The Real Reason There's Always A Lawyer On The Set Of Hell's Kitchen - Exclusive
When you consider all of the shouting, bleeped out language, and slammed pots and pans that make Hell's Kitchen so binge worthy, you do have to wonder: what hijinks are going on behind the scenes that are deemed unfit to air? Well, there's a lot, actually. Mashed got an exclusive interview with Chef Christina Wilson, judge of this season's "Red Kitchen" and winner of Hell's Kitchen season 10. Wilson was there for the moment when fiery-tempered culinary legend Gordon Ramsay was at his absolute angriest, and, considering that she also works for him as the head chef at his Las Vegas steakhouse, Gordon Ramsay Steak, may have had more exposure to the inner workings of the Gordon Ramsay food and entertainment empire than most. "It's been over eight years since the show but I've been on the corporate team for nearly six now," Wilson explained.
One interesting tidbit that Wilson revealed was that there's always a FOX network attorney on the set of Hell's Kitchen. So why does the show need to be perpetually lawyered-up?
Hell's Kitchen lawyers make sure that the contest rules are being followed
The answer to that question, as it turns out, is not that the network is concerned Ramsay will fly off the handle and say something regrettable — if anything, those moments make for captivating television! As viewers, many of us watch Hell's Kitchen for the drama along with anticipation of who will be the season's winner — but for the contestants, they are competing for a big cash prize. This time around, the winner gets a cool quarter million plus a paid head chef position at a Ramsay restaurant (per CheatSheet). With any contest — particularly one with a $250,000 prize — there's the (legal) concern that the prize could be given out unfairly, Wilson said. So, those suits are there to make sure everyone plays it straight.
"People don't know this, and it's not the sexy part of the show, but there's a lawyer on set from FOX every time that we're recording, anytime there's a challenge or a dinner service," Wilson explained. "There's no funny business. It's a cash prize. It's handled just like a blackjack table would be. It has to be fair, all the way around." That's not the only thing the FOX lawyers worry about; They also make sure that no contestants are listening to music or watching TV while being filmed, Wilson added, because that would mean needing to get "rights to music or TV shows or anything that might be in the background."
You can catch Chef Christina Wilson on this season of Hell's Kitchen, now on FOX.