Hell's Kitchen Australia

Hell's Kitchen Australia
Company type	Television series
Industry	Entertainment, Reality television
Founded	August 6, 2017; 9 years ago
Headquarters	Sydney, Australia
Area served	Australia
Key people	Marco Pierre White (host)
Products	Reality cooking competition show
Parent	ITV Studios Australia

Hell's Kitchen Australia is a competitive cooking reality show from Australia that debuted on the Seven Network on 6 August 2017. The series was hosted by British chef Marco Pierre White, who had previously led two seasons of the UK edition and made appearances on MasterChef Australia.

Production

The search for celebrity participants commenced in late 2016, with the filming taking place over a six-week period in March and April 2017 in Sydney. This production was overseen by ITV Studios Australia for broadcast on the Seven Network.

Major sponsors for the series included Aldi, Airtasker, Diageo, Lurpak, and Sony Pictures.

Celebrities

A total of ten celebrities vied for a prize of AU$50,000 to donate to their preferred charity.

Celebrity	Profession	Outcome
Debra Lawrance	Actress	Champion 5 September 2017
Gaz Beadle	Star of Geordie Shore	Runner-up 5 September 2017
Willie Mason	Ex-NRL athlete, Premiership winner, and Final MVP	Eliminated 5 September 2017
Lincoln Lewis	Actor; son of Wally Lewis	Eliminated 5 September 2017
Sam Frost	Radio host and star of The Bachelorette Australia	Eliminated 4 September 2017
Issa Schultz	Chaser on The Chase Australia	Eliminated 29 August 2017
Jess Fox	Olympian and multiple Canoe Slalom medallist	Eliminated 29 August 2017
David Oldfield	Co-founder of the One Nation Party	Eliminated 22 August 2017
Pettifleur Berenger	Cast member of The Real Housewives of Melbourne	Eliminated 15 August 2017
Candice Warner	Former Ironwoman and spouse of cricketer David Warner	Eliminated 8 August 2017

Results and elimination

Celebrity assigned to the Blue Team

Celebrity assigned to the Red Team

Celebrity assigned to the White Team

Denotes the series champion

Denotes the runner-up

Denotes third place

Indicates bottom three placement

Indicates direct elimination without bottom three consideration

Elimination outcomes by celebrity
No.	Celebrity		Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4	Week 5		Grand Final
	Night 1	Night 2
1		Debra	Safe	Bottom 3	Safe	Safe	Safe	Safe	Champion (Week 5)
2		Gaz	Safe	Safe	Safe	Safe	Safe	Safe	Runner-up (Week 5)
3		Willie	Safe	Safe	Bottom 3	Safe	Safe	Safe	Third Place (Week 5)
4		Lincoln	Safe	Safe	Safe	Bottom 3	Safe	Eliminated	Eliminated (Week 5)
5		Sam	Safe	Safe	Safe	Safe	Eliminated	Eliminated (Week 5)

! rowspan="2" |6 ! colspan="2" style="background:#2323F5; color:#fff"|Issa | Safe | Safe | style="background:#87D3F8" | Bottom 3 | style="background:#87D3F8" | Bottom 3 | colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="background:salmon" | Eliminated (Week 4) |}

! colspan="2" style="background:#F41F1F; color:#fff"|Jess |}

style="background:#87D3F8" \| Bottom 3

style="background:#FFFFFF"\|Safe

style="background:pink"\|Eliminated

style=background:salmon \| Eliminated

style=background:silver \| Runner-up

style=background:gold \| Winner

style=background:tan \| Third Place

style=#2323F5 \| Blue Team

style=#F41F1F \| Red Team

style=#FFFFFF \| White Team

style=#87D3F8 \| Bottom Three

}

Services

Episodes 1 through 3
Broadcast dates – 6 to 8 August 2017
Summary – Each evening, a celebrity from the team that lost two dinner services and one lunch service (each serving 60 covers) is chosen by Marco to compete in an elimination challenge. Winners of the initial challenge receive immunity, while victors of the subsequent challenge are exempted from prep duties. Prior to the first service, contestants crafted egg-based dishes; Debra secured immunity. A relay challenge preceding the second service involved tasks such as chopping and trussing, with Blue team winning 3–2. During service two, either Marco or the sous chefs left mid-service, forcing pass workers to independently handle orders. Before the demanding third lunch service, all participants were reassigned to new stations; the Red team's steamer malfunctioned. Debra was absent from this service due to a hand injury.

Service	Blue team	Red team	Lowest performer	Reasoning
1	Template:Lost	Template:Won	Candice	Difficulties at the fish station
2	Template:Won	Template:Lost	Jess	Issues with beef preparation and pass coordination
3	Template:Won	Template:Lost	Pettifleur	Ineffective teamwork and communication breakdowns

Elimination cook-off

Episode 3
Broadcast date – 8 August 2017
Summary: – In a "Taste it & Make it" elimination round, three celebrities attempted to replicate Marco's chicken skewer featuring spring onion and madras curry powder cooked in olive oil.

