by Todd Betzold

 

With special guests Sugar Ray Leonard and Tito Ortiz in Hell's Kitchen last night, the chefs were working extra hard to impress. That was easier said than done for the Blue Team, as they struggled through dinner service and Chef Ramsay kicked the whole team out of the kitchen. Despite the passion she showed during the elimination, Roshni Gurnani was forced to turn in her jacket and head home. Today, we got an exclusive interview with Roshni as she talked about her experiences in Hell's Kitchen, working for Chef Ramsay and much more.

 

Q. Todd, RealityWanted: What made you decide to try out for Hell's Kitchen?
A. Roshni: Hell's Kitchen is a show I always watched since the first season. It's something I was always interested in trying out and being a Canadian, I wasn't able to do that until I moved here to the U.S. and when I got the opportunity I jumped on it. It really is a dream come true almost because I've been watching for so many years and I finally got the opportunity to even apply for it, which is really nice.

 

Q. Todd, RealityWanted: Was it hard for you to make the transition from the Red Team to the Blue Team?
A. Roshni: For me, changing teams wasn't a hard transition at all. I was just happy to be in a jacket. It didn't matter what team I cooked on, as long as I could cook.

 

Q. Todd, RealityWanted: When you were eliminated, Chef Ramsay did say some nice things about you and told you to keep your head up. Did you feel okay with his decision to send you home?
A. Roshni: I was upset to go home. It was something I was really passionate about and I didn't allow myself to get involved in anything else. For me, it was a cooking competition, it wasn't a cooking game. I stayed true to myself throughout the whole time I was there and Chef Ramsay had great things to say about me, which he really didn't say about anyone else leaving, so that was great to hear. I really feel it was because I stayed true to myself and he saw that. I would have loved to have stayed longer, but at the end of the day it was his decision.

 

Q. Todd, RealityWanted: What was it like working in Hell's Kitchen and under Chef Ramsay and all the chaos/drama and what not?
A. Roshni: Being in the kitchen was like the first day of a new job every day I was there. You were in a new kitchen position every time. As far as living with 17 strangers, it was like college and living in the dorms. There was drama, there was a lot of fighting, but it was up to me to keep away from that mess and not let it affect me in a negative way and I did. I treated everyone the same and that was important to me.

 

Q. Todd, RealityWanted: What's the biggest thing you are going to be taking away from this whole experience?
A. Roshni: The thing I am going to take away is that you can fulfill your dreams. It was never a dream to win, in that sense. It was always a dream of mine to even be a part of it, to be a part of Hell's Kitchen and I was able to do that. Taking that away is showing me that the sky's the limit and you limit yourself. It's a journey and it's up to you to either be a part of it and continue it or to stop it.

 

Q. Todd, RealityWanted: Now that you're off the show, are you rooting for anyone to win this season?
A. Roshni: It's funny. Watching the show is different than actually being a part of it, even though we have some idea of what's going on, we don't. You have 12-15 hour days condensed into 40 or 45 minutes. Really seeing it, as a chef, you can really pick out the other people that are really passionate and really want to be there for the right reasons. For me, I'm rooting for Christina and Justin. They're two people I connected with in the house and just have the same love and passion for food that I do.

 

Q. Todd, RealityWanted: Where are you cooking now and what can our readers expect next from you?
A. Roshni: I lived in Boston and after the show, I moved to Houston about six months ago. I'm the executive chef here at a private country club and I have a book being launched in September that I was working on prior to the show, but have completed since then. It's called, I Cook, You Eat. It's basically a book of everyday people trying to cook extraordinary dishes and being able to do it in the comfort of your own home.

 

Q. Todd, RealityWanted: Is there anything you would like to add?
A. Roshni: I just wish all my competitors good luck!

 

Hell's Kitchen airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8/7c on FOX.

 

(Image courtesy of FOX)

 

Follow Todd @tbetzold