Chelsea Cunningham

* First

**Chelsea Cunningham** is a contestant on Hell's Kitchen Season 30: Next Gen, she is still in the competition.

Chelsea first appeared on Hell's Kitchen at the age of eighteen in Hell's Kitchen Season 28 where she helped her aunt Jamie win the first Black Jacket challenge, that incident awoke her passion for cooking and now she is back as a contestant.

## Personality

Chelsea's personality hasn't changed much in the two years since her last appearance, still her bubbly, energetic but surprisingly smart self.

### Episode 1

Chelsea was first recognized by Christina during the cooking process who told her to send Jamie her regards, Chelsea went up against Trent in the opening round and Chelsea managed to get through her awkward first interaction with Ramsey with a few laughs from the other chefs, however her duck breast dish showed that her cooking skills were no laughing matter, earning the first five of the night.

The Red Team won the challenge but Chelsea, for obvious reasons, wasn't allowed to drink with the other women, she instead bonded with McKenna and (especially) Ashley, doubly so when they were the only chefs on the Red Team to study the menu that night.

### Episode 2

Chelsea's annoyance with her hungover teammates continued into episode two as she now had to cook alongside them, fortunately she went on to win the Punishment Pass for the women.

She and Ashley worked well together on apps but it was Cora and Saraya that ensured that no food went out during the entree stage, that said it was ultimately Trent who was sent home first.

### Episode 3

Chelsea was paired with Kaylee for the chicken relay and thought that she could deter to the older chef as far as butchering the chicken, this mistake ended up costing the women the challenge by a landslide as by the time Chelsea took over it was far too late.

She was determined to make up for her mistakes in the second night's service and proved to be a natural on the meat station, even though the Red Team lost Ramsey recognized her efforts and named Chelsea the Best of the Worst though this didn't stop Ramsey from overriding Chelsea's nominations and eliminating Kaylee for her poor performance on Garnish.

### Episode 4

Whilst Chelsea was feeling deflated from having her nominees overruled Ashley assured her that Cora and Saraya wouldn't be able to hide forever, in the budget challenge Chelsea was one of the ones who spent the most as she had her mind fixated on cooking salmon but couldn't find salmon fillets, forcing her to get a salmon side and fillet it herself in the challenge, not only did she she did a beautiful job fileting the fish but her salmon dish was one of the best of the day, helping the red team win the challenge.

Chelsea was on the fish station that night and managed to play peacekeeper between Cora and Saraya with Ashley's help, the Red Team went on to win the service.

### Episode 5

Chelsea and Ashley proved to be an effective team in the jackets challenge, communicating clearly about their respective dishes (fish and chips for Chelsea, burger for Ashley) allowing them to produce two of the best dishes that day, however the mistakes of Saraya, Cora, Ava and Lisa derailed it resulting in a Red Team loss and Chelsea chose to use her Punishment Pass at this point, wanting a break from Saraya.

Chelsea's first solo night on meat proved to be a disaster as her nerves got the better of her, causing Chelsea to freeze and then rush orders to catch up, thankfully a pep talk from Ramsey allowed her to recover.

Chelsea was up for elimination that night because of her mistakes on meat, whilst she likely would've been saved thanks to her consistency and passionate plea, Saraya pretty much sped up the process with her appalling behavior ending in Saraya getting disqualified.

### Episode 6

Chelsea was determined to put the ugly elimination ceremony and bad service behind her and that started with the dogpen challenge, her combination of a seared ribeye with mushrooms five ways ended up being the winning dish, narrowly beating Xander's Hanger Steak Tartare.

The pairing of Chelsea and Ashley proved to be a force to be reckoned with on the apps station but after Fiona was eliminated mid-service and Cora was kicked out for their respective mistakes on the meat station Chelsea was reassigned to the meat station solo, despite some initial nerves Chelsea rocked the meat station and helped the Red Team finish service.

The Blue Team lost the service but Cora ended up on the chopping block again for her mistakes, she was ultimately spared as Grant was eliminated before Ramsey called Chelsea and Ashley forward, announcing that they were being swapped to the Blue Team and that Miles and Stephan would take their places on the Red Team.

### Episode 7

Chelsea's first challenge with the Blue Team would be a successful one as her stuffed chicken dish was one of the best of the day, ultimately winning the Blue Team the challenge.

Chelsea was on meat with Dylan that night and performed well, when the Blue Team were called in to help the Red Team finish their service she was surprised by how well Cora was doing on the meat station, he Blue Team won the service.

### Episode 8

Chelsea was awake before the other chefs and was seen chilling out at a table with a gleam in her eyes, she soon revealed to Cora and Ava that today just so happened to be her twenty first birthday and was soon congratulated by the other remaining chefs.

Naturally, Chelsea's birthday would end up being a standout episode for her as her slider trio made it onto the menu and won the High School Prom Tasting Menu challenge for the Blue Team before going on to rock the fish and dessert sections that night (even after admitting that baking wasn't really her thing), the Blue Team won the service and Chelsea was presented with a birthday cake that Cora had prepared during the debriefing.

### Episode 9

Chelsea revealed to Stephan and Ashley that she was diabetic as a result of the weight issues she had during high school and had felt her blood sugar getting low during the team switch, after Ashley gave Chelsea her sympathy she thanked her friend, saying that she was managing it but was worried about it coming up during dinner service.

In the challenge Chelsea's tomahawk steak was one of the best dishes of the day though the Blue Team still lost the challenge, she was paired with Tai in the dinner service but had to run the meat station solo after he got kicked out, Chelsea's worries about her blood sugar running low during service did come up and after initially working through it she asked Ramsey if she could be excused to get some orange juice, though Ramsey initially joked about this he dropped the jokes when Chelsea told him that she was diabetic, telling Chelsea to take it easy and had Jason get her some orange juice.

Chelsea worked through the rest of the service without issue once she got her blood sugar levels back up and Ramsey named her the Best of the Worst for working through that, though Tai apologized for being rude to her Chelsea still put him and Cora up, ending in Tai's elimination,

### Episode 10

Calling Chelsea's turn in the Blind Taste Test a mixed bag was accurate as she (much like Jamie in Season 28) was a victim of a teammates' bad run, this time being on the receiving end of Cora's bad run but she, Ashley and Xander all got perfect scores, ultimately though Ashley won the challenge for the Blue Team earning them a day at the beauty salon and Chelsea a makeover that straightened out her messy hair and touched up on her makeup which only highlighted her natural good looks.

