Gordon’s high expectations and cutting insults in the kitchen only add to the already stressful situation. However, the show is even more stressful than what’s shown. Corporate Executive Chef of Gordon Ramsay’s Restaurant Group, U.S. Division, and Red Team sous chef Christina Wilson once said after her time on Hell’s Kitchen season 10 that contestants aren’t allowed any alone time. They weren’t even allowed to spend some downtime journaling.
Hell’s Kitchen Contestants Are Compensated
All the stress and hardship the contestants go through in Hell’s Kitchen are often worth it. The contestants on Hell’s Kitchen are compensated with a weekly salary that isn’t very high, but it’s better than normal. Though the exact number isn’t known, it’s been alleged that they can make between $750 and $1000 a week.
Though most shows (like The Bachelor franchise) pay their contestants nothing, the baseline compensation for reality TV contestants is $750 weekly. Big Brother, for example, pays their houseguests $750 per week, including contestants who are voted out of the house and technically off the show but must remain sequestered as part of the jury. Shows that require contestants to perform specific talents, like cooking on Hell’s Kitchen, for example, often pay more.
Fox Could Afford To Pay Hell’s Kitchen Contestants More
Fox can undoubtedly afford to pay their contestants. According to Forbes, Gordon’s shows accumulate over 75 hours of content and over $150M in ad sales for Fox each year. His celebrity draw is a cash cow for the network. Additionally, Gordon, who has 35 restaurants worldwide, makes plenty of money himself. In 2020, he earned $70 million. The British celebrity chef even has three homes in London, Los Angeles, and Cornwall. Chef Gordon is the king of Hell’s Kitchen, but thankfully he seems to be a benevolent leader, at least when it comes to compensating his contestants.
