Why There's So Much Drama On Hell's Kitchen, According To Reddit

Anyone who considers themselves a fan of Fox's "Hell's Kitchen" likely knows that no episode goes from start to finish without at least a few raised voices and harsh attitudes, even if both are coming from host and renowned chef Gordon Ramsay. Still, Ramsay isn't always at the center of the drama; contestants often get into arguments on their own, with some people on the show having ongoing problems with other contestants throughout the season.

The show has been on for 20 seasons, and Ramsay has been at the center of them all. Ramsay is widely known as being one of the world's best chefs — he makes the list of culinary professionals with the most Michelin stars, which is often regarded as the highest accolade in the culinary world (via elite traveler). Though the chef's cooking skill isn't usually questioned, dedicated viewers of "Hell's Kitchen" might find themselves questioning the truthfulness of the seemingly nonstop drama — and it turns out there are a few reasons why nothing ever runs too smoothly on the show.

To some, the accusation might come as no surprise: One Reddit user suggested that the drama on "Hell's Kitchen" is largely created by the show's producers. In the 2017 Reddit thread, the original poster asked for input from those on competition and reality shows because they wanted to know how "fake" the shows actually were. One Reddit user responded with the claim that their cousin had been a contestant on the reality show. They suggested that the show's producers had much to do with the goings-on that led to the high-intensity situations.

"They would film for over 10 hours on a day, then would go to sleep around 11pm only to get woken up at 2am to film again to make them more irritable," the user wrote. "The producers would purposely bring up topics to create drama within the chefs." The Reddit user also claimed that they would re-tape certain scenes, such as chefs answering the door, in order for contestants to "seem 'more surprised.' " Whether you'd want to be a diner on "Hell's Kitchen" or not, the drama is a key point of the show as a viewer.

Mashed did not independently verify the Reddit user's identity or the truth of the claims, and one former "Hell's Kitchen" contestant might have something else to say about it. Kevin Cottle, a former contestant who participated in season 6 of the show, hosted a Reddit AMA back in 2009, where he answered fans' questions about what it was really like to film. One user asked about Joseph Tinnelly, who infamously removed his jacket during the elimination round and challenged Gordon Ramsay to a fight. "Did [Joseph] snap or was that staged?" the user asked. Cottle said the event was not staged. "That was real. You all never got a chance to see some of the crazy things he did. I have some crazy stories about Joseph that weren't shown on camera."

It's possible that certain situations were natural while others were brought on by producers and crew. Regardless, it certainly makes for entertaining reality television.