Chelsea's first time solo on apps got off to a difficult start as her inexperience reared it's ugly head again, however she was able to recover and later helped Chris on fish, her mistakes on apps got her nominated by Ramsey despite being on the winning team, ultimately she, Miles and Ava were sparred as both teams had managed to finish service without anyone getting kicked out.

### Episode 11

Chelsea was feeling especially down after surviving elimination, to the point that Ashley talked to her about it out of concern for her friend, Chelsea confirmed that her confidence had been shaken since the third episode's challenge and she had kept comparing herself to her aunt and her far more successful run, earning words of encouragement from Ash, Stephan and Xander, her halibut crudo went onto to win the challenge for the Blue Team.

Chelsea's inexperience and worsening self confidence saw her nominated for the Cook For Your Life Challenge where she was required to cook Italian Food, her chicken cacciatore dish got Chelsea her confidence back as it was her best dish in the competition up to that point, easily securing Chelsea's spot in the competition alongside Ashley and McKenna.

 Week 3
 Week 4
 Week 5
 Week 6
 Week 7
 Week 8
 Week 9
 Week 10
 Week 11

## Trivia

She is the youngest chef to ever compete at the age of twenty.

She is also the first chef who previously appeared as a guest to compete.

She is the fourth contestant to celebrate her birthday whilst on the show, following Season 2's Virginia, Season 12's Jessica and Season 19's Josh and as she turned 21 whilst on the show Chelsea is the youngest among them.

She is the third ever contestant with diabetes to compete, following Season 3's Aaron (diagnosed after the show) and Season 17's Ben and the first woman to compete whilst dealing with the condition.

## Quotes

"So, full disclosure? I don't know if I'm even going to be recognized, it's been two years since I was last here! But I'm here to do one thing and that's show that cooking talent runs in my family." (Chelsea's first confession cam)

(Chelsea's confession cam) "So big shock, the girl who can't drink legally can't get the red wine bottle to open! I hope the rest of the Red Team isn't judging me for this!"

"Come on, why won't this thing open?"

"Need some help?" \*Chelsea glances up and sees Christina, Christina opens the red wine bottle for her\* "Don't get too drunk okay?"

"I'll try." \*Chelsea starts preparing her red wine sauce when Christina stops\*

"Wait a minute, Chelsea?!" \*Chelsea grins at being recognized\* "How's Jamie doing these days?"

"She's doing great, but I applied to basically do what she couldn't so no pressure right?"

"Right, well good luck and tell Jamie I said hi." (Chelsea gets recognized)

"Okay, first two dishes of the season and..........." \*Gordon does a double check when he sees Chelsea\* "Have we met young lady?"

"Err, two years ago? My aunt was a contestant?"

\*it clicks in Gordon's mind\* "Oh wow! Chelsea you've certainly grown! And you're a chef as well?"

"Well, culinary student really, I literally graduated at the beginning of the year." \*Chelsea grins broadly\* "Cooking that pork chop dish with Jamie awoke my passion for cooking and I followed through on it when Jamie paid for my tuition."

"Please send your aunt my regards, now let's see your dish."

\*Chelsea unveils her dish\* "This is my pan seared crispy skin duck breast with a red wine shallot reduction, confit potatoes and a veggie medley."

"Wow, this is miles away from reheating pizza! But I have two questions for you." \*Chelsea nods as she waits for the questions\* "How old are you?"

"I'm turning twenty one in a few weeks."

"And you used red wine in the sauce." \*Chelsea gets flustered as the question dawns on her\* "You weren't getting drunk, were you?"

"No, no, no, no, no! Sure I tasted the sauce but I've only gotten drunk twice since I created this dish and........." \*Chelsea facepalms\* "My mom's never going to let me hear the end of that!" \*Chelsea groans\* "I swear to the food and metal gods, I only tasted that sauce to adjust the seasoning! I even needed Christina's help to get the bottle open!"

"Right, well I'll be checking with Christina to make sure that's true." \*Ramsey tries the dish\* "Here's the thing, you are twenty two years younger than your aunt was when she competed, yet you produced a dish that, if I didn't know any better, I'd say was created by Jamie herself and that just confirms that your family is full of excellent cooks! 5/5, excellent job young lady!"

"Thank you chef!" (Chelsea impresses almost immediately)

"Hell yeah! First perfect score of the season! WOOP! WOOP! I would be worried about my opponent but he's doing magic tricks, between him and the Aerosmith fanboy my aunt faced I'm beginning to wonder if my family has a magnetic attraction to weirdos!" (Chelsea's confession cam after getting the perfect point)

\*the rest of the Red Team are getting wasted, Chelsea is keeping her distance\* "Is it it too late to go back and sabotage my dish?"

"Tell me about it." \*Chelsea looks up at Ashley\* "You're too young, I don't drink in general, only really use it for sauces and deglazing really, and I'm not sure about McKenna."

"I see alcohol as just another drug, don't wanna get addicted again." \*the two younger women nod as they get the idea\* "Still, we kicked ass in that challenge girls, who knows? Maybe we'll be the final three."

"Maybe, but let's not get too far ahead of ourselves, we've not even seen the first chef go home." \*Chelsea shakes her head\* "And I don't wanna make predictions because I don't want to make enemies this early."

"That's fair, and a good strategy." \*Ashley offers the younger chef a fist bump\* "But in the meantime, up for being allies?"

"Hell yeah!" \*Chelsea and Ashley share a fist bump\* "Who knows? Maybe it'll be a Cunningham vs. an Aussie in the finale again."

"Except this time the Aussie's older." (Chelsea bonds with Ashley and McKenna)

"So the magician is gone, but Cora and Saraya are still here, they are lucky that he was so much worse than them! But if you ask me? Their luck will run out soon." (Chelsea's confession cam after Trent's elimination)

"Let's be honest, the team of me and Kaylee in the Relay were a hot mess! And we're definitely on thin ice because of it! Now I'm on the meat station with Lisa and i don't want my legacy in this competition to be "the culinary student who caused one of the biggest landslide victories in Hell's Kitchen history and went home the same day", I want it to be "the culinary student who did all that and had an epic comeback"!" Chelsea's confession cam about working meat.

"Red Team, let's get one thing straight, you lost!" \*the red team hang their heads in shame\* "But it's not all bad news, Chelsea? You were on a mission tonight." \*Chelsea raises her head up\* "You were out to redeem yourself."

