Hell's Kitchen (U.S. season 7)

Hell's Kitchen (U.S. season 7)
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	15
Release
Original network	Fox
Original release	June 1 – August 10, 2010

Season 7 of the American competitive reality television series Hell's Kitchen aired on the Fox Network from June 1, 2010 to August 10, 2010. The winner, Holli Ugalde, was promised the head chef position at Chef Ramsay's newly renovated restaurant at the Savoy Hotel in London. Filming had concluded on February 2009, 16 months prior to seventh season premiere, when the hotel reopened in 2010; however, Ugalde was not given the job. Ramsay stated that the American Ugalde could not work in London due to visa problems, but Ugalde called that explanation an excuse, saying, "I don't know if they even applied for my visa." Holli was awarded an undisclosed amount of money in compensation and retained her title as the winner of season 7.^[1]

Sous chef Scott Leibfried returned for the Blue Team, and newcomer Andi Van Willigan from Santa Monica, California became the sous chef for the Red Team.^[2]

Opening sequence

The intro depicts the chefs in a literal hell's kitchen with Ramsay as the devil.

Contestants

16 chefs competed in season 7.^[2]

Contestant	Age	Occupation	Hometown
Siobhan Allgood	25	Pub Executive Chef	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Ed Battaglia	28	High School Cooking Teacher	Edgewater Park, New Jersey
Jamie Bisoulis	26	Sous Chef	Chicago, Illinois
Salvatore Coppola	35	Pizzeria Chef	Laurel Springs, New Jersey
Jason Ellis	37	Personal Chef	Suwanee, Georgia
Andrew Forster	28	Farmer	Wake Forest, North Carolina
Scott Hawley	32	Executive Chef	New York, New York
Nilka Hendricks	28	Line Cook	West Hempstead, New York
Frances "Fran" Klier[3]	44	Catering Chef	Rockville Centre, New York
Benjamin Knack	33	Culinary Instructor	Malden, Massachusetts
Autumn Lewis	29	Personal Chef	West Hollywood, California
Jason "Jay" Santos	32	Executive Chef	Medford, Massachusetts
Stacey Slichta	38	Private Chef	Studio City, California
Mikey Termini	29	Line Cook	Kihei, Hawaii
Maria Torrisi	24	Kitchen Supervisor	Scranton, Pennsylvania
Holli Ugalde	24	Banquet Chef	San Bernardino, California

Contestant progress

							Original teams				First switch		Second switch			Third switch	Individual				Finals
No.	Chef						701	702	703	704	705	706	707	708	709	710	711	712	713	714	715
1						Holli	LOSE	LOSE	LOSE	WIN	LOSE	BoW	LOSE	LOSE	BoW	WIN	IN	IN	IN	IN	WINNER
2						Jay	WIN	LOSE	WIN	WIN	BoB	WIN	WIN	LOSE	LOSE	WIN	IN	IN	BoB	IN	RUNNER-UP
3					Benjamin		WIN	LOSE	BoB	WIN	WIN	BoB	LOSE	LOSE	LOSE	WIN	IN	NOM	NOM	OUT
4					Autumn		LOSE	NOM	LOSE	NOM	WIN	WIN	WIN	NOM	NOM	NOM	NOM	IN	NOM	OUT
5					Jason		WIN	NOM	WIN	WIN	WIN	WIN	WIN	LOSE	LOSE	BoB	IN	OUT
6					Ed		BoB	LOSE	WIN	WIN	WIN	WIN	WIN	NOM	LOSE	NOM	OUT
7				Nilka			LOSE	LOSE	LOSE	BoB	NOM	LOSE	LOSE	LOSE	LOSE	OUT[n 1]
8			Fran				NOM	LOSE	NOM	WIN	BoW	NOM	NOM	NOM	OUT
9			Siobhan				LOSE	LOSE	LOSE	WIN	LOSE	NOM[n 2]	NOM	OUT
10			Salvatore				WIN	LOSE	WIN	BoB	WIN	WIN	OUT[n 3]
11		Scott					WIN	LOSE	WIN	NOM	NOM[n 2]	OUT
12		Maria					LOSE	LOSE	LOSE	WIN	OUT
13	Jamie						LOSE	NOM[n 2]	OUT
14	Mikey						WIN	OUT
15	Andrew						WIN	LEFT
16	Stacey						OUT

