Hell's Kitchen (American TV series) season 8

The eighth season of Hell's Kitchen, an American reality competition television series starring Gordon Ramsay, premiered on the Fox Network on September 22, 2010, and continued until December 15, 2010. Sous Chef Nona Sivley won the competition, earning a head chef position at the L.A. Market restaurant at the JW Marriott Hotel at L.A. Live in Los Angeles, as well as an opportunity to be a spokesperson for Rosemount Estate Wines. This would be the last season to feature 16 contestants, until season 17.

Sabrina Brimhall is the second person after Virginia Dalbeck (from season 2) to hold the distinction of being nominated at every opportunity she was not on the winning team or granted immunity by Chef Ramsay. She is also the second person after Autumn Lewis (from season 7) to be nominated a total of seven times.

Format
The first half of each episode consists of a team challenge, in which the winning side gets a reward of some sort of leisure activity, while the losing side has to clean up and prepare both kitchens, as well as some activity that is not so pleasant. Afterwards, the teams compete in executing a dinner service, during which Ramsay can impose additional punishments or kick chefs out of the kitchen. The losing team(s) nominates chefs to be considered for elimination. Ramsay can also nominate chefs, and ultimately sends a chef home. At six chefs left, the teams merge to one, and the chefs compete as individuals.

Staff
Gordon Ramsay returned to the series as the head chef, as well as sous chefs Scott Leibfried and Andi van Willigan. James Lukanik served as the maître d', replacing Jean-Philippe Susilovic, who had been serving as a restaurant director at Ramsay's restaurant in London, Petrus. Seasons 7 and 8 were taped a year apart, resulting in other staff changes.

Contestants
16 chefs competed in season eight. Ages shown are at the start of competition.


 * Notes