"I didn't want the relay challenge to be my lasting legacy in this kitchen chef."

"Well you succeeded, big time! You are officially the Best of the Worst, come up with two nominees for elimination, quickly!"

"Yes chef." (Chelsea is named Best of the Worst)

"So, I guess you want to see me huh?"

"That is why Gordon put me to this task Kay." \*Kaylee sits down opposite Chelsea\* "I'm going to be straight with you, what happened between us in the challenge is water under the bridge as far as I'm concerned, if anything I should thank you for lighting that fire under my ass and getting me into this position."

"I appreciate the honesty Chelsea, and hey, at least I helped out the Red Team in one way tonight." \*Kaylee shifts her weight\* "Your thinking of putting me up, right?"

"It's between you, Cora and Saraya, don't think I need to explain why." \*Kaylee nods\* "My question to you is, why shouldn't I put you up there?"

"I didn't get as drunk as Cora and Saraya on that first reward, and they didn't have their hangovers to hide behind this time." \*Chelsea nods as she realizes that she has a point\* "I know I had a bad night but you don't get to be a head chef without at least one under your belt, Cora and Saraya should go up, not me."

"You are talking a lot of sense, Jamie told me pretty much the same thing when I decided to follow in her footsteps and she's been cooking since I was in my mom's womb!" \*Chelsea sighs as she leans back\* "But I know that Gordon can override my nominations."

"If that happens, no harm, no foul, it's his restaurant we're fighting for." (Chelsea nominates Cora and Saraya)

"Chelsea, let's get one thing straight, Cora and Saraya absolutely deserved their nominations tonight, but Kaylee was by far the worst performer, understood?"

"Yes chef."

"Good night." (Chelsea is reassured that she made the right call).

"Err, hey, I've been looking everywhere but I can't find salmon fillets?"

"Sorry ma'am, we're out of the individual fillets but I can sell you this salmon side."

"How much?"

\*the cashier rings it up\* "$50."

"Shit." (Chelsea's confession cam) "Why oh why did I decide that today of all days would be the day I cook salmon for a challenge? And more importantly, why is this salmon side going for that much?! I'd better make sure I don't waste this." (Regular dialogue) "Okay, give me the salmon side and if you can point me in the direction of some middle eastern ingredients, I'd appreciate it."

"Sure, right this way." (Chelsea's plan hits a snag)

"Great, I thought the pressure was on me when I just had to cook for Ramsey but now I have to cook this salmon for the Black Jackets from my aunt's season, including the eventual winner! It's not like I haven't cooked salmon before, just not for people who are this much more successful than me in the culinary arts!" (Chelsea's confession cam upon realizing who she's cooking for)

"First up, Chelsea please." \*Chelsea brings her dish up with a nervous grin on her face\* "Let's get the big question out of the way, how much did you spend?"

"Err, $82?" \*the other chefs give her a shocked look\* "I have my mind set on a salmon dish, but the store I went too was out of of fillets so I spent most of the budget on buying a side of salmon to fillet."

"How much of the budget did you spend on that salmon?"

"$50 exactly."

"I need you to do me a big favor, go into the red kitchen and retrieve the salmon you filleted." \*Chelsea nods before heading into kitchen and retrieving the salmon, she returns with it in hand\* "You just graduated from culinary school, didn't you Chelsea?"

"A few months ago, yeah."

"And you produced this?!" \*Ramsey holds up the beautifully filleted salmon\* "If I didn't know any better I'd say Jamie told you how to do that."

"I thought I recognized her." \*Chelsea grins sheepishly as she gets recognized by Troy\* "Seems Jamie taught you well."

"I learned most of this stuff in culinary school, Jamie just taught me cooking basics." \*Chelsea unveils her dish\* "So, what I've got here is a pan roasted salmon with crispy skin, a roasted carrot puree and a chickpea hummus."

\*Ramsey and the guest judges try her dish\* "Let's get one thing straight, whilst you could learn how to budget better, that dish is delicious, the salmon is glistening, skin is delicious, this tastes like it was cooked by a cook who has been on the line for years, not a culinary student fresh out of school."

"Just one question Chelsea, have you made this dish for Jamie?" \*Chelsea shakes her head at Jazz's question\* "Why not?"

"She's been so buy at her own restaurant and my own culinary career is just taking off, not enough time in other words."

"Well, next time you get a chance make that for her, because that impressed the hell out of the woman who beat her in the finals."

"Will do."

"Right, now onto the big question, starting from Zara, how much would you pay?"

"$40 easily."

"Max?"

"$38, the puree didn't have enough of the roasted carrot flavor for me but everything else was perfect."

"Troy?"

"$36 but only because I tend to get really nitpicky when it comes to salmon dishes."

"And Jazz?"

"$39, the only component I didn't like was the chickpea but those are really hard to get right in my experience."

"You never had a chickpea in your mouth?" \*Chelsea facepalms as the other chefs crack up\* "Why did I ask a Hell's Kitchen winner that?!"

"No comment, but you set the bar high and that's what matters."

"Thanks." \*Chelsea returns to the Red Team with a proud grin on her face\* (Chelsea's salmon dish gets praised)

"Come on, I can do this, I can do this." \*the rest of the red team look at Chelsea worried as she continues to crack under pressure\* (Chelsea's confession cam) "I knew running the meat station on my own was going to be tough but this is a whole new level! None of the meat I've sent up made has made it to the dining room because I've been so desperate to try to recover that I keep rushing it! God I wish I could call on Jamie's wisdom right now!"

"Red Team order in, two beef wellington one duck breast, one ribeye, how long Chelsea?"

"Err, err." \*Chelsea quickly checks on the rest of her orders\* "I don't know chef!"

"I've had enough! Christina, get on the meat station, Chelsea come with me into the pantry!"

"Yes chef!" (Chelsea's confession cam) "If there's one thing I learned from watching Hell's Kitchen all these years, it's that it's rare for Ramsey to take a chef into the pantry for anything good, this is gonna SUCK!" \*Chelsea follows Ramsey into the pantry\* "This is the part where I'm getting kicked out, isn't it?"

"No, because I know you're a much better cook than that!" \*Chelsea lets out a deep breath\* "What's going on Chelsea? You haven't been yourself all night."