Keywords WIN = Won the dinner service LOSE = Lost the dinner service BoB = Best of the Best, usually exempt from nomination BoW = Best of the Worst, sometimes exempt from nomination IN = not nominated for elimination NOM = nominated for elimination OUT = eliminated LEFT = withdrew from competition

Color key      Chef was eliminated after nomination      Chef was eliminated without nomination      Chef was eliminated during service      Chef withdrew from the competition      Chef was retained after nomination      The winner of Hell's Kitchen      The runner-up of Hell's Kitchen

Notes

1. Chef was eliminated by Ramsay during service
2. Chef was nominated by Ramsay
3. Chef was eliminated by Ramsay despite being on the winning team

Episodes

Each episode consists of a challenge with a reward, a service and an elimination.

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Original air date	U.S. viewers (millions)
79	1	"16 Chefs Compete"	June 1, 2010	6.20[4]
Sixteen new chefs were surprised by members of the press, where Chef Ramsay promised the first dinner service would be completed. Signature dishes/team challenge: Teams were divided into men (blue) and women (red) and each chef cooked a signature dish to be judged by Ramsay. Maria's filet mignon scored over Salvatore's pasta (given that he used packaged pasta for his dish), Benjamin's lobster agnolotti scored over Holli's halibut wrapped in a banana leaf, neither Jamie's cream of chicken kiev or Scott's duck breast scored a point (Ramsay refused to eat Jamie's dish as he found a toothpick embedded in the meat), both Siobhan's ahi tuna and Mikey's lobster-stuffed brie scored points, Jay's steak scored over Stacey's fish, Jason's grits scored over Fran's dish and Autumn's chicken scored over Ed's fish. Lastly, neither Nilka's chicken wings or Andrew's steak tartare scored a point (mainly because Andrew said he's raised and butchered his own animals, and he likes to eat them raw) giving the blue team a 4-3 win. Ramsay then gave the contestants video demonstrations on how to cook various dishes, with a fire alarm siren preceding each video. Reward/punishment: The guys were treated to breakfast in bed, with the women being forced to cook and serve it to them. Service: Jay and Nilka served tableside chicken caesar salad. In the red kitchen, Stacey struggled on scallops, while Fran undercooked potatoes and mistook crab for lobster. Jamie served cold steak and Maria laughed after Ramsay reprimanded it. Ramsay kicked Fran, Jamie and Maria out, and brought Nilka into the kitchen. In the blue kitchen, Salvatore burned shallots twice, Mikey served raw halibut twice, getting him kicked out, and Benjamin struggled on risotto. Salvatore and Benjamin were kicked out after not communicating to Ramsay, and Jay was brought into the kitchen. Stacey was then kicked out for still struggling on fish. Ramsay then merged the teams together, and under the leadership of Ed, service was completed, and fulfilling Ramsay's promise of completing the opening service for the first time in Hell's Kitchen history. Ramsay named the blue team winners for making the least mistakes and having the least amount of members ejected, and the red team were told to nominate two chefs for elimination. Elimination: Stacey and Fran were nominated. Ramsay eliminated Stacey for her lackadaisical attitude and awful performance on fish. Ramsay's comment: "It's a good thing Stacey's a private chef. Her food wasn't good enough for the public."
80	2	"15 Chefs Compete"	June 8, 2010	6.29[5]
Team Challenge: The contestants were divided into pairs; each pair had to cook four egg dishes in four different styles (soft-boiled, poached, scrambled and sunny side up) in five minutes. Since the red team had one less chef, Siobhan worked on her own, but accepted help from Autumn, which resulted in most of her eggs being disqualified by Ramsay. The men won 11-10. Reward/punishment: The men were treated to helicopter tour of Los Angeles and a champagne lunch with Ramsay and Jean-Philippe on top of a skyscraper. The women took in deliveries of tuna and prepped it for service. Service: Scott and Fran served table-side tuna tartar, but Fran struggled. In the blue kitchen, Salvatore was kicked out for not remembering the deserts but was allowed to come back after looking at the recipe book, Mikey consistently undercooked risotto, Jason poorly cooked chicken, and Andrew served liquid mashed potatoes. In the red kitchen, Autumn put too much salt in water pots and was scolded for taking over appetizers from Siobhan. The women finished appetizers well before the men, but Holli, Jamie and Nilka suffered communication problems and Jamie served raw fish. Andrew's exit: After Andrew added poor mash potato to a fresh pot and argued with Ramsay, Ramsay threw him out. Andrew then began to leave the building, thinking