“ | The people that are the hardest on you in your life are the ones that care about you the most. | ” |
Andrea "Andi" Van Willigan-Cutspec, simply known as Andi Van Willigan, was the Sous Chef for the Red Team, from season 7 to 14, and 16.
Personality[]
As Ramsay's Sous Chef, Andi acted as Ramsay's right-hand woman in the services. She held the same standards as Ramsay and would often get irritated by contestants' constant mistakes. While she was more subdued than Sous Chef Scott, she had her own limits and when pushed, she would lash out on any disrespecting chef, as shown when she lost her temper with Anton Testino when he talked back to her. However, she did have a caring side towards her team. She offered advice whenever it was needed, and understands that the pressure of being a chef can be a toll on their personal life, such as in Season 12, where she explained to the red team that she had to work a lot in her 20's to get where she is now, and did not have time for relationships.
Main highlights per season[]
Season 7[]
- On Episode 4, Andi consoled Maria after the latter broke down in tears over the red team's slow prep, and told her to stop showing such emotion and that it would hurt her.[1]
Season 8[]
- On Episode 1, Andi noticed that Antonia was missing, and had Emily go and find her.[2]
- On Episode 2, Andi supervised the red team during their punishment, and served them squid for dinner.[3]
Season 9[]
- On episode 4, Andi berates Elise for being so disrespectful to her teammates and talking back to her.[4]
- On Episode 14, Ramsay asked Andi to bring back Paul and Will from the recently ejected black jackets as they were the only ones that did not have a meltdown that night.[5]
Season 10[]
- On episode 1, Scott wanted to shave the contestant's heads to show their commitment to Ramsay, and Andi came out as an example. However, she pulled off a wig, revealing she beat Scott to the punch, only to reveal later that she was wearing a bald cap this entire time.[6]
- On episode 13, Tiffany showed a poor attitude after her raw potatoes were sent back, and Andi called the former out on her poor attitude and being the sloppiest cook she ever seen in her life. When Tiffany falsely apologized, Andi kicked the former out of service and put Dana on garnish.[7]
- On episode 20, Dana tried to argue against her sea bass being overcooked, but Andi sternly warned her not to thwart Christina and to do what she says.[8]
Season 11[]
Season 12[]
- On episode 11, during the red team punishment, Andi revealed that she was not yet married because she had to work very hard in her 20's to get where she was at that moment, which concerned Rochelle.[10]
- On episode 14, after Anton overcooked his Wellingtons, Andi got into a heated argument with him, when he could not stop giving her attitude and excuses. At one point, she lost her temper and yelled at him, two inches away from his face, by demanding him to shut up, stop talking back, and just say "Yes Chef".[11]
- On episode 16, Scott asked Andi for some advice on taking the lashings, and she told him to take it forward and move on, especially since Ramsay gets so upset when food is not going out of the kitchen.[12]
- On episode 18, Andi talked with Joy, who has just walked out and packing her bags, in the dorms. She tried to make some sense and told her to not give up, but Joy refused to listen and proceeded to leave.[13]
- On episode 19, Andi joined Jason on his reward across Los Angeles to visit some restaurants. She asked him who his biggest competition was, and told him that if he stayed consistent, he will be fine.[14]
Season 13[]
- On episode 9, after Frank served an overcooked salmon, Andi harshly told him that he owed her a salmon.[15]
- On episode 13, Andi, along with Sous Chef James, was part of the first team of Sous Chefs ever, and competed against the black jackets. She sent her appetizers out quickly and efficiently, and she said that it was fun to show the chefs how it was really done. The Sous Chefs won the service by a mile.[16]
Season 14[]
- On episode 5, Andi went to the dorms and told the women to nominate two people for elimination, as Ramsay was too pissed at them to do it himself.[17]
Season 15[]
- On episode 7, Andi made a cameo appearance when her wedding reception was hosted at Hell's Kitchen. She was also a judge alongside her husband Bryce for the Wedding Planning Challenge. She came under her bride's name, Andi Cutspec.[18]
Season 16[]
- On episode 15, Andi joined Ryan on the latter's helicopter reward, and told her that she would need to improve her voice if she were to stay in the competition.[19]
Post Hell's Kitchen[]
- Other than the show, Andi had appeared in one episode of Kitchen Nightmares and Hotel Hell.
- After she left the show, she would have her first child, a son and then a daughter.
- From December 2020 to May 2022, she is associated with Sysco while working as a chef.
- She is currently the Executive Project Manager of the Honest Hospitality Team in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Trivia[]
- She holds the record for the most seasons as the red team's Sous Chef, with 9. She also holds the record for the most consecutive seasons as the red team's Sous Chef, with 8.
- She is the first, and only Sous Chef or staff member, to kick a chef out of service.
- She is the second staff member of Hell's Kitchen to leave and come back for an eventual season, following Jean-Philippe.
- She temporarily left the show on Season 15 because of her wedding, but she permanently left the show after Season 16.
- She is the first Sous Chef to have their own confessional.
- In addition to Hell's Kitchen, she has also appeared in a Kitchen Nightmares, although unlike the other staff, Scott Leibfried and James Avery, who also featured on the show and Ramsay introduced, she was appeared as a cameo without an introduction by Ramsay.
Quotes[]
- (To Elise) "Would you stop talking to me like I'm your fucking child? You need to calm down."
- (To Tiffany) "You have such a fucking attitude! Why don't you take a walk and Dana you take over her section."
- (To Anton for talking back to her) "Don't you fucking talk back to me! Don't you ever talk back to me!"
- (To Joy) "The people that are the hardest on you in your life are the ones that care about you the most."
- (To Frank) "You owe me a salmon because you fucking suck at fish station tonight!"
- "We're bangin' out all over appetizers, it's fun! I mean, it's fun to finally be on the other side of it and show these guys and girls how it gets done. We have this in the bag!"
- "Damn, Chef Ramsay is on James tonight! Glad it's not me!"
Gallery[]
External links[]
- Andi Van Willigan-Cutspec on Instagram
References[]
Hell's Kitchen Staff |
---|
Head Chef/Host |
Gordon Ramsay |
Maître d'hôtel |
Jean-Philippe Susilovic (Seasons 1-7, 11-12) • James Lukanik (Seasons 8-10) • Marino Monferrato (Seasons 13-Present) • Matthew Childs (Season 21; Episodes 2-9) |
Blue Team Sous Chef |
Scott Leibfried (Seasons 1-10) • James Avery (Seasons 11-14, 23-Present) • Aaron Mitrano (Seasons 15-16) • Jocky Petrie (Seasons 17-18) • Jay Santos (Season 19-22) |
Red Team Sous Chef |
Mary-Ann Salcedo (Seasons 1-3) • Gloria Felix (Seasons 4-5) • Heather West (Season 6) • Andi Van Willigan-Cutspec (Seasons 7-14, 16) • Christina Wilson (Season 15, 17-22) • Michelle Tribble (Season 23) |