"I got nervous when I learned that I was flying solo on meat tonight and that got to me in the worst way, all those meat orders you rejected for being rushed was because I kept desperately trying to catch up with all the orders but you saw the results for yourself!" \*Chelsea lets out a deep breath\* "I know I'm a better cook than that, but I just fucked up big time."

"Chelsea, do me one big favor, breathe and compose yourself, Christina will get your meat station back up to speed but the moment you leave this pantry you will go on that meat station and you will own this!" \*Chelsea nods in agreement\* "Your aunt would tell you the same thing and Jamie was one of the best older contestants to ever grace Hell's Kitchen, remember that."

"Yes chef." \*Chelsea lets out a deep breathe before nodding\* "I'm ready."

"Good." \*Ramsey leads Chelsea back out and she recovers to have a successful night on meat\* (Chelsea's pep talk from Ramsey)

"Chelsea, let's face it, you didn't have a good night tonight."

"Yes chef."

"Did you rush into this too soon? You're not even twenty one, your life is still ahead of you."

"I don't think I did chef, I wanted to apply because I worked my ass off to get through culinary school and because I know I can do this! I know my nerves got the better of me tonight but that was my one mistake all season!"

"My main concern is whether you can bounce back."

"I can chef, I bounced back from my terrible performance in the chicken challenge and I can bounce back from this! Hell, I bounced back from my severe health issues in high school."

"Please elaborate on that last point, in your own time."

\*Chelsea lets out a deep breath\* "In high school I was twice my current weight and had all the health issues that came with being overweight, Jamie got me to a healthy weight by getting me to eat healthier foods, it took a while but once I was healthy I grew in confidence and courage, frankly? I owe a lot to my aunt, and I will do her proud in this competition!" (Chelsea's impassioned plea to Ramsey)

"That was one of the hardest things I've ever done in my fucking life! Not just defending my spot in the competition against Ramsey but enduring Saraya's bullshit! At least she's gone home and the Red Team is a lot less toxic for it but as for me? I'm not done fighting, doesn't matter if it's Blind Taste Test, Black Jackets or even the finale,I will never stop fighting!" (Chelsea's confession cam after surviving elimination)

"Ribeye? I know how to cook that, it's my favorite steak cut to cook! But mushrooms? I usually just saute them in some butter, but that's not gonna cut it against a cook like Xander, I won't just cook mushrooms one way, I'll cook them FIVE ways!" \*Chelsea laughs nervously\* "What's the worse that can happen right?" (Chelsea describes her gameplan for the dogpen challenge via confession cam)

"Mushroom puree? Check, bacon and mushroom hash? Check, stuffed portabello? Check."

"You know you're just supposed to cook one dish, right Chelsea?" \*Chelsea glances up at Christina\* "What exactly are you doing over here?"

"Seared ribeye with mushrooms five ways." \*Chelsea shrugs her shoulders\* "Puree, hash, and the stuffed mushroom are three of my elements, I'm about to start my butter poached mushrooms and my white whine and mushroom sauce has been on the go since I started this cook."

"Okay but remember, the hero of the dish is supposed to be the star of the show, not the mushrooms, when are you cooking that?"

"Last half hour, don't worry about that, I know how to cook a great ribeye to medium rare."

"If you say so, good luck." (Chelsea describes her dish for the dog pen challenge)

"Last up the battle of the steaks! Chelsea, Xander, let's go." \*Chelsea and Xander bring their dishes up\* "Are you happy with your dishes."

"Yes chef."

"I'm very happy with my dish, whether it can beat Xander's is another story."

"Right, let's start with you." \*Chelsea unveils her dish\* "My word! You went overboard with the mushrooms didn't you?"

"Erm, a little bit!" \*Chelsea laughs nervously\* "Normally I just saute the mushrooms with a bit of butter and garlic, but against someone like Xander? I knew I had to go the extra mile so I did mushrooms five ways."

"Five ways?!" \*Chelsea nods\* "Are you sure this is cohesive dish?"

"I tasted all the elements together, I'm confident that my flavors work."

"Right, let's start with the steak, how did you cook it?"

"Started it in a cast iron, basted it, finished in the oven, took it out with ten minutes to and let it rest."

"And the mushrooms, describe your elements."

"So, on the bottom of the steak is a mushroom puree, on the side is a bacon and mushroom hash, over here we have a stuffed mushroom that I stuffed with crispy bacon, then we've got some butter poached mushrooms and last but not least a white wine and mushroom sauce."

(Xander's confession cam) "Oh jeez! Don't get me wrong, I love Chelsea, she's a great kid! But it sounds to me like she's made the classic rookie error of putting every idea she has on the plate! If that dish is coherent and delicious I'll give her props for pulling it off but I get the feeling she's about to learn the immortal three words: less is more!"

"Let's get the big question out of the way, using wine again?!

"Yeah, yeah, I know! My mom gets on my case whenever I use wine in a dish but it's a great way to get some flavor in a dish."

"Off course but save the drinking until your old enough!" \*Chelsea laughs sheepishly\* "What cook are you going for on the ribeye?"

"Medium rare."

\*Ramsey tries the dish\* "Chelsea, as you grow as a chef you'll learn that it's often more about what you leave off a plate than what you put on a plate, that said? That is bloody delicious!" \*Chelsea grins broadly as Ramsey holds up her perfectly cooked steak\* "That is cooked to perfection! Every mushroom element works beautifully, you took a risk and it paid off."

"Thank you chef."

"Just remember what I said, less is more! Otherwise? Brilliant job." (Chelsea's dish gets praised)

"If there's one thing that tonight's service exposed to me, it's that we can't go on like this." \*the remaining chefs exchange confused looks\* "Cora, how many times have you been up here?"

"Counting tonight? Four times too many."

"If I ever see you up here on elimination again? That's it, you'll be history, am I clear?" \*Cora quickly nods\* "Back in line." \*Cora goes back in line\* "I need the following four chefs to step forward, Chelsea, Ashley, Miles and Stephan."

\*the four chefs comply\* (Chelsea's confession cam) "What's going on? I rebounded from last night's service, I even recovered on the meat station, something doesn't feel right."

"Ashley, you've been one of the strongest members of the Red Team, Chelsea you've been great but your inexperience has caught up with you twice, you have shown that you are a fast learner, but I'm wondering how you can keep up with the rest of the Red Team."

"I think tonight's service showed that I can keep up just fine chef."