he was thrown out of the competition, and though Jean-Philippe tried to talk Andrew back into the contest, saying there were many people who would want to be in his shoes, Andrew took off his shoes and walked out, making him the second chef to quit mid-service. Andrew received no comment, and though he walked out wearing his jacket, his jacket and burnt photo was seen when Ramsay hanged up Mikey's jacket. Despite both teams finishing service with no further ejections, Ramsay named both teams losers and had both teams nominate one chef for elimination. Elimination: Autumn and Jason were nominated. However, Ramsay questioned Autumn's nomination, and sent her back in line after Maria admitted that Jamie was instead the worst chef on the team. However, Ramsay spared Jamie and Jason, and instead eliminated Mikey for his second terrible service in a row. Ramsay's comment: "Mikey was all about appearances. Unfortunately for him, it didn't appear he could cook."
81	3	"13 Chefs Compete"	June 15, 2010	4.84[6]
Team challenge: In a Team Communication challenge, teams served lunch to members of the University of Southern California Marching Band and Cheerleaders; the team that finished first won. The women narrowly won their first challenge in a close finish. Reward/punishment: The women were rewarded with a trip to the beach and played soccer with Ramsay and his family while the men had to clean a portion of the Los Angeles River. Service: Before service, Fran burned her hand carrying a pot of hot water, but refused to see a medic. Holli and Salvatore were chosen as maitre d' assistants, but Salvatore struggled and contemplated quitting the competition, but Jean-Philipe convinced him to stay. In the blue kitchen, Scott served poor potatoes, but the men did well on entrees thanks to Benjamin's strong performance on meat. Jason struggled on garnish, but recovered. In the red kitchen, Fran struggled on meat and Ramsay eventually forced her to see a medic, while Jamie burned carrots and mashed potatoes. Siobhan took over, but lost track of her work on fish in the process; both teams completed service. Ramsay named the men the winners, praising Benjamin. Elimination: Fran and Jamie were nominated. Ramsay eliminated Jamie for consistently poor performances and surrendering control of the garnish station to Siobhan. Ramsay's comment: "To be a great chef you need creativity, leadership qualities and passion. Jamie had passion."
82	4	"12 Chefs Compete Part 1"	June 15, 2010	6.22[6]
After the elimination, Ramsay pulled Salvatore aside and encouraged him to fightback after his poor performance. Before the next challenge, Scott and Salvatore sat down together and looked at the recipes together. Team challenge: Each chef rolled a die with letters on each side of it, then having ten seconds to call out an ingredient starting with that letter.[note 1] The teams then had 30 minutes to create a dish using those ingredients. The men made a pan roasted halibut with a bacon, pea and crab ragu, a salsify puree and a salad of crab and endive, while the women made a mango glazed pan seared duck with ham, pureed turnips and beets. The men won after the women's duck was cooked with too much "fat" left on. Reward/punishment: The men were told they were going skydiving, but discovered they were going to be in a vertical wind tunnel for the day. The women cleaned the entryway to Hell's Kitchen and prepped both kitchens for service. During punishment, Maria had a meltdown, but Sous Chef Andi gave her a pep talk to calm her down. Service: Service included numerous celebrities as well as special guests on the chef's tables. The blue team's special guests were Debi Mazar and her husband, while the red team's special guests were Kevin Frazier and his wife. Also in attendance was Carrie Preston. In the blue kitchen, Salvatore had a strong performance on fish, but Scott struggled on meat and Ed served hard mashed potatoes. In the red kitchen, Nilka had a strong performance on meat, but Siobhan mistook lobster for crab twice and Autumn dropped a piece of salmon onto one of her burners. However, Ramsay considered the service to be an improvement and named both teams winners, though he had each team nominate one chef for elimination. Nilka and Salvatore were named Best of the Best on their teams and were asked to choose the nominees. Team change: Nilka nominated Autumn, while Salvatore nominated Scott. No chef was eliminated, but Ramsay transferred Autumn to the men and Scott to the women. Ramsay's comment: "After our best service yet, I've decided to give Autumn and Scott another chance. But they better excel or they'll both be gone."
83	5	"12 Chefs Compete Part 2"	June 22, 2010	5.68[7]