Celebrity	Dish recreated	Ranking	Comments	Outcome
Jess	Chicken skewer with curry powder and spring onion.	Template:Won	Closely matched Marco's original dish.	Safe
Pettifleur	Chicken skewer with curry powder, salt, pepper, spring onion cooked in butter.	Template:Won	Dry texture and incorrect seasoning noted.	Safe
Candice	Chicken skewer with cumin and spring onion.	Template:Won	Undercooked poultry and inappropriate spice selection.	Eliminated

Services

Episodes 4 through 6
Broadcast dates – 13 to 15 August 2017
Summary – Each week, Marco selects a celebrity from the losing team across two dinner services and one lunch service (each serving 70 covers) for an elimination challenge based on their performance. The menu was completely revamped from the previous week. In the event of a tie, Marco nominates the weakest individuals from both teams and then decides who is eliminated overall. Issa earned immunity before the first service by defeating Debra in the 'Perfectly Cooked Skinless Salmon Fillet Challenge,' despite Debra's tactical use of ceviche to protect her injured hand. Prior to the relay challenge before service two, teams trained at Sydney Fish Market on preparing shellfish items featured on the menu—shrimp, oysters, marron, and crab. Pettifleur from Red team won this challenge 3–1 after her crab retained more claw meat than Issa's effort. As Red team won service two, they had control over how many guests (out of 70) to serve but chose an even split of 35 each. Marco criticized David for not maximizing their one-person advantage by taking on additional covers. Pettifleur was tasked with preparing and serving a retro-style shrimp cocktail table-side solo for both teams. During this service, Lincoln's mother was among diners, and Marco addressed a false complaint about frozen salmon confit, advising David not to respond. Subsequently, Lincoln's mother intensified a rivalry reminiscent of State of Origin matches between Lincoln and Mason, whose fathers represented opposing states. Issa also encountered a fan during this period. Service three featured partners and friends of David and Gaz as guests.

Service	Scores		Lowest performer	Explanation
Service	Blue team	Red team	Lowest performer	Explanation
1	Template:Draw	Template:Draw	Pettifleur	Underperformed on pass duties and argued with Marco; Debra was nominated from Blue team due to Issa’s immunity but was notably slow serving starters and desserts.
2	Template:Lost	Template:Won	Debra	Over-decorated starters, poor organization, sluggish dessert delivery; self-nominated as most likely to survive elimination. Red team's victory prevented David from facing expeditor challenges.
3	Template:Draw	Template:Draw	David	Neglected his station during dessert service; Issa was named weakest on Blue team but spared due to best overall service performance so far.

Final Opportunity Cook-Off

Episode 6
Broadcast Dates - 15 August 2017
Overview: During a "Taste it & Make it" knockout round, three celebrities sampled Marco's turkey schnitzel seasoned with Parmesan and rosemary, then crafted their own interpretations.

Celebrity	Dish	Ranking	Justification	Outcome
Debra	Chicken schnitzel with Parmesan and thyme, prepared using olive oil and clarified butter.	Template:Won	Delivered the top schnitzel despite selecting incorrect protein and herb.	Template:HRTotalTop
David	Chicken schnitzel with Parmesan and parsley, cooked in olive oil with butter rubbed in.	Template:Won	Thick breadcrumb coating but preferred over Pettifleur’s version.	Template:HRTotalTop
Pettifleur	Chicken schnitzel with Parmesan and thyme, cooked in olive oil.	Template:Won	Uneven breadcrumb texture due to omission of flour; placed last.	Template:Lost

Service Challenges

Episodes 7 through 9
Broadcast Dates - 20 to 22 August 2017
Summary - Celebrities from the team that lost two dinner services and one lunch service, with the restaurant operating at full capacity (80 covers), face potential elimination based on their performance. Prior to the first service, they receive training on Venetian-style risotto, then compete in pairs to prepare risotto within 45 minutes. Lincoln and Jess secure immunity against Willie and Issa. Before the second service, they learn to make tagliatelle from pre-prepared dough, contesting who can roll and hang the most pasta within timed intervals. The Blue team suffers defeat due to pasta rendered unusable from coordination problems, incurring a penalty requiring them to prepare all pasta specials using macaroni and rotate through unfamiliar stations.

Service	Scores		Lowest Performer	Explanation
Service	Blue Team	Red Team	Lowest Performer	Explanation
1	Template:Lost	Template:Won	Issa	Weak culinary skills with negative dessert reviews; despite best service so far, cannot be granted immunity again.
2	Template:Won	Template:Lost	David	Inadequate support for Sam initially; poor service affecting Issa and Debra.
3	Template:Lost	Template:Won	Willie	Received negative diner feedback; no further protection possible from Debra.