"Miles, Stephan, you've yet to have any standout moments on the Blue Team, are you out of your depths?"

"Absolutely not chef."

"I'll keep getting stronger chef."

"I agree, with both your statement and Chelsea's, but that is why I'm making this change, Chelsea, Ashley, welcome to the Blue Team."

\*Chelsea and Ashley do double takes\* "Are you sure chef?"

"I'm sure, go join your new teammates." \*the two women nod before they join the Blue Team\* "Miles, Stephan, I'm sure you've figured it out by now but you are on the Red Team."

"Yes chef."

"We won't let you down." \*Miles and Stephan join the Red Team\*

"Let's make one thing clear, tonight's service was shocking, but with this team shakeup I think the four of you will blossom, make sure that you don't prove me wrong, good night."

"Good night chef." (Chelsea is moved to the Blue Team with Ashley)

"Chelsea, you're up first, have you done much gambling?"

"I'm not going to answer that to save me an earful from my mom when we watch this back."

"Good answer." \*Chelsea pulls the slot machine's lever and waits\* "You've got..........Chicken, Chorizo, Rice."

(Chelsea's confession cam) "Okay, that's three really good ingredients that all go together beautifully but come on, the last one has to be a curveball!"

"And chillis!"

"Huh."

"Excited?"

"Yeah but I was expecting a curveball with that last ingredient, I've already got a dish in mind."

"Good, now get back in line." (Chelsea gets lucky with her slot machine pull)

"Morning guys."

"Morning Chelsea, you're up early aren't ya?"

"Couldn't get much sleep to be honest." \*Chelsea stretches her arms with a yawn as Ava and Cora join her\* "Quick question, would you guys be interested in throwing today's challenge and dinner service for lil old me?"

\*Cora and Ava scoff\* "You're kidding right? I've literally just turned my luck around in service, why would I do that?"

"Okay, I'll admit, that was kinda a stretch, even if I'm turning twenty one today."

\*Cora and Ava do do double takes\* "Wait, are you serious about that?" \*Chelsea nods with a big grin on her face and the two older chef's faces light up\* "Oh! Happy Birthday!"

"Wait, who's birthday is it?" \*the three women look up to see Xander and Ashley approaching them\* "Don't tell me it's Gordon's?!"

"Try someone a lot younger." \*Cora motions to Chelsea who barely gets a chance to respond before Ashley hugs her\* "The baby of the bunch can legally drink now!"

"Heh, yeah, AFTER I went on a wine tasting reward yesterday!" \*the other chefs wake up and they quickly learn that it's Chelsea's birthday, Chelsea being left unable to wipe the grin from her face\* (Chelsea informs the chefs that it's her birthday today)

"I swear, I didn't plan for my birthday to take place whilst I was at Hell's Kitchen! If I had any say in that, I would've picked the finals, not eight days into the competition!" \*Chelsea's age is changed from twenty to twenty one in her info card\* "Besides that? I'm not complaining!" (Chelsea talks about her birthday happening whilst at Hell's Kitchen in her confession cam)

“Good morning chefs.”

“Good morning.”

“Now, I’m sure some of us have fond memories of High School, right?” \*some of the chefs exchange awkward glances\* “Come on, especially when we’re talking about prom?”

(Chelsea’s confession cam) \*Chelsea looks really awkward\* “There’s no way in hell I’m admitting this in front of the other contestants but no one invited me to my High School’s prom night! I pretty much just spent that night at home playing Dark Souls! Oh and just for the extra kick in the teeth? That year’s prom night just happened to fall on my birthday! No I’m not bitter, why do you ask?”

“Well, that’s too bad because tonight Hell’s Kitchen is hosting a prom night!” \*the chefs applaud whilst Chelsea tries to hide how awkward she feels\* “And I want both kitchens to come up with a tasting menu, one fish appetizer, one fish entre, one chicken entre and one beef entre, am I clear?”

“Yes chef.”

“One more thing, these may be high school seniors but they are still underage, no alcohol in any of your dishes, understood?”

“Yes chef.”

“Your time starts now.” (the teams are given the brief for the challenge)

“No alcohol? What high schooler didn’t get drunk with their friends? No one? Just me? Err, I’m totally going to get in trouble for Jamie when we watch this back, aren’t I? Anyway, I took the beef entree because my basic thought process is this, these are High Schoolers, what High Schooler doesn’t love a good beef burger? Unless they are vegan or vegetarian but that's being handled by Dylan and Devon! Only thing is? I have to do an elevated burger because I don’t think recreating my favourite Fast Food Burger is gonna cut it!” (Chelsea’s confession cam after getting the brief)

“So, I heard it through the grapevine that it’s your birthday today?”

“Yep, but that doesn’t mean I’m expecting Chef Ramsey to send me on the reward even if my team loseses, still working my butt off in the kitchen Jason.”

“Glad to……..” \*Jason spots a beer bottle at Chelsea’s station and picks it up\* “Please tell me you weren’t going to use this in your dish?”

“I was going to do beer battered onion rings as a side to my sliders.” \*Chef Jason shakes his head\* “I know Ramsey said no alcohol but I figured it wouldn’t be that noticeable.”

“Except you just said that this was for your beer battered onion rings.” \*Chelsea winces as she realizes her mistake\* “Chef Ramsey was very clear in his instructions, no alcohol in the dishes, please tell me you haven’t started on the batter for the onion rings?”

\*Chelsea quickly shakes her head\* “No, I’m prepping those last because I know they’ll take the least amount of time, the meat for my sliders is going in first, then the bacon and then the cheese, after that I’ve got fries to fry in beef tallow and then I’ll do the onion rings, with no beer batter.”

“Good answer.” \*Chef Jason opens a nearby bin and drops the beer bottle into it\* “Next time you won’t be so lucky because I might tell Gordon ahead of time and have your dish disqualified from the challenge, you’re a smart cook, use another method to get the onion rings right.”

“Yes chef.”

“Oh and Chelsea?”

“Yeah?”

\*Chef Jason gives Chelsea a friendly pat on the back\* “Happy Birthday kid.”

“Thanks.” (Chelsea is caught trying to use alcohol in her prom night dish)

“Note to self, next time hide the beer bottle better, or just leave the beer alone entirely!” \*Chelsea runs a hand down her face\* “Luckily I’ve got a plan b, using a tempura batter instead should get the texture I want from the onion rings without using beer.” (Chelsea’s confession cam after she got caught by Jason)

“Last up, the battle of the beef entrees please.” \*Chelsea takes her dish up alongside Cora's\* “Are you excited to try their food?”

