second chance just to shovel shit. During the punishment, he and Trev talked about a ski resort he owned with his company, leading to the latter asking why he would come back again if he was already successful. He said that it was for revenge as he really felt he deserved to win Season 6 over Dave, and after complaining about having to do four punishments in a row, it started to rain, irritating him even more.

During dinner service, Kevin was on the fish station. At one point, he reluctantly allowed Chris to help out on fish, but not only was the latter inconsistent on timings, but his scallops were also raw. After, he got fed-up, told Chris to be at the pass, and tell them what was being fired. Later, he thought he was firing only one salmon, but when Ramsay called out for two salmon, he blamed Scotley for not driving the ship. In order to get the salmon ready in six minutes, he decided to take a risk and add very hot butter into the pan so Ramsay did not lose his mind. However, Ramsay sent the salmon not long after, and when he asked if it was raw, Ramsay accused him of taking it as a joke, before showing the red team how overcooked and rubbery the salmon was. At the pantry room, he got pissed when Scotley argued that he could not communicate and cook garnish at the same time.

The red team lost the service, and they were asked to nominate two people. During deliberation, Kevin argued that while he had two salmon sent back, he did not know where he was due to Scotley’s nonexistent communication. When Scotley argued that there was no way he could do two things at once, he said that he did it once before, and believed that the former should go home that night. He was considered for elimination by Bret and Trev, but he felt that he did not deserve to be nominated for two poor salmons.

Kevin was named the red team's second nominee for elimination, with Scotley as the first. During his plea, he said that he had both fight and confidence to succeed, and only needed to kick off the rust from his system, but when Scotley accused him of going down hard that night, he disagreed with that notion and argued that the latter caused most of his problems for not communicating properly. He was eliminated for being nominated two times in a row, and not showing the same desire he once had back in Season 6. Before leaving, Ramsay reminded him that he was already successful outside the competition, and wish him well. During his exit interview, he said that even though he wanted redemption after eight long years, he already had success, admitted that he did not have the same fire like last time, and could not wait to see his kids again.

Ramsay's comment: "Kevin was a standout in his first time in Hell's Kitchen. Unfortunately, this time around, he seemed more determined to head back to the ski slopes than to the Las Vegas Strip." [21]

Nomination history[]

Week 1 Win
Week 2 Win
Week 3 Nominated
Week 4 Nominated

Post Hell's Kitchen[]

  • After his first appearance on the show, Kevin returned to his job as an Executive Chef, before moving as a chef for Jordan Caterers, along with Van, until 2013. Both of them were also on a local cooking show called "Midday Chefs".
  • He has been an Executive Chef and partner at Powder Ridge Mountain Park and Resort.
  • After his second appearance on the show, he returned to his previous role as the Executive Chef at Fire at the Ridge at Powder Ridge Ski Resort.
  • In March 2019, he became Corporate Executive Chef at American Cruise Lines.

Trivia[]

  • He is the second contestant to hold the record for the second least nominations who participated in two seasons, with two, and is tied with Ashley (Seasons 15 and 17) and Bret (Seasons 14 and 18).

Season 6[]

  • He is the first runner-up, and first male runner-up, that was never nominated for elimination, but since the nomination was an explanation about why he shouldn't proceed to the finals, he still remained safe in the competition.
  • He and Dave are the first pair of finalists that never got nominated for elimination.
  • He and Dave are the only pair of finalists to date that had a physical injury during their run on the season.
  • He is the first runner up to never be named "Best of the Worst"
  • He is the second finalist in the history of the show to run the kitchen opposite his starting team without ever having been a member of that team, following Virginia (Season 2).
  • He and Mary (Season 11) are the only two runner-ups to not score a point during the Signature Dish Challenge.

Season 18[]

  • He is the third contestant, and second male, who scored a perfect five on the new format of the Signature Dish Challenge without making it to the black jackets, following Van and Elise (both from Season 17).
  • He and Morgana (Season 20) are tied as the lowest ranking contestant to score five out five for a signature dish.
  • He is the ninth contestant to have a military background before coming to Hell's Kitchen, following Bobby (Season 4), Joseph (Season 6), Guy (Season 10), Dan (Season 11), Mike (Season 12), Randy (Season 14), Frank (Season 15), and Matt (Season 16).
  • He is the oldest of Season 18, at age 43.
  • He holds the record for doing the most punishments in a season without winning a single challenge, with four, and tied with Jeremy (Season 11).
  • His and Josh's (Season 17) nomination history are very similar: they both won the first two dinner services, then they were both nominated for elimination on the third episode of the season, then they both switched teams, then they were both eliminated in the following episode, and they both ranked in 14th place.
  • He is the fifth contestant that received more nominations during their second run on the show, following Jason (Season 12), Giovanni, Dana, and Milly (all from Season 17).
  • He is the sixth contestant to be eliminated after their first night with a new team, following Melissa (Season 3), Melissa (Season 8), Nedra (Season 11), Sandra (Season 12), and Josh (Season 17). He is also the second male contestant to do so, following Josh.
  • He is the eleventh male contestant who switched teams without making it to the black jackets, following Robert (Season 6), Scott (Season 7), Anton (Season 12), Frank, Sterling (both from Season 13), Hassan, Chad (both from Season 15), Matt, Andrew (both from Season 16), and Josh (Season 17).
  • He is the second contestant from the state of Connecticut, following Van (Season 17).