Final Opportunity Cook-Off

Episode 9
Broadcast Dates - 22 August 2017
Overview: In this "Taste it & Make it" elimination round, three celebrities sampled Marco’s beef and pork meatballs infused with parsley and manchego cheese, oven-finished.

Celebrity	Dish	Ranking	Reasoning	Outcome
Willie	Beef and pork meatballs with parsley and manchego cheese	Template:Won	Delivered the best overall meatballs.	Template:HRTotalTop
Issa	Beef and pork meatballs with parsley and manchego cheese	Template:Won	Flavor was less robust but improved after switching from lamb to pork late in cooking.	Template:HRTotalTop
David	Turkey and pork meatballs with parsley and manchego cheese	Template:Won	Sole contestant to finish meatballs in oven; dry texture due to incorrect protein choice and use of flour instead of bread as binder.	Template:HRTotalBottom

Services

Episodes 10 through 12
Airdates - 28 and 29 August 2017
Overview - Over the course of two dinner services and one lunch service (totaling 80 covers plus an additional 10-cover turnover), a chef from the losing team was identified based on their performance, leading to two celebrities facing elimination by the end of the week. Prior to the initial service, all contestants prepared family-sized salads served at the table. Lincoln emerged victorious with a Caesar salad featuring a unique dressing blending honey, soy sauce, and mayonnaise, while Mason created his own steak salad after encountering difficulties with the Caesar dressing. The blue team returned to their preferred kitchen stations except for Debra, who worked at the pass.

Before the second service commenced, teams trimmed lamb rib cages into chops and racks, then pan-fried cutlets using olive oil, lemon juice, and rosemary. Six out of seven participants took part in trimming and cutting lamb (Issa did not participate), followed by marinating and cooking their individual portions with personalized marinades. Mason incorporated white wine vinegar into his marinade, differing from others who used thyme, rosemary, olive oil, and mint combinations. Sam outperformed Gary in quantity due to superior time management; Debra surpassed Lincoln in quantity despite both producing flawless dishes. Mason clinched victory for the blue team as Sam’s cutlets were under-seasoned. The blue team won overall, assigning Lincoln to prepare the lamb rack special alongside overseeing the fish station; Sam was responsible for meat and Moroccan-style lamb rump. Marco questioned Mason’s choice to avoid this task himself, designating him as a floater-sweeper instead.

During the second service, both teams achieved identical scores; Marco selected Lincoln and Issa as the weakest performers on their respective teams. Issa was chosen for elimination consideration due to his reduced role in the kitchen supervising fish. In the third service, Issa served as waiter for the blue team while remaining chefs were individually evaluated by diners; Marco then identified the weakest among those with the lowest scores for potential elimination. Sam’s family attended as guests during this final opportunity cook-off.

Service	Scores						Lowest performer	Explanation
Service	Blue team			Red team			Lowest performer	Explanation
1	8			7.5			Jess	Sam managed three stations solo; Lincoln held immunity.
2	7.5			7.5			Issa	Despite best service yet, contributed less than Lincoln.
Service	Debra	Willie	Gaz	Sam	Jess	Lincoln	Lowest performer	Explanation
3	8	7.5	7.5	9	8	7.5	Lincoln	Identified as weakest among Gaz and Willie.

Final Opportunity Cook-Off

Episode 12
Broadcast Dates – 29 August 2017
Overview: In an elimination round titled "Taste it & Make it," three celebrities sampled a dish prepared by Marco: Blue-eyed cod fillet accompanied by boiled potatoes, saffron, and a smoked paprika mayonnaise. Unlike earlier rounds, this episode saw the departure of two contestants.

Celebrity	Dish	Ranking	Evaluation	Outcome
Lincoln	Barramundi fillet with boiled potatoes, saffron, turmeric, cayenne, and sweet paprika mayonnaise	Template:Won	Recognized as the best fish dish overall despite under-seasoned potatoes and inaccurate fish and spice choices	Template:Won
Issa	Blue-eyed cod fillet with boiled potatoes and turmeric, sweet paprika mayonnaise	Template:Won	Fish was overcooked; incorrect spice and mayonnaise used	Template:Lost
Jess	Barramundi fillet with boiled potatoes and saffron, hot paprika mayonnaise	Template:Won	Fish undercooked; wrong fish type and mayonnaise selection	Template:Lost

Week 5 - Championship Week

Episodes 13 to 15
Broadcast Dates – 4 and 5 September 2017
Summary – The remaining five chefs combined forces to form the White Team. Following two service rounds (60 covers plus a turnover challenge), the lowest-performing cook was immediately eliminated; guests evaluated the entire team collectively.