“Not as excited as Chelsea’s been today chef, she turned twenty one today.”

“Wait, really?” \*Chelsea nods with a grin on her face\* “Happy Birthday Chelsea, let’s hope that still being the youngest chef in the competition will serve you well.”

“You and me both chef.”

“Look, if we award all the points to the Blue Team it won’t be because it’s your birthday, I promise.”

\*Chelsea laughs at Gabrielle’s joke\* “Yeah well, I won’t exactly complain if you do.”

“Please unveil your dishes.” \*Chelsea and Cora reveal their dishes\* “Chelsea we’ll start with you, describe your dish please\*

“Right here you have a trio of beef sliders, each burger was cooked in a Cast Iron Pan and has been topped with American Cheese and bacon which was also cooked in that pan, I toasted the buns in the pan juices and served it with a side salad, fries that I cooked in beef tallow and tempura onion rings.”

“Wow, you definitely went all out on the flavor here, why did you go with sliders?”

\*Chelsea grins sheepishly\* “When I was in High School burgers were pretty much my go to meal, only problem was? It made my weight just go out of control and it was my aunt that got me to start eating healthier stuff, which got my weight down to a healthy size but I still enjoy a good burger.”

“How bad was it at the time?”

“Well, to put it another way? Until my high school senior year I was double my current weight.”

“Wow, that is bad, err, no offense.”

“None taken.”

(Cora’s confession cam) “Oh come on, really? Sliders? I know she’s the birthday girl but that’s basic stuff, and my beef tartare is going to blow her sliders out of the water.”

“Gabrielle, how was the slider for you?”

“Really good, I could eat ten of these!”

“Yeah, beef is perfect, bacon’s just the way I like it, the sides are perfect, I know what I’m ordering tonight!”

“I have to agree, you played it smart by going with sliders, you elevated them to the premier league and it works on several levels, Gabrielle, Chad, shall we score?”

“Again, this isn’t because it’s your birthday.” \*Gabrielle reveals three stars for Chelsea’s burgers\*

“What Gabby said.” \*Chad reveals that he has given Chelsea’s sliders three as well.”

“I won’t drag this out any longer, because that’s a three from me as well giving you a total of nine.” \*Chelsea grins as the judges put their cards down\* “Cora, what have you prepared?”

“It’s a beef tartare with a wasabi mayonnaise, crotons and a raw egg on top.” \*the judges try her beef tartare\* (Cora’s confession cam) “That reward is within my grasp, Chelsea went with a crowd pleaser, I’m going with actual technique.”

“Cora, I have one big question for you, are you allergic to salt?” \*Cora hesitates before shaking her head\* “Because that is bland beyond belief.”

“Yeah, I couldn’t even taste any wasabi in the mayo, it’s like you used a green food dye when making it.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry but I have to give it a one.”

“That’s a one from me as well.”

“Chelsea? You’ve just earned yourself a big birthday present that you’ll get to spend with your team, that’s a one for me as well.” (Chelsea’s sliders get tasted)

“Red Team, Blue Team, that was a tale of two services, because the Blue Team won the service by a landslide.”

\*the Blue Team celebrate whilst the Red Team nod\* “Thank you chef.”

“At this point, I normally tell the Red Team to head off to the dorms and decide on who to nominate, but not just yet.” \*the lights dim and both teams look around\* “Chelsea? Step forward please.” \*Chelsea steps towards Gordon\* “This wasn’t originally part of the punishment, but after I heard that it was your birthday? I had to have the Red Team do this.”

“Do what?” \*Chelsea gets her answer as Cora brings forward a birthday cake with a big “21” candle on it which is lit, sure enough the teams start singing Happy Birthday\* (Chelsea’s confession cam) “This is sweet and all but some of these guys need to work on their singing voices! And I'm kinda cringing on the inside, not gonna lie!” \*Chelsea blows out the candle and the chefs cheer\*

“Take that with you up to the dorms and share it among your teammates, you’ve earned it.” \*Chelsea grins as she takes the cake\*  “Red Team? Back to business as usual, give me two nominees for elimination, quickly!”

“Yes chef\*” (Chelsea gets to blow out her birthday candle after service)

"Come to mama!" \*Chelsea dives into what's left of her birthday cake as Stephan and Ashley watch on\* "You guys want any?"

"We're stuffed thanks." \*Stephan and Ashley join her at the table\* "Guess working through your birthday worked up an appetite."

"That and I felt my blood sugar getting low during the team switch." \*Chelsea eats another piece of cake and sees the confused looks on the older chefs' faces\* "Oh right, this hasn't really come up, has it?"

"What hasn't?"

"Remember when I talked about my weight issues during the one time I was up for elimination?" \*Stephan nods\* "One of the health issues i got from that time of my life was diabetes."

"Oh." \*Stephan's eyebrows shoot up\* "I haven't seen you inject yourself with anything though."

"There's two types, the type where I have to inject myself is type one, I got relatively lucky and got diagnosed with type two." \*Chelsea shakes her head with a sad sigh\* "That was still the incident that caused Jamie to declare that enough was enough, she didn't want to see my health issues get any worse and set me on the path to getting my weight down to a healthy level, I still have to live with diabetes because of those weight issues but it's manageable at least."

"Can't imagine how much it sucks when it crashes." \*Ashley shakes her head sadly and Chelsea nods in agreement\* "Sorry you have to live with it Chels, but are you worried about it coming up during service?"

"Been worried about it since I got accepted, if it comes up I'll see how long I can manage before asking Ramsey if I can get some orange juice or something." \*Chelsea sighs\* "And now you know why the first thing I order when out on a reward that features eating is a soda! Well, that and I was too young to drink alcohol for most of the rewards up to this point.."

"Next time we're on a reward I'll cover that for you." \*Chelsea gives Ashley an appreciative grin\* "You may be the youngest chef in the competition but you are definitely a warrior for working through that."

"Thanks Ash." (Chelsea reveals that she's diabetic)

"Seriously Tai? You're using my inexperience against me? One: I've only screwed up once in service compared to your two times before tonight, two: as of yesterday you're only two years older than me and have been working as a chef for three years, what does that say about you and me as chefs?" (Chelsea vents her frustration at Tai via confession cam)

(Chelsea's confession cam) "Well folks, grab your popcorn because my blood sugar's starting to drop, hopefully this goes over well but after everything I heard from the red kitchen? I doubt it!" \*Chelsea brings her meat up to the pass\* "Chef, can I be excused to go grab some orange juice?"

