Meet the 20 contestants (split up into two teams by gender) competing on season 12 of Hell’s Kitchen, which premieres Thursday, March 13 at 8pm on FOX.
#21 Chef Gordon Ramsay
#20 Beth Taylor
Age: 43
Occupation: Line Cook
Hometown: Independence, LA
Signature Dish: Pecan Crusted Catfish with Wilted Spinach and Smoked Gouda Grits
#19 Bev Lazo-Gonzalez
Age: 42
Occupation: Food Truck Chef
Hometown: Whittier, CA
Signature Dish: Southeast Asian-Style Fish Tacos
#18 Jessica Vogel
Age: 28
Occupation: Line Cook
Hometown: Sparta, NJ
Signature Dish: Rosemary Crusted Venison Loin with Cranberry Ancho Chili Gastrique over Goat Cheese Polenta and Roasted Brussels Sprouts
#17 Joy Parham-Thomas
Age: 25
Occupation: Kitchen Supervisor
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
Signature Dish: Chilled Corn Soup
#16 Kashia Zollicoffer
Age: 23
Occupation: Line Cook
Hometown: Carthage, MS
Signature Dish: New York Strip and Blue Cheese Crab Butter with Roasted Asparagus
#15 Melanie Finch
Age: 23
Occupation: Line Cook
Hometown: Woodland Hills, CA
Signature Dish: Pan-Seared Scallops with Mashed Lentils, Roasted Pear and Crispy Raspberry Gastrique
#14 Nicole Rutz
Age: 33
Occupation: Baker
Hometown: Morganville, NJ
Signature Dish: Halibut Filet with Squash and Tomatoes in an Herb Butter Sauce
#13 Rochelle Bergman
Age: 27
Occupation: Caterer
Hometown: Riverside, CA
Signature Dish: Mushroom Chicken with Asparagus
#12 Sandra Flores
Age: 36
Occupation: Sous Chef
Hometown: Queens, NY
Signature Dish: Tender Cod Filet with Macadamia Nut Fig Butter and Fire-Roasted Corn with Applewood Bacon
#11 Simone Hammond
Age: 43
Occupation: Buffet Cook
Hometown: Henderson, NV
Signature Dish: Peach and Crab Apple Chutney Pork Chop, Cornbread Dressing with Pecans and Haricot Verts with Fig and Cranberries in a White Wine Butter Sauce
#10 Anton Testino
Age: 39
Occupation: Head Chef
Hometown: Butler, NJ
Signature Dish: Pork with Crabmeat Crust
#9 Chris Eversole
Age: 27
Occupation: Line Cook
Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
Signature Dish: Poule Rotie
#8 Guarav Navin
Age: 34
Occupation: Executive Chef
Hometown: East Stroudsburg, PA
Signature Dish: Afreen Tuna Met Komyn Parfume Pulao
#7 Jason Zepaltas
Age: 31
Occupation: Sous Chef
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Signature Dish: Seared, then Braised Wild Salmon with Vegetables
#6 Mike Aresta
Age: 38
Occupation: Chef Instructor
Hometown: Keyport, NJ
Signature Dish: Herb-Fried Tortellini with Romesco
#5 Michael DeMarco
Age: 29
Occupation: Line Cook
Hometown: Scranton, PA
Signature Dish: Ricotta Gnocchi with Roasted Tomato Creme and Sausage
#4 Michael Gabriel
Age: 25
Occupation: Executive Chef
Hometown: Spring, TX
Signature Dish: Stuffed Chicken Breast with Asparagus and Diced Rosemary Yukon Potatoes
#3 Ralph Johnson
Age: 28
Occupation: Chef De Partie
Hometown: Boston, MA
Signature Dish: New England Lobster Dinner
#2 Richard Mancini
Age: 48
Occupation: Executive Chef
Hometown: Bloomingdale, IL
Signature Dish: Pan-Roasted Sea Bass with Roma Tomato and Basil Sauce over Sauteed Kale and Pancetta
#1 Scott Commings
Age: 36
Occupation: Executive Chef
Hometown: Woodstock, IL
Signature Dish: Herb Roasted Rack of lamb with Parsnip Puree and Sherry Jus
Staff Writer, BuddyTV
Jeff Dodge, a graduate of Western Washington University, has been a TV news editor for many years and has had the chance to interview multiple reality show stars, including Randy Jackson, Nick Cannon, Heidi Klum, Mel B and John Cena.