Team challenge: Each chef brought a pig in a pen to get an ingredient listed on the pigs collar, totaling 3 pork items and 3 side items. The teams then had to create three dishes, each with pork as the primary ingredient and one further ingredient. The red team got ham hock, tenderloin, blood sausage, apple, prunes and sweet potato, while the blue team got bacon, pork chop, loin chop, cabbage, pinto beans and bok choi. The blue team's roasted pork loin scored over the red team's blood sausage and prunes, but the red team's fennel-encrusted pork tenderloin scored over the blue team's honey-glazed bacon. Finally, Jay and Salvatore's pork chop with pinto beans scored over Maria and Scott's sweet potato soup as the soup used ham hock as a garnish, when it was supposed to be the main ingredient. Reward/punishment: The blue team were rewarded with a trip to Glen Ivy Hot Springs Spa while the red team had to give the pigs in the pen a bath. Service: Ramsay announced that tonight's service will be barbecue night with the service having two servings, with the teams taking turns cooking and working in the dining room. In the red kitchen, Fran had a strong performance on appetizers, but Maria served raw crab, Scott burnt chicken and Siobhan undercooked burgers. Scott was even reprimand by Ramsay for leaving his oven door open, yelling it was a safety hazard. The blue team did well in the dining room, their only problem being Salvatore's poor handwriting. When the teams swapped, Jay was strong on appetizers, but Salvatore struggled on garnish, Autumn undercooked ribs and Ramsay scolded Jason after he tried to save time by frying chicken and French fries in the same basket. The red team were slow to get orders to the kitchen; Maria took an order from a table Holli had already taken the order for and wrote down orders incorrectly. Ramsay named the blue team winners for their performance in the dining room; Fran was named best of the worst. Elimination: After receiving advice from Scott, Fran nominated Maria and Nilka but the nominations backfired after Ramsay nominated Scott and told Nilka to get back in line. Ramsay eliminated Maria for being the worst performer in both the kitchen and dining room. Ramsay's comment: "Maria was in over her head. On garnish, she was lost and her team paid the cost. That's why her life in Hell's Kitchen is dead."
84	6	"11 Chefs Compete"	June 22, 2010	6.28[7]
Team Challenge: The challenge was to make meals out of five mother sauces while not reusing any of the other twenty ingredients given to them. The blue team worked well together, but on the red team, Nilka, still angry over getting nominated last night, took most of the ingredients without consulting her teammates. To judge the dishes, Ramsay called on the help of his wife and mother. Fran scored over Salvatore on tomato sauce, neither Jay or Siobhan earned a point for their hollandaise dishes, Ed scored over Holli on velouté, Nilka scored over Jason on demi-glace and Benjamin scored over Scott on béchamel, leaving the score at 2-2 tie. Ultimately, Ramsay gave the blue team the win, judging Jason's dish to be the best of the dishes not awarded a point. Reward/punishment: The blue team were rewarded with a trip to Ye Olde King's Head British Pub in Santa Monica, California and each chef received a set of premium pots and pans. The red team cleaned and prepped both kitchens. During punishment, Shiobhan suffered a mild allergic reaction from the cleaning supply, and is excused from cleaning the kitchens, though she did return to help prep. Service: Hell's Kitchen hosted family night, with a kids menu included. The blue team had a strong performance, their only problem being Salvatore adding fresh rice to risotto when he forgot an extra portion and then lying to Ramsay about it, causing Ramsay to berate him. Under Benjamin's strong leadership, the blue team completed service. The red team continued to struggle, Nilka undercooked risotto and nobody on the team knew who was meant to be cooking spaghetti. Fran overcooked scallops and Scott lost track of his orders, serving raw wellingtons. After Scott burnt chicken and beef, Ramsay kicked the red team out while he, Sous Chef Scott and Sous Chef Andi completed their service. Ramsay named the blue team clear winners. Elimination: Scott and Fran and nominated, but Fran thought Siobhan should have been nominated, so Ramsay called all three forward. Ramsay eliminated Scott for his arrogance and failing to live up to his executive chef position, much to the red team's relief. Team change: Ramsay then transferred Benjamin to the red team, believing that the red team sorely lack leadership, and tells Benjamin to use his skill to make it better. Ramsay's comment: "If Scott could cook as well as he talks, he'd be the winner of Hell's Kitchen. Unfortunately for him, he can't."
85	7	"10 Chefs Compete"	June 29, 2010	5.70[8]