"Orange juice? Now?" \*Ramsey scoffs as he turns to Chelsea\* "We're in the middle of service, you can get your drink later."

"Chef please, I'm diabetic!" \*Ramsey's demeanor changes immediately\* "It's type two and my blood sugar's starting to drop and I'm starting to get worried."

"Okay, get back on your station and take it easy, your health comes first." \*Chelsea nods as she makes her way over to the station\* "Jason, go get Chelsea some orange juice please."

"Off course." \*Chelsea breathes a sigh of relief when Jason returns with her orange juice\* "Take it easy, we don't want you to have a medical emergency, okay?"

"Yeah, thanks Jason." (Chelsea tells Ramsey about her diabetes)

"Blue Team, Red Team, we should be better than this by now but the fact is? That service was so bad that I can't declare a winner." \*both teams hang their heads low\* "However there was two bright spots, Chelsea you were as strong as ever, but the fact that you were working through some problems brought on by your diabetes put that in a whole new light, that is why you are the best of the worst on the Blue Team."

"Yes chef."

"Stephan, you kept it together on the Red Team, that is why you're the Best of the Worst on the Red Team."

"Thank you chef."

"Both of you, come up with two names for nomination, am I clear?"

"Yes chef." (Chelsea is named Best of the Worst again)

(Chelsea's confession cam) "Cora I swear to god, if you get this last ingredient wrong I'm calling the Greek friends I made in culinary school and having them take away your Greek card!"

"Lime?"

"FUCK!"

"That was lemon!"

"Oh god! Chelsea, I'm sorry babe!"

"Not as sorry as you'll be later!" \*Chelsea gets covered in gunk for the time\*

(Cora's confession cam) "I'm Greek, I was born in Greece, Lemons are one of the staples of Greek cuisine, HOW THE FUCK DID I GET THAT WRONG?! I'm never hearing the end of this when I get home, I just know it!"

"Do you want to see the state you left her in?"

\*Cora takes off her blindfold and sees a VERY annoyed Chelsea glaring at her whilst covered in gunk\* "Oh god, I didn't think it was gonna be THAT bad!"

\*Chelsea blows a stay strand of hair out of her face\* "Well, I at least know how my aunt felt in her season! But we're gonna have words if you cost us the challenge!"

\*Miles is heard laughing is ass off at Chelsea and Xander\* "I think the same goes for the rest of the Blue Team to be fair." (Chelsea gets covered in gunk)

"Me? At a beauty salon?! Look, I know I'm a beautiful girl and all but I like my tomboyish looks thank you very much! Though I definitely need to get this stuff out of my hair!" \*Chelsea sighs before pointing to her gunk filled hair\* "You know what the worse part is? I was considering adding some color to my hair before I got accepted, this wasn't what I had in mind though!" (Chelsea talks about the beauty salon award via confession cam)

"Okay Chels, let's see it!"

"Promise me you won't laugh?"

"Why would we?" \*Chelsea emerges from her makeover, her hair straightened out and allowed to flow freely and her makeup done up\* "Damn girl, you look fine!"

"You guys are just saying that!" \*Chelsea shakes her head\* "I look much better normally! Honestly!"

"Are you kidding? Girl, you look like a metal supermodel!"

"So, we're just going to ignore that I'm one of the shortest girls in the cast Cora?" \*the rest of the Blue Team laugh\* "Just saying, I don't know many supermodels who are 5ft 4."

"We'll get you some high heels and you'll look the part." (Chelsea gets her makeover)

"Hold on, there's someone missing." \*the chefs exchange uncertain looks\* "Chelsea, get down here."

"Yes chef." \*Chelsea joins Ava and Miles\*

"Chelsea, I'll start with you, you froze on the appetizers tonight, and it's not the first time you've frozen when handling a station solo,"

"I know chef."

"How can you expect to lead a brigade when you get that nervous running a station on your own for the first time?"

"I can because tonight will be the last time you see that side of me! I know I messed up tonight but I won't be up here for elimination again after tonight!"

"Yeah, because you might be going home."

"That's not what I meant! I have so much more to offer as a Hell's Kitchen chef and I won't make those mistakes again, my inexperience has just left me with more room to grow and I've been growing every day since I entered this competition, I can lead a kitchen and if you give me a chance you'll see that for yourself." (Chelsea defends her right to stay in the competition again)

"My decision is...........Chelsea." \*Chelsea lowers her head as she steps forward\* "Young lady, I have not given up on you and neither should you, but you need to shed this self doubt because you are one hell of a cook! Back in line!"

"Yes chef." \*Chelsea quickly returns to the Blue Team\*

"In fact? I'm not eliminating anyone." \*Miles and Ava breathe sighs of relief\* "Here's why, both teams finished tonight's service with no one being kicked out, but next time? I will start cutting the fat! Miles, Ava, get back in line!"

"Yes chef." \*Miles and Ava get back in line\* (Chelsea survives elimination again)

"I cant make that mistake again, I can't freeze because I've been left alone on a station for the first time because I might not get a third chance! I entered this competition to finish what my auntie started two years ago and to fall this short of that goal? I can't let that happen, I won't let that happen!" (Chelsea's confession cam after surviving her second nomination)

\*Chelsea plops down on a sofa in the dorms\* "Man, I can't catch a fucking break." \*Chelsea sighs before letting her hair flow freely right as she's joined by Ashley, Xander and Stephan\* "Don't mind me, I'm just wallowing in my self pity over here!"

"Chels? Stop, this isn't like you and you know it." \*Chelsea turns her attention to Ashley as she sits down opposite her\* "Is it your blood sugar? Because I can get you some orange juice."

"Appreciate it but if it was my blood sugar I would've gone straight to the fridge myself." \*Chelsea sighs as she leans back\* "Can I be honest with you Ash? Because I feel like this shit's gonna keep eating away at me otherwise."

"Off course, go ahead."

"My self confidence's been shot to hell and back since that disaster of a relay." \*Chelsea sighs as Stephan and Xander turn to her\* "I came into this competition thinking I could more or less repeat what Jamie did up until the Black Jackets, instead?The few fuckups I have made have really screwed over the team more than once, Jamie never had to deal with that shit and the further I go along? The more I find myself comparing her run to mine in a negative light."

