The Real Reason Cutthroat Kitchen Always Has A Lawyer On Set
"Cutthroat Kitchen" is a fairly popular show that takes its viewers on a fascinating ride as four talented contestants fight for the top spot. They have limited time to prove their skills by cooking a dish that beats the others (via Vulture). Three stressful and action-packed rounds help determine the winner. Also, all the chefs are given $25,000 before they begin the competition and they have to find ways to make the most of the money. You see, they can choose to bid at auctions and escape roadblocks to get an edge over other participants by making the contest harder for them.
Per CheatSheet, Alton Brown is an integral part of the show and ensures that fans of "Cutthroat Kitchen" get a heavy dose of entertainment. One Redditor wrote they can't get enough of Brown on the show. They said, "Peak Alton Brown. His sadistic laughter when a particularly devious sabotage is revealed. Makes my day!" Hehe. Also, the competition can get uglier than you think and, as per a former participant, chef Joe Arvin, it's necessary for the show's producers to ensure that there is a lawyer available on set at all times (via Chef's Roll).
'Cutthroat Kitchen' must follow this California law
According to chef Joe Arvin, while "Cutthroat Kitchen" doesn't really have scripted scenes, participants are told to fight as hard as possible and say nasty things about each other while competing (via Chef's Roll). Understandably, this makes things very stressful on set. A former participant, Billy Ngo confirmed that he was told to be mean on camera when he was a participant on the show (via The Sacramento Bee.) Meanwhile, Arvin mentioned a California law that makes it necessary for game shows to stick to all the necessary rules and regulations.
Arvin said, "[W]e had a lawyer on-set to ensure that all rules were being followed and there was nothing too 'fake' about the contestants. It was extremely strict in regards to providing a real world vs. Hollywood produced experience." Basically, the lawyer makes sure that things don't get out of hand while filming. Fair enough.