Team challenge: Both teams cooked meals for a 50th wedding anniversary, remaking three dishes that the wedding couple had at their wedding reception 50 years ago. The challenge ended in a tie, but Ramsay awarded the win to the red team. Reward/punishment: The red team were rewarded with dinner at a 50's style diner and got to serve the guests of honor during service. The blue team had to decorate the dining room for the 50th anniversary reception being held the following day. Service: Ed and Nilka served Steak Diane tableside. In the blue kitchen, the cake made almost fell over but was saved in time and Salvatore struggled on garnish as he did not communicate with his teammates. In the red kitchen, Benjamin served raw and then overcooked crab cakes, Holli overcooked duck and raw chicken and Fran struggled on garnish. Both kitchens completed service; Ramsay named the blue team winners. Elimination: Fran and Siobhan were nominated. However, Ramsay spared them due to the red team's improved performance and eliminated Salvatore for consistently poor performances, making him the second chef to leave the competition despite being on the winning team. Ramsay's comment: "Salvatore had a big heart. Too bad he couldn't cook with it."
86	8	"9 Chefs Compete"	June 29, 2010	6.33[8]
Team Challenge: Each chef made a gourmet sandwich in 30 minutes. Because the red team had one more chef, they had to choose one sandwich to sit out, choosing Siobhan. The score ended in a 3-3 tie, so Ramsay used Siobhan's sandwich to declare a winner. Ramsay awarded the blue team the win, preferring Siobhan's sandwich over Fran's. Reward/punishment: The blue team was rewarded with wine tasting in a private jet with Ramsay, while the red team had to shuck peanuts and grind them into peanut butter. Ed and Autumn got drunk from the reward, giving them hangovers before service. Service: In the red kitchen, in addition to Fran struggling on risotto, Siobhan under-seasoned scallops and argued with Ramsay who forced her out to eat them, forcing Benjamin to take over. Nilka served raw chicken. In the blue kitchen, Jason and Jay struggled to communicate, serving overcooked scallops and under-salted risotto. Autumn served salty mashed potatoes and Ed struggled on meat. After Ed served raw duck, Ramsay kicked the blue team out. Fran continued to struggle on appetizers, leading Ramsay to kick the red team out as well. An angry Ramsay declared no winner. Elimination: Autumn, Ed, Siobhan and Fran were nominated. Ramsay eliminated Siobhan for her poor performances and allowing Benjamin to take over her station, but praised her for her hard work. Ramsay's comment: "Siobhan got pushed around a lot in Hell's Kitchen. So it was up to me to finally push her out."
87	9	"8 Chefs Compete"	July 6, 2010	6.29[9]
Team challenge: The contestants conducted a blind taste test to see which foods they can correctly identify. The blue team won 4-3, with Jay being the only contestant to correctly identify two ingredients. Reward/punishment: The blue team were rewarded with VIP passes to Sea World to swim with dolphins and spend the day at the park. The red team took in several deliveries of food for Gordon Ramsay at The London, West Hollywood. Service: Each team prepared their own menu consisting of four appetizers, entrees and desserts, with the customers deciding which menu to order from. Ramsay was not impressed with either menu, branding the red team's menu uninspiring, apart from Holli's desserts, which he complimented, and the blue team's menu terrible. The blue team decided to revamp their menu at the last minute, but the red team ignored Ramsay's suggestions. As a result, the orders for the blue team's menu vastly outnumbered those of the red team. Both kitchens saw poor performances from Autumn and Fran on meat, and this eventually led to Jay kicking Autumn off and putting her on desserts instead. While the blue team had clearly been the better of the two teams, Ramsay refused to name them winners since they originally came up with a poor menu. Ramsay had both teams nominate one chef for elimination. Elimination: Autumn and Fran were nominated. Ramsay had both Autumn and Fran remove their jackets; Ramsay eliminated Fran, feeling that she had gone as far as she could, though Ramsay commended her for her determination. Team change: As for Autumn, Ramsay reassigned her back to the red team, while noting that even though the red team didn't like her, she did have better performances there. Ramsay's comment: "Fran wanted her team to communicate, but it seems the only thing her team agreed on was wanting her gone."
88	10	"7 Chefs Compete"	July 6, 2010	7.08[9]
