Hell’s Kitchen Season 24 Premiere Recap: Gordon Ramsay’s kitchen is back, and this year’s twist is pure patriot pride. Ramsay ignites a ‘Battle of the States’, kicking off a season that narrows a field of 50 state-picked chefs to a Top 20 who will cook on the Foxwoods Resort Casino stage in Mashantucket, Connecticut.
What happened in the premiere (September 25, 2025)
The season began on Thursday, September 25, 2025, with a live reveal at Foxwoods. Ramsay told the audience they had canvassed the country to select one chef from every state before choosing the final 20 to enter the kitchens and compete for a $250,000 prize and the Head Chef position at the Hell’s Kitchen restaurant at Foxwoods. With sous chefs James Avery (Blue kitchen) and Michelle Tribble (Red kitchen) back on the line, the stage was set for a high-pressure opener inside the resort’s Great Cedar Showroom.
The first challenge set the tone. The Top 20 had 45 minutes to craft a signature dish that represents their state and, in Ramsay’s words, “to put their state on the map.” Dishes faced off head‑to‑head and were scored out of five.
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Signature Dish scores, standouts, and the tiebreaker
Most chefs landed a four, but four cooks hit perfection with 5/5 plates: Jada Vidal (Florida), Anthony Leonard (Iowa), Bradley Wildridge (Louisiana), and Lisa Rivera (California). With the teams tied after judging, Ramsay named the best overall dish as Rivera’s Mofongo. The Red Team’s reward? A celebratory afternoon on a 120‑foot yacht with Ramsay. The Blue Team handled the less glamorous side of the show: prepping the restaurant for the season’s first dinner service, which the series will pick up in Episode 2.
Who made the Top 20
Here’s the complete list of chefs and the states they represent as they enter the Season 24 kitchens:
- Delaware — Anaiya Lator
- North Carolina — Cydni Stickney
- Montana — Chase Cardoza
- Alaska — Carlos Walker
- Maryland — Cat Smith
- New Jersey — Chris Faison
- Colorado — Paul Seikel
- Rhode Island — Cara Marie Hall
- Iowa — Anthony Leonard
- Florida — Jada Vidal
- California — Lisa Rivera
- Louisiana — Bradley Wildridge
- Oregon — Alexandra Jones
- Texas — Henry Johnson
- New Hampshire — Antonio Wormley
- South Carolina — Elaina Ruth
- New York — Maddy Bender
- Massachusetts — Jayden Canady
- Nevada — Ellie Parker
- Georgia — Jon Boyd
Despite filming in Connecticut for a second straight year, no Connecticut chef cracked the Top 20.
Where it’s filmed and what’s at stake
Season 24 is set at the custom-built Hell’s Kitchen stage inside Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut, returning to the same site used for Season 23. The winner will take home $250,000 and a Head Chef role at the Foxwoods Hell’s Kitchen, a coveted prize underscoring why standards—and tempers—run hot from day one.
What’s next (and where to watch)
Episode 2 airs on Thursday, October 2, 2025, with next‑day streaming on Hulu beginning Friday, October 3, 2025. We’ll see the first dinner service of the season and learn whether the Blue Team’s extra prep translates into performance—or pressure.
Bottom line: Our Hell’s Kitchen Season 24 Premiere Recap reveals a sharper, state‑pride spin and an early showcase of talent—especially from Rivera, Vidal, Leonard, and Wildridge. If the premiere proved anything, it’s that the Battle of the States won’t be polite. It will be loud, fast, and decided plate by plate.
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