Perhaps with a little help from ratings juggernaut American Idol, Fox’s Hell’s Kitchen has maintained a consistent hold on ratings, reeling in 7.5 million viewers last week.  The figure, while it showed a slight decline from last week, is still good considering the competition.  Hell’s Kitchen shares its hellish Thursday timeslot with the ABC medical dramedy Grey’s Anatomy, NBC’s The Office, and huge fan favorite Supernatural from the CW.

On its last episode, 32-year-old J Maxwell got the boot after an altercation that resulted in an overcooked risotto.  As a result, the Clifton Park, New York-native got a rather harsh tongue-lashing from Hell’s Kitchen creator and infamous potty-mouth Gordon Ramsay right in the middle of cooking to pack his bags and leave.

“That’s up to Gordon.  It’s his kitchen.  I understand.  Like I said, I have no regrets, no animosity.  I was glad to leave.  It took a couple seconds to realize what happened, of course, but by the time there was thirty seconds to a minute, it’s like, ‘You know what, that’s good.  I’m packing my stuff and it’s time to leave.  I’m going home to my son, to my wife.  We’ve got a lot to do, a lot to plan.’”

After being eliminated, J says he now roots for Giovanni, whom he describes as a “great guy” and “the most talented” chef remaining in the competition.

J also reveals that his son was diagnosed with autism two weeks before he entered Hell’s Kitchen, an event that caused him confusion.

“I kind of lost my edge a little bit. My heart was there, I was doing my best, but I was making little mistakes, you know?”


– Glenn Diaz, BuddyTV Staff Columnist

Source: Hollywood Reporter
(Image courtesy of Reality TV Magazine)

Glenn Diaz

Staff Writer, BuddyTV