Gordon Ramsay Roasts “Hell’s Kitchen” Contestant for Being a Professional Quidditch Player

‘Hell’s Kitchen: The American Dream’ premieres Thursday, Sept. 26 on Fox

Gordon Ramsay normally roasts his contestants’ food — but he’s not above poking fun their favorite pastimes, too.

In an exclusive first look at the season 22 premiere of Hell’s Kitchen, which airs on Thursday, Sept. 26, Ramsay learns that one of the chefs is also a professional quidditch player.

The clip starts with Ramsay asking Tad Walters about where his cooking career began. Walters, 28, says that he started out at a pizzeria. He says that he’s “really competitive” and “played sports growing up.” Ramsay then asks if he still plays sports, and if so, what sports he plays.

“I’m actually a professional quidditch player,” Walters says.

“A professional British… what?” Ramsay asks, clarifying what he said.

“Quidditch player, like from Harry Potter,” Walter responds.

The camera pans to the other contestants, who are looking around at each other in silence. “Ain’t no way,” another contestant is heard muttering under their breath.

“Let me get this right,” Ramsay responds. “You run around… with a broom between your legs… holding a ball.”

“Yeah,” Walters says.

Ramsay looks around the room.

“So sorry, does anyone else play ‘Quidditch?’” he asks the rest of the group through laughter.

Though Ramsay found Walters’ hobby funny, Walters has been taking it seriously for many years.

In 2014, Walters made an Indiegogo to fund his trip to the “Quidditch Global Games” in Canada, after he was “selected to be the snitch.” Years later, in 2020, he was featured in a YouTube video from Fast Break News, a channel about all things quidditch, in which he discussed top up-and-coming quidditch players in the Midwest. In the caption, the channel referred to him as the founder of Boom Train, an adult quidditch team, and a Columbia College Chicago coach.

And while this season of Hell’s Kitchen has moments of comic relief, viewers should gear up for a high-stakes season.

According to Fox, the themed challenges include barbecuing, creating signature dishes, and running dinner service at the Hell’s Kitchen restaurant. It will also see celebrity guest spots from Oscar De La Hoya, Martina McBride, Bobby Berk, Paula Abdul, G-Eazy, Olivia Culpo, and Giada De Laurentiis.