Chef Kenneth McDuffie is a contestant on Hell’s Kitchen season 19. As one of eighteen talented hopefuls competing this year, Kenneth is sure to meet fierce competition in the fight to win the prize and Gordon Ramsay’s approval. Here’s everything you need to know about the Philadelphia native.
Season 19 of Hell’s Kitchen is shaping up to be one full of the unexpected. Not only is the location of filming different, but so is the prize the winner receives. After eighteen seasons of filming in Hollywood, the newest season shifted to Las Vegas, the city of sin. There’s plenty to compete for, too, with $250,000 and the promise of a head chef position at Gordon Ramsay’s new Lake Tahoe restaurant on the line.
Kenneth is a 35-year-old Philadelphian who has called The City of Brotherly Love his home since birth. Unlike some of the other chefs competing, Kenneth has no formal culinary education. Instead, he learned most of what he knows from his great-grandmother, Esther, who raised him. Kenneth discovered his love of food early thanks to her, and began making it a career over 15 years ago. The first episode was a rough one for Kenneth, who was torn apart by Gordon Ramsay for his sub-par “scorch” chicken, which earned him the low-as-you-can-go score of 1 on the challenge. But win or lose, Kenneth is already making history as the first out, gay, Black chef on the show. A quick look through Kenneth’s Instagram profile shows he’s not afraid to make fun of himself for his failures. After the series premiere aired last week, he posted a photo of a chicken dish he made recently, with a caption, “I hope 🤞🏾 I redeemed myself with my new dish.” Check out his mouth-watering second attempt:
In a recent interview with Philadelphia Gay News, Kenneth spoke about his experience with Hell’s Kitchen, which actually wasn’t his first. Though he didn’t make it onto the show, he initially applied six years ago. After hitting a rough patch with his mental health and falling into depression, a friend of Kenneth’s recommended he audition again, but he was hesitant. With lots of support from his friends and family, he decided to apply, and after many rounds of assessment, made it to the top 18. According to Kenneth, Hell’s Kitchen “saved [his] life.”
A proud Philadelphia resident, Kenneth owns his own catering and food service company, called Young and Hungry, which primarily serves schools and youth groups. Previously, he lived in Hawaii and worked as a chef on a Norwegian Cruise Line ship. These days, Kenneth has a passion for helping the youth in his community, and told Philadelphia Gay News that he loves spreading his knowledge to any young chefs out there and encouraging them to pursue their passion.
As inspiring as Kenneth’s story is, will he be able to rise up from his less-than-impressive start on Hell’s Kitchen? Will he surprise Ramsay with his skill, or be eliminated early on?
Hell’s Kitchen airs Thursdays at 8 pm ET on Fox.