"Chelsea? Jamie's been cooking professionally for nearly thirty years now, hasn't she?" \*Chelsea nods at Stephan's question\* "And you've only just started in the culinary industry, the fact that you've been doing as well as you have is amazing in itself."

"I know, but what else am I supposed to do? Gordan and Christina initially recognized me because of my connection to Jamie, my cooking's been compared to my aunt's so many times that it feels like I'm not really establishing myself as a chef, which sucks because that was one of my goals heading into this damn thing."

"And you've done that and moreso! You're one of the best twenty one year old cooks I've seen since I started." \*Chelsea lets out a deep breath before nodding at Xander's words\* "Yeah you've had fuckups but you know how many I've had? How many Stephan's had? Or Ash for that matter?"

"No, but I'm guessing it's a lot based on how much longer you guys have been in this industry compared to me?" \*the three older chefs nod\* "But Jamie........"

"Chelsea, do me a favor and stop comparing yourself to your aunt! I don't need to be a mental health professional to tell that it's not been good for your mental health." \*Chelsea sighs before nodding reluctantly at Ashley's words\* "Besides? Someone like Jamie who has decades of experience in this industry? I bet she'd be the first to tell you that she's had a lot of bad days over the years, especially when she was in her early twenties like you."

"Yeah, at least." \*Chelsea nods as she glances to the side\* "But what do you expect me to do instead? Because I still have self confidence that's close to rock bottom at this point!"

"Keep cooking dishes that Ramsey will want on his menu, you'll get it back eventually." \*Chelsea nods as she gets the idea\* "And we'll be with you to pick you back up as many times as it takes, no matter what okay?"

"Thanks guys, appreciate it." (Chelsea vents about her loss of self confidence)

"Chef? You wanted to see me?"

"Please sit down Chelsea." \*Chelsea does so\* "You entered the competition with a bang but since then? You've been inconsistent, when you're good, you're really good but when you're bad? Your inexperience shines through in the worse way."

"What do you expect me to say? Some chefs have bad nights and I've had two of them." \*Chelsea sighs as she shifts her weight\* "Besides, you've seen the food I put out on my good nights!"

"That's what worries me, because outside of your birthday you haven't been yourself and it hasn't gone unnoticed, you are a smart young cook with your whole life in front of you, what's going on Chelsea? Why aren't you taking this by the horns girl?"

\*Chelsea hesitates before sighing\* "My self confidence's been in the gutter since the relay challenge, I thought I was bouncing back with my performances in the next two challenges and the one service after that but then came my first time on meat solo, I think you know the rest by now but to sum up? Everytime I feel like I'm finding my footing here in Hell's Kitchen, something happens that yanks the rug from under me."

"Young lady, do you know how many bad nights I've had in the kitchen?" \*Chelsea shakes her head\* "Hundreds at least, and I'm sure Jamie would tell you the same thing, the fact is that no chef gets through their career without at least one bad night, it's how we recover that matters what's it going to take for you to recover?"

"I honestly don't know, but the sooner that recovery happens? The better."

"One last thing, who do you think are the weakest members of the Blue Team?"

"I'm not gonna pick myself, I know how bad an idea that is from watching the show over the years, but I guess I'd say Ashley and Dylan? Don't get me wrong, I love Ashley and she's been my best friend in the competition since we got here but I haven't sen her emerge as a leader, and Dylan hasn't had any standout moments from what I've seen."

"Thank you, please send Ashley up next." \*Chelsea nods before she leaves the office, she finds Ash taking a drink from the fridge\* "Hey Ash?"

"What's up Chels?"

"Gordan wants a word with you, I wouldn't keep him waiting."

"Right, thanks Chelsea." \*Ashley puts her drink back in the fridge and heads to Ramsey's office\* (Chelsea's performance analyses)

"Welp, here I am in the Cook for Your Life Challenge, either this is the end of the road for me or this is where I start to get my confidence as a cook back, there's literally no in between! And just to make things worse? I'm cooking Italian cuisine against Ashley. she practically lives and breathes this stuff whilst I only just started cooking Italian cuisine!" \*Chelsea sighs\* "I'm gonna have to go all out, I'm not falling this short of the Black Jackets!" (Chelsea's confession cam after the Cook for Your Life Challenge starts)

"First up, Chelsea please." \*Chelsea brings her dish up with a big grin on her face\* "Chelsea, when we talked earlier you were a shell of your former self, and now that smile that can light up any room is back, how did that cook go for you?"

"Honestly? This is he best I've felt about a dish I've cooked since the signature dish challenge, every other dish had at least one thing go wrong but this is the first dish I've cooked in a while that had nothing go wrong."

"Show me the dish."

\*Chelsea unveils the dish\* "This is my take on chicken cacciatore, I sous veed the chicken thighs before finishing them in the pan, I served it with some honey roasted carrots and a Callabrian Chili Onion jam."

"Taking an Italian classic and trying to reinvent it for the modern day, are you sure that chicken is cooked perfectly?"

"Yes chef."

\*Ramsey cuts into the chicken and tries the rest of the dish\* "Young lady, I have one big problem with the dish." \*Chelsea gulps\* "That you aren't cooking like that more often because that is absolutely delicious!"

"Thank you chef."

"Chicken is perfectly cooked, sauce is fantastic, carrots divine, I wasn't sure about using a chili jam in cacciatore but you've made it work beautifully! Chelsea, I need you to promise me one thing."

"Yes chef?"

"No matter what, never let your self doubt get the better of you again because when you believe in yourself, you produce magic like this." \*Chelsea nods with a big grin on her face\* "Please go back in line but make no mistake, unless everyone behind you was cooking at a higher level? You are absolutely safe."

"Thank you chef." \*Chelsea goes back in line and is greeted with a congratulatory hug from Ashley\* (Chelsea's dish gets praised)

"That was just what I needed, that was what I needed to keep going in the competition! It sucks that Cora is going home because I thought she was coming around but in the end? Someone had to go home and I'm glad it wasn't me!" \*Chelsea sighs as she starts fiddling with her ponytail\* "This morning, I doubted whether I'd even make it to the Black Jackets, now? I feel like I can go all the way!" (Chelsea's confession cam after surviving the Cook for Your Life Challenge)