Team Challenge: The contestants each cooked a lobster dish with a 10-pound lobster, with three Michelin-starred chefs judging. As the red team had an extra chef, they chose Nilka's dish to sit out. Only one chef from each team earned a point: Holli and Jason. Ramsay deemed Holli's dish the best dish, giving the red team the win. Reward/punishment: The red team were treated to sampling caviar at a Petrossian Paris, and were each given $1000 for a shopping spree. The blue team cleaned the dorms and prepped both kitchens for service. However, when the red team returned, the blue team had still not prepped their own kitchen. Ramsay then declared that both teams would operate in the red kitchen and that there would be a two and a half hour time limit for service to serve customers who would then be attending the theatre. Service: For winning the challenge, Holli served caviar tableside. Jason had a strong performance on meat, but Nilka undercooked fish and suffered an emotional meltdown, causing Jay to help her, while Ed caused multiple pans to catch on fire on garnish. Automatic elimination: After numerous mistakes on fish, Ramsay eliminated Nilka during service. Nilka then returned and pleaded to be given a second chance, refusing to leave until Ramsay forced Benjamin to help him get her out. The two teams rallied and finished the service with fifteen minutes to spare. Ramsay then met with Nilka at the back entrance after service and, despite telling her she was not ready for the head chef's job, calmly urged her not to give up on her dream before taking her jacket and sending her home via taxi. Nilka received the full elimination sequence at the end of the episode. Elimination: Despite both teams being named joint-winners, both teams were told to nominate one chef for elimination. Though Autumn and Ed were nominated, Ramsay retained each chef and gave each chef a black jacket. Ramsay's comment: "Tonight was the best service we've had in Hell's Kitchen, and that's why I rewarded the final six. Now, only the best chefs remain. Nilka was clearly out of her depth."
89	11	"6 Chefs Compete"	July 20, 2010	5.98[10]
Individual challenge: In an individual challenge, the chefs had thirty minutes to create a great-tasting dish and make it look aesthetically pleasing. The dishes were judged on presentation by culinary students. From worst to best, the dishes were Holli, Jay, Jason and Autumn. Benjamin and Ed's dishes were singled out as the top two. The dishes were then judged by Tanya Steel of Epicurious on taste, who named Benjamin the winner. Reward/punishment: Benjamin received a makeover and photo shoot with Epicurious, as well as his dish being featured at the next dinner service, while the others cleaned the restaurant. Service: Whoopi Goldberg was a special guest at the chef's table. Ed frequently undercooked and overcooked fish and Benjamin's lack of communication caused Jay to give Ramsay inaccurate times. The team as a whole struggled to remember orders, and after Ed overcooked scallops and Benjamin brought up meat entrées for the wrong table, Ramsay kicked them out while the remaining four completed service. Elimination: It appeared that Benjamin and Ed would be the two nominees, however, when Ramsay told the team to decide on two nominees based on "overall" performance, Autumn and Ed were nominated. Ramsay eliminated Ed for his disintegrating performances and unconvincing final plea. Ramsay's comment: "Ed was one of the favorites because of his strong start. Unfortunately, in cooking, it's not how you start, it's how you finish."
90	12	"5 Chefs Compete"	July 20, 2010	6.96[10]
Individual challenge: The contestants went to a local supermarket, where they spent no more than $10 in ten minutes on ingredients for their dish, which they had 30 minutes to cook. Each dish was judged by a panel of three gourmands, who then come up with a price they would pay if they ordered this dish; the contestant with the largest average price won. Jason ($16.00) ended up in last for buying prepared ravioli. Ben's ratatouille dish ($25.00) was fourth, Autumn's veal dish ($27.33) was third, Jay's lamb dish ($28.66) was second and Holli finished in first with her tuna dish ($29.66). Reward/punishment: Holli chose Jay, as he came second, to join her and Jean-Philippe at The Peninsula Beverly Hills for a poolside lunch, followed by a $1000 kitchen equipment shopping spree. Holli's dish was also featured in that night's service. The others did laundry and dined on Spam sandwiches. Service: Ramsay had the contestants switch stations every several minutes to test their communication skills, in which each chef told the contestant replacing them what to do before moving on. The service was very rocky; Jay struggled on meat, Benjamin served rejected scallops and Jason overcooked halibut. At one point, Ramsay stepped out, leaving Sous Chef Scott in charge. Benjamin attempted to read orders at the pass, only to be berated by Scott. The team completed service, but Ramsay was far from impressed and had the team nominate two for elimination. Elimination: Jason and Benjamin were nominated. Ramsay eliminated Jason for his lack of leadership compared to the other chefs, but gave him encouragement. Ramsay's comment: "Jason was good enough to make it to the final five, but he just didn't instill the confidence I needed to see to be my head chef."
