by Gina Scarpa

On last night's episode of Hell's Kitchen, things kicked off with an elimination.  Tennille, Lovely, Tony, and Andy were nominated and it seemed that Andy would be safe.  The 30 year old chef from Chicago had delivered a solid signature dish on the first day and had also performed well in the shrimp challenge.  It just goes to show though, that on Hell's Kitchen, one bad dinner service can be your undoing.  Tony was eliminated from the competition and today, spoke to RealityWanted in an exclusive interview.  It seems that being emotionally abused in the kitchen had lasting effects because when it came to talking about Chef Ramsay, Tony didn't hold back!

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What was your cooking background, prior to coming on the show?
A. Tony: I don’t really have any.  I just cook at home.  I don’t have any training.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Wasn’t that intimidating, to come into the show, knowing that you’d be up against more experienced chefs?
A. Tony: I didn’t have a problem with it at all. 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Is Chef Ramsay as intimidating in person as he seems on tv?
A. Tony: It’s worse!  He just keeps doing it.  They only show a certain amount but he’s like Hitler, man.  He’s a Nazi in the kitchen.  I have no respect for him at all. 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: When Joseph got in his face and was threatening to fight him, whose side were you on?
A. Tony: I’m not on either side.  Joseph did what he had to do.  He didn’t have to take it to the extreme like that but Ramsay deserves that stuff.  You should’ve seen the fear in his eyes that they didn’t show on tv.  I saw it live.  He was like a dog with a tail between his legs!

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: I take it that you don’t feel like this is the way someone would treat chefs in a restaurant… if it’s not completely perfect, you’re going to get screamed at.
A. Tony: This is only his restaurant and I don’t even think some of the best restaurants in the world.  He’s nuts.  He’s a complete jerk and he doesn’t make any sense.  He’s not there to teach you anything. 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Were you surprised to go home?
A. Tony: Yeah, my signature dish was good, I did awesome on shrimp, so it’s like, “One dinner service?”  I mean, Lovely and Tenille?  Come on.  I don’t think Ramsay liked me.  Even when we won the shrimp challenge and had the lobster lunch, he was a jerk there, too.  When he wants to be nice, that’s an act.  That’s acting.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Are there chefs on the show that you’re a fan of? 
A. Tony: It all goes so quickly.  I especially don’t know the girls because they have their own kitchen.  There are a couple guys I like.  Louie was so funny.  I would want him around just to talk to.  Van is like a puppy dog.  No one knows him for real!  He’s so nice, he’s so cool.  Kevin, Mr. Clean as I call him, is such a wannabe.  He’s such a kissass.  I hope he gets thrown off! 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Was this a good experience?  Was it something you’d want to do again?
A. Tony: Actually, I thought it was great.  I’d do it again, yeah.  He just picks on the people he doesn’t like.  He didn’t like me.  At the lunch, he asked me what I liked to do and I said that I love riding my Harley.  He was giving me a hard time and we were going at it for a little bit.  Maybe I got him a little bit there.  I told him how it was out of the kitchen.  If he’s going to make fun of me, I’m going to make fun of him. 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Will you take your cooking to the next level now or continue to cook at home?
A. Tony: It’s like my favorite thing to do at home. I’m going to open up a restaurant with my friends, a seafood place.

Hell’s Kitchen airs Tuesday nights at 8pm ET on FOX.

(Image courtesy of FOX)

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