by Gina Scarpa

On last night’s episode of Hell’s Kitchen, it was three strikes and you’re out for Lovely Jackson, who had found herself in the bottom group more times than she would have liked.  Chef Ramsay had no more patience for the aspiring chef and sent her packing.  Often times, the eliminated chefs on Hell’s Kitchen can’t help but be a Bitty Betty and slam Chef Ramsay, but Lovely was gracious upon her exit from the competition.  Today, she spoke to RealityWanted in an exclusive interview about life in Hell’s Kitchen and gave us the scoop on what she’s up to next – and we’re the first ones to know!
 
Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What was your cooking background, prior to coming on Hell’s Kitchen?
A. Lovely: I have three degrees in culinary arts and I have five years of professional kitchen experience.
 
Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What made you want to be on the show?  It seems like such an intense experience.
A. Lovely: Yeah, it is!  I wanted to be side by side with one of the best chefs in the world.  I have a lot of respect for him. I looked at it as a learning experience and I wanted that prize!  Those were the two main reasons.
 
Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Last week, when we spoke to Tony, he had nothing but nasty words for Chef Ramsay.  What’s your take on the guy, after working so closely with him?
A. Lovely: He’s an intense guy.  He demands perfection, he’s tough, and he’s fair.  I got yelled at a lot but so did everyone else.  You either have tough skin or you’re gonna be a crybaby and go home even sooner.  He’s crazy, he’s over the top, but so I am sometimes!  All love for Chef Ramsay!
 
Q. Gina, RealityWanted: You were targeted by your team from the very beginning and put in the bottom three times.  What do you think that was about?
A. Lovely: I think I had so much flare and so much pizzazz that they couldn’t take it.  Everyone made mistakes.  I wasn’t the only one that made mistakes. Maybe it was jealousy.
 
Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Do you think that your team will do well this season or do you expect a man to be the last one standing?
A. Lovely: I think everyone has strengths and weaknesses.  I wish the best to everyone.  May the best man or woman win!
 
Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Watching the dinner service on tv, it seems some of the chefs can’t even turn out a decent pasta dish.  Is it hard to get your work done with someone screaming in your face the entire time?
A. Lovely: Oh yeah!  At home, in my own kitchen, I’m doing the yelling, I’m doing the screaming.  It’s totally different when you step into a new place.  It’s a new place, a new chef, and that adds pressure.  It’s intense and crazy and that’s just the beginning!
 
Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Even though you didn’t get to stay for very long, do you still think this was a good experience?
A. Lovely: Yeah, it was a great experience.  You have good days, you have bad days, but who can say that they were able to work with Chef Gordon Ramsay?  He’s one of the best in the world.  I have a lot of respect for the guy.
 
Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What lies ahead for you in the future?
A. Lovely: I’m still going to be an instructor of culinary arts.  I’ll still cater on the side but also, this is interesting.  Nobody has this.  I’m going to be dropping a hip hop/pop album in September with a cookbook to go with it.  I have a passion for music, I have a passion for food, I just have a passion for the arts.  I’m gonna call myself Culinary Chic, the Hip Hop Chef.  I’m just enjoying life and I give everything 110%!


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

(Image courtesy of FOX)

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