Quotes[]

Season 6[]

  • (About Van) "Looks are very deceiving, that guy's got some talent under those muscles!"
  • (About confrontation of Van and Jean-Philippe) "He's (JP) gonna fucking hit him!"
  • "I've cleaned many, many shrimps in my days. Shrimp is not a difficult thing to work with, end of story!"
  • (To Robert) "Who me? Watch my mouth? what the fuck did you put up to the pass? No, don't-don't-don't fuckin' tell me to watch my mouth!"
  • (To Robert) "Push me, push me, push me!"
  • (To Robert) "What did I say to you?!"
  • (When seeing a conference bike outside of Hell's Kitchen used as a punishment) "What in God's name is that fuckin' thing?"
  • (About Andy struggling on making crepes) "It's crepes, man! Fold it, fold it, flip, flip, package it, you're done! I mean, it's NOT rocket science!"
  • (About his help to Jim) "When people get all fucked up like that, it's cool. Because I sit back, "say no", I can bail him out. So it makes me look like a hero. This is fun!"
  • "We don't want Suzanne! We don't want her at all, but it doesn't matter what jacket Suzanne has on, she's going to go home, y'know just like everyone else. I will be the last man standing!"
  • (After being named runner-up) "There was a moment of defeat, and defeat tastes bad! But, took a deep breath, put my head back up, and the first thing I thought about, I'm gonna show my kid, it's okay! NEVER STOP DREAMING! Hold your head up high, and know that you did your best."

Season 18[]

  • "We've been here. We know what we’re doing. They don't."
  • "I have this chip that I just can't get rid of, and it's been eight long years I've been chewing on this."
  • "Nobody could cook better than me. Nobody. When I wake up in the morning, the first thing I do is piss excellence."
  • (After losing the signature challenge tiebreaker to Mia) "First challenge, and we lose. How is that possible? It's not a good feeling to lose right off the bat to a bunch of rookies."
  • (About Ariel, after losing to Mia on the risotto challenge) "Last time I was here, Ariel was one of the strongest on our team. Are they that good, or are we that bad?"
  • (About Trev) "I would never leave my children alone with Trevor, absolutely not."
  • (To Ramsay) "You think that's raw?"
  • (After being eliminated) "Eight long years, I've been chewing on this. I came back for redemption. I already run several restaurants right now, so, he's right. I didn't have that fire. I'm going to give my kids a hug and a kiss, and I'm going skiing!"

Gallery[]

References[]

  1. (July 21, 2009). "Episode 601 - 16 Chefs Compete". Hell's Kitchen (U.S. TV series). Season 6. Episode 1.
  2. (July 21, 2009). "Episode 602 - 15 Chefs Compete". Hell's Kitchen (U.S. TV series). Season 6. Episode 2.
  3. (July 28, 2009). "Episode 603 - 14 Chefs Compete". Hell's Kitchen (U.S. TV series). Season 6. Episode 3.
  4. (August 4, 2009). "Episode 604 - 13 Chefs Compete". Hell's Kitchen (U.S. TV series). Season 6. Episode 4.
  5. (August 11, 2009). "Episode 605 - 12 Chefs Compete". Hell's Kitchen (U.S. TV series). Season 6. Episode 5.
  6. (August 18, 2009). "Episode 606 - 11 Chefs Compete". Hell's Kitchen (U.S. TV series). Season 6. Episode 6.
  7. (August 25, 2009). "Episode 607 - 10 Chefs Compete". Hell's Kitchen (U.S. TV series). Season 6. Episode 7.
  8. (September 1, 2009). "Episode 608 - 9 Chefs Compete". Hell's Kitchen (U.S. TV series). Season 6. Episode 8.
  9. (September 8, 2009). "Episode 609 - 8 Chefs Compete". Hell's Kitchen (U.S. TV series). Season 6. Episode 9.
  10. (September 22, 2009). "Episode 610 - 7 Chefs Compete". Hell's Kitchen (U.S. TV series). Season 6. Episode 10.
  11. (September 22, 2009). "Episode 611 - 6 Chefs Compete". Hell's Kitchen (U.S. TV series). Season 6. Episode 11.
  12. (September 29, 2009). "Episode 612 - 5 Chefs Compete". Hell's Kitchen (U.S. TV series). Season 6. Episode 12.
  13. (October 6, 2009). "Episode 613 - 4 Chefs Compete". Hell's Kitchen (U.S. TV series). Season 6. Episode 13.
  14. (October 13, 2009). "Episode 614 - 3 Chefs Compete". Hell's Kitchen (U.S. TV series). Season 6. Episode 14.
  15. (October 13, 2009). "Episode 615 - Winner Announced". Hell's Kitchen (U.S. TV series). Season 6. Episode 15.
  16. (August 13, 2012). "Episode 1016 - 6 Chefs Compete". Hell's Kitchen (U.S. TV series). Season 10. Episode 16.
  17. (September 28, 2018). "Episode 1801 - Rookies vs. Veterans". Hell's Kitchen (U.S. TV series). Season 18. Episode 1.
  18. (October 5, 2018). "Episode 1802 - A Fond Farewell". Hell's Kitchen (U.S. TV series). Season 18. Episode 2.
  19. (October 12, 2018). "Episode 1803 - Hell's Riders". Hell's Kitchen (U.S. TV series). Season 18. Episode 3.
  20. (October 19, 2018). "Episode 1804 - Hell Freezes Over". Hell's Kitchen (U.S. TV series). Season 18. Episode 4.
  21. (November 2, 2018). "Episode 1805 - Fish Out of Water". Hell's Kitchen (U.S. TV series). Season 18. Episode 5.
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Season 6 Season 18
Hell's Kitchen: Rookies vs. Veterans
Staff
Gordon Ramsay (Head Chef) • Jocky Petrie (Blue Team Sous Chef) • Christina Wilson (Red Team Sous Chef) • Marino Monferrato (Maître d'hôtel)
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Ariel Contreras-FoxKevin CottleRoe DiLeoJen GavinT GregoireBret HauserTrev McGrathHeather Williams
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