91	13	"4 Chefs Compete Part 1"	July 27, 2010	6.25[11]
Individual challenge: Ramsay showed the chefs how to cook monk fish before having them verbally teach a novice how to duplicate Ramsay's dish. Jay won the challenge. Reawrd/punishment: Jay chose Holli to come with him on an aerial tour of Los Angeles on the Goodyear Blimp, the Spirit of America. Benjamin and Autumn did maintenance and cleaning work. Service: For the first time in Hell's Kitchen history, the contestants chose which station they would work. Holli undercooked John Dory, Jay served bland risotto, Autumn undercooked scallops and Benjamin caused a beef wellington to split and had a lack of communication. However, all four chefs finished service, with Jay being named Best of the Best. Elimination: Jay nominated Autumn and Benjamin.[note 2] Ramsay called Autumn and then Benjamin forward, only to order them back in line. After a great service, Ramsay decided it was impossible to send anyone home. Instead, he invited each of the contestant's family members to Hell's Kitchen for a brief visit (Benjamin's wife and daughter, Holli's son and best friend, Jay's mom and step-dad and Autumn's best friend and boyfriend). Ramsay's comment: "I decided to let all the chefs enjoy tonight's successful dinner service, but what they don't know is, after the next dinner service, I'll be cutting the field in half."
92	14	"4 Chefs Compete Part 2"	August 3, 2010	7.07[12]
Individual challenge: Ramsay presented a dish and had the chefs taste it. In a "taste it, make it" challenge, they then had to recreate the dish in 45 minutes without knowing the ingredients. Holli won the challenge. Reward/punishment: Holli spent a trip with her family on a yacht, while the others cleaned the dorms. Benjamin complained of lower back and shoulder pains and initially decided to leave the competition, but stayed after talking to Ramsay. Service: Ramsay gave each of the chefs an opportunity to run the hot pass. During the chefs' time on the pass, they had to complete quality control checks, including sous-chef Scott sabotaging the food and Jean-Philippe leaving out an entree from an order. Jay had a very strong start and passed both of his quality control tests comfortably. Holli had a nervous start and failed the first of her quality control tests, but recovered. Benjamin, despite failing his first quality check by not noticing he had been given venison wellingtons rather than lamb wellingtons, proved to be a strong leader. Autumn had a shaky start by failing to notice she had been given the wrong sauce and then angered Ramsay by not taking the mistake seriously. She then became excessively nitpicky and started sending back dishes which the other chefs and even Scott thought were cooked correctly. Elimination: Instead of asking the chefs who should be nominated for elimination, Ramsay told the chefs to each say why they should advance to the final. Autumn was the first chef to be eliminated, but Ramsay commended her for her passion and dedication. Ramsay then chose Jay and Holli to advance to the final, eliminating Benjamin, though Ramsay encouraged Benjamin to never give up.
93	15	"2 Chefs Compete"	August 10, 2010	7.09[13]
Individual challenge: Holli and Jay traveled by limo to The London West Hollywood where, to a crowd of fans, they had one hour to cook five dishes: an Amuse-bouche, a cold appetizer, a hot appetizer, a fish course and a meat course, to be judged by five chefs from Ramsay's restaurants in England. Jay won 3-2. Jay was granted first pick in drafting a team using the six chefs eliminated prior to the final.[note 3] Jay picked Benjamin, Jason and Fran, while Holli picked Autumn and Nilka, and was left with Siobhan. Service: Among the customers were Holli and Jay's relatives and friends. In the red kitchen, Nilka and Siobhan struggled on appetizers, and in the blue kitchen, Jason had trouble on meat, Fran struggled on scallops and Ramsay noted that Benjamin appeared to be leading more than Jay, warning Jay to step up and run the kitchen. Both teams eventually rallied and finished service. Winner: The winner was then determined by Ramsay, based on comments of the diners and his own observations. Holli and Jay stood in front of a closed door; Holli's door opened, making her the seventh winner of Hell's Kitchen; Jay took his defeat graciously. Ramsay's comment: "Holli won because she has grown as a chef more than any other chef in Hell's Kitchen. At the start, she was barely noticeable. But then, she got her confidence. She emerged and there was no holding her back. I'm absolutely thrilled she'll be working with me at the Savoy Grill in London."