Prior to the first service, contestants took on roles such as instructors, expeditors, and tasters while their family members prepared dishes including risotto, a family-style salad, eggs Florentine, and salmon fillet under relaxed timing constraints. The collective score awarded was 7.5. During the subsequent lunch service, Willie received commendations for independently managing two fish stations amid a high volume of salmon orders. Gaz reassigned Lincoln to garnish duties before ultimately placing him in the elimination cook-off. Debra also faced the cook-off after struggling once Marco exited the kitchen.

The decisive last chance cook-off between Debra and Lincoln determined who would claim the third grand finalist spot—referred to as the "Summer Bay cook-off" in nod to their roles on Home and Away. They were tasked with preparing kidneys (served pink), coated in flour, chili powder, and English mustard atop white bread toast with devilled sauce within a 30-minute timeframe.

Key variables included selecting from types of bread (white, brioche, cob loaf), main offal (pig heart, liver, kidneys), coating mixtures (three spice blends), and thickening agents for the devilled sauce (butter, oil, cream). Debra emerged victorious in this showdown; Lincoln was eliminated. Willie and Gaz observed from the pass area.

Service Night	Eliminated Contestant	Reasoning
1	Sam	Abandoned meat station causing lamb rump to be overcooked; Debra was spared despite losing control of her station.
2	Lincoln	Defeated in last chance cook-off due to unsuitable bread choice (brioche), incorrect thickening agent (cream rather than butter), improper spices, poor cooking techniques including premature kidney cooking and burnt toast.

Championship Finale

Episode 15
Broadcast Date – 5 September 2017
Overview: The final three contenders competed in an elimination challenge to roast and carve a whole chicken within 75 minutes. The dish included two garnishes and a sauce; ovens were preheated to 180°C. Marco acted as expeditor while previously eliminated guests scored blind tastings on a scale from 1 to 3. Controversy arose when David allocated equal points (2 each) to Gaz's and Debra's chickens.

Celebrity	Dish	Ranking	Feedback	Outcome
Gaz	Roast chicken accompanied by wild mushrooms, green beans, roasting juices, and Béarnaise sauce	Template:Won	Sam: Flawless presentation; succulent chicken; suggested bread for sauce mopping. Lincoln: Beans comparable to restaurant quality. Issa: Appreciated Bearnaise sauce pairing.	Template:Won
Debra	Tarragon-roasted chicken served with roasted asparagus, parsnip mashed potatoes, and gravy	Template:Won	Judges highlighted robust flavors; Candice noted breast tip bone presence. David: Asparagus slightly overcooked but overall commendable.	Template:Won
Willie	Roast chicken with mushrooms, braised lettuce, and rosemary-infused gravy	Template:Won	Pettifleur: Lettuce overcooked; meat dry. David: Enjoyed mushrooms; disliked wilted lettuce.	Template:Lost

Final service

Episode 15
Airdate - 5 September 2017
Overview: Following Willie's exit, Debra and Gaz took charge of their respective teams in the concluding service, named the "The Ashes cook-off," a nod to their Australian and English heritages. Gaz (pass) appointed Willie (fish), Sam (starters, desserts), Lincoln (meat), and Issa (starters, desserts). Debra (floater) chose Jess (meat), David (fish), along with Candice and Pettifleur handling starters and desserts. Team leaders donned white hats, while other members wore black. The evening featured 120 guests served across two sittings of 60 each, offering a menu comprising three starters, two main courses, and three desserts. Diners provided feedback but did not assign scores. Among those dining in the second seating was Colin Fassnidge from My Kitchen Rules.

Debra emerged victorious by successfully guiding a less seasoned team despite operational challenges such as David prematurely preparing asparagus and mistiming salmon cooking. Gaz’s leadership weakened as Willie dominated at the salmon station. The $50,000 prize Debra earned was donated to the Ovarian Cancer Foundation and Australian Wounded Heroes. Additionally, she received the winner’s trophy and Marco’s knife.

Ratings

Hell's Kitchen Australia debuted to an audience of 817,000 viewers, placing second in its time slot behind The Block, which attracted 1,212,000 viewers.

Critical reception

Colin Vickery from the Herald Sun criticized the program, describing Marco Pierre White as a caricature of himself and pointing out the low-profile celebrity participants and modest prize money. Denise Eriksen of The New Daily labeled the series "a shocker," emphasizing its lack of prominent celebrities and humor while unfavorably comparing White to Gordon Ramsay. David Knox from TV Tonight awarded it 2 out of 5 stars, criticizing the inferior celebrity cast and a perceived lack of authenticity amid an already saturated reality TV landscape.

References

Production

Celebrities

Results and elimination

Services

Elimination cook-off

Services

Final Opportunity Cook-Off

Service Challenges

Final Opportunity Cook-Off

Services

Final Opportunity Cook-Off

Week 5 - Championship Week

Championship Finale

Final service

Ratings

Critical reception

See also

References