Notes

1. Scott rolled H and went for Halibut, Jason rolled E and went for endive, Ed rolled S and went for salsify, Benjamin rolled C and went for crab, Jay rolled P and went for peas and Salvatore rolled B and went for bacon. For the women, Fran rolled B and went for beets, Nilka rolled S and went for shallots, Autumn rolled M and went for mangoes, Siobhan rolled H and went for ham, Maria rolled T and went for turnips and Holli rolled D and went with duck.
2. Autumn's nomination ties her with Sabrina Brimhall from season 8, Elise Wims from season 9, Clemenza Caserta from season 10 and Scott Commings from season 12 as the most nominated contestant in the history of the show, at seven nominations.
3. Ed did not return, so Siobhan took his place as the last person to be eliminated prior to final eight.

Epilogue

After Holli was declared the winner of Hell's Kitchen, Ramsay announced that Holli would not be given the job at the newly renovated Savoy Grill at the Savoy Hotel, stating that her visa would not let her work in the United Kingdom. Holli called that explanation an excuse, saying, "I don't know if they even applied for my visa." However, Ramsay expressed disappointment and said that she was a great chef. Holli accepted an undisclosed amount of cash instead.^[14]

A year later after season 7 was filmed, Holli was one of the special VIP guests for Hell's Kitchen's "black-tie" 100th dinner service on October 13, 2010.

Jay later returned to Season 10, to face against that seasons final six chefs, along with other Runner-Ups and as Holli showed up for the 100th dinner service in Season 8. Jay returned in Season 13 as a guest in the 200th dinner service.

References

1. "London's Savoy hotel reopens but without Hell's Kitchen winner Holli Ugalde". The Daily Telegraph, via PerthNow. 2010-11-29.
2. First names only are given onscreen. Last names and biographical information per Hell's Kitchen Bios at Fox site
4. Hibberd, James. "'Got Talent,' 'Hell's Kitchen' debuts rise in ratings", The Hollywood Reporter; section "The Live Feed", June 02, 2010
5. "TV Ratings: Tuesday June 8, 2010 (Glee goes out on a [Demo] high note!)", TheTVAddict.com, June 9, 2010
6. "TV Ratings: Tuesday June 15, 2010 (NBA, Lakers Dominate)", TheTVAddict.com, June 16, 2010
7. "TV Ratings: Tuesday June 22, 2010 (The only thing JILLIAN is losing is viewers!)", TheTVAddict.com, June 23, 2010
8. "TV Ratings: Tuesday June 29, 2010 (Reruns Rule on CBS)", TheTVAddict.com, June 30, 2010
9. "TV Ratings: Tuesday July 6, 2010 (America loves its Reality, with TALENT, KITCHEN & WIPEOUT up across the board)", TheTVAddict.com, July 7, 2010
10. "TV Ratings: Tuesday July 20, 2010 (Gordon Ramsay Scares Up a Demo Win)", TheTVAddict.com, July 21, 2010
11. "TV Ratings: Tuesday July 27, 2010", TheTVAddict.com, July 28, 2010
12. "TV Ratings: Tuesday August 3, 2010 (FOX wipes out the Competition in the 18-49 year-old Department)", TheTVAddict.com, August 4, 2010
13. "TV Ratings: Tuesday August 10, 2010 (Slightly more than 18 viewers tune into the CW's Canadian Import 18 TO LIFE)", TheTVAddict.com, August 11, 2010
14. Shen, Maxine (2010-11-23). ""'Hell" winner loses prize gig because of visa"". The New York Post.