| “ | We are competing to become the head chef at BLT Steak. Not BLT Chicken, not BLT Fish, BLT Steak! | ” |
Ashley Nickell was a contestant on Seasons 15 and 17 of Hell's Kitchen. On Season 15, she ranked in 3rd place, and on Season 17, she ranked in 15th place.
Season 15[]
Episode 1[]
- Main article: Episode 1501 - 18 Chefs Compete
When the chefs arrived at Hell's Kitchen, Marino asked Ashley to pull the lever on the giant slots machine, and she prayed for something good as she never gambled before. After, the chefs found out that they had to go to Las Vegas immediately. After participating in a parade, the chefs met Ramsay at the BLT Steak, which was the prize-winning restaurant, and she was excited that she would be working under Sous Chef Christina. After, they were asked to cook their signature dishes there.
During the Signature Dish Challenge, Ashley was the second person from the red team to have her dish judged by Ramsay and went up against Frank. Before tasting her dish, she revealed that she worked in some of her family’s restaurants before and that she had two dads. She made an ostrich filet with red wine balsamic, it was criticized for being on the verge of blandness, and she scored 2 points. The red team lost the challenge 22-24, and they were punished by peeling 50 pounds of shrimp and making 1000 pounds of truffle mashed potatoes at Sterling Buffet.
During dinner service, Ashley was on the fish station with Manda. At one point, she got her entrée accepted, and it was thanks to her that the red team pushed on. The red team won the service.[1]
Episode 2[]
- Main article: Episode 1502 - 17 Chefs Compete
Back in the dorms, Ashley agreed with Kristin's statement that they did not want another service like that night.
During the Dumplings Challenge, Ashley was paired up with Ariel. After the pair of Jackie and Dannie scored six points, she mockingly warned the blue team that they were catching up. While her and Ariel's baskets had dumplings with holes in them, they managed to get two of them accepted, giving the red team the win 13-12. They were rewarded with a helicopter trip to Geoffrey’s in Malibu for a seafood lunch with Ramsay. During the reward, she remarked that she wanted to have lunch with Ramsay since she was five years old, and compared it to a movie moment.
During dinner service, Ashley was on the appetizer station with Jackie. While working on her risotto, she compared working with Jackie to working with a Tasmanian devil and wanted the latter to slow down. When Ramsay noticed that the risotto was taking too long to cook, he discovered that her stove was off. The red team lost the service and were asked to nominate three people for elimination. During deliberation, she was reminded about the cold flat top incident by Dannie and Kristin, but she argued that she did not deserve to be up as she was trying to control Jackie from moving around a lot. Then, she stated that fish fucked up worse than her, and considered Meese and Sherkenna for elimination.
She was not nominated for elimination.[2]
Episode 3[]
- Main article: Episode 1503 - 16 Chefs Compete
Back at the dorms, Jared told Ashley that everybody has been asking when they were going to sleep together, she revealed that she got some work on her boobs, and Jared offered to open them up for her. Then, Jared gave her a foot massage.
During the Jackets Challenge, Ashley was the second person from the red team to have her dish judged, and she went up against Frank on the cheeseburger sliders round. Her dish was deemed good, and she won that round over Frank. The red team eventually lost the challenge 3-5, and they were punished by taking in a delivery of 100 pounds of sea bass, prepping it for the following service, zesting lemons, and eating a fish head soup for lunch. During the punishment, she complained about how terrible cleaning out the sea bass was, and later, deemed Jackie disgusting for enjoying her lunch. As they were zesting lemons, she got irritated by Jackie’s rude attitude, but the latter stated that she did not care, and called her a dirty hooker. Then, she said that Jackie was a mess and digging up her own grave.
During dinner service, Ashley served a sea bass appetizer tableside. She was not seen much, but when the red team got kicked out of the kitchen, she called it unacceptable and believed that somebody deserved to go home that night. The red team lost the service and were asked to nominate two people for elimination. During deliberation, she considered Jackie and Vanessa for elimination.
She was not nominated for elimination.[3]
Episode 4[]
- Main article: Episode 1504 - 15 Chefs Compete
During the Duck Challenge, Ashley was the sixth person from the red team to have her dish judged and went up against Eddie. She made a duck breast with blueberry-pancetta infused sauce, and while it was criticized for a clumsy presentation, it was praised for the seasoning, and she scored 6 points. The red team eventually lost the challenge 30-32, and they were punished by prepping ducks for the following service and eating a duck feet sandwich for dinner. During the punishment, she was grossed out by her dinner.
During prep, Ashley was pissed off by Jackie's attitude as it brought down the whole morale and wanted her gone. During dinner service, she was on the appetizer station with Manda. At one point, Ramsay discovered that her water was not boiling and that her gas was off. Later, she got annoyed by Hassan's loud leadership and mocked it in her confessional. The red team lost the service and were asked to nominate two people for elimination. During deliberation, she was considered for elimination by Jackie, but she argued that Meese was way behind on garnish, and only got four tables out thanks to her.
Ashley was not nominated for elimination, and after Meese's elimination, she welcomed Hassan as a new teammate.[4]
Episode 5[]
- Main article: Episode 1505 - 14 Chefs Compete
During the Holiday Platter Challenge, Ashley was paired up with Ariel on the Mardi Gras platter. After Hassan scored a point, she officially welcomed him to the red team. They were the final pair from the red team to have their platter judged and went up against Chad and Kevin. While she was concerned about Ariel's muffuletta as they never made one before, it scored a point. She made a poi boy sandwich, it was criticized for not being held together, and did not score a point. Her collaborative effort with Ariel, shrimp and polenta, were praised for being cooked nicely, screaming Bourbon Street, and it scored a point. The red team won the challenge 5-4 and were rewarded with a trip to the Santa Barbara Sunstone Valley for wine blending lessons, and lunch. Also, her and Ariel's Mardi Gras platter was deemed the best of the red team, so it would be featured on the next Family Circle magazine, leading her to thank every type of god she could think of.
During the Family Night dinner service, Ashley was on the garnish station. She was not seen much, except for annoyingly telling Dannie to kiss her ass as, despite the latter boasting that she was the strongest chef, her mistakes that night have proven she was not. On their third attempt on Marino's family's ticket, she hoped that there were no more fuck ups, but Hassan’s New York steak was raw. Both teams were named joint-losers and were asked to nominate two each.
Ashley was not nominated for elimination, and announced Manda and Jackie as the weakest chefs, much to the latter’s annoyance. Later, she said goodbye to Manda as the latter was reassigned to the blue team.[5]
Episode 6[]
- Main article: Episode 1506 - 12 Chefs Compete
Back at the dorms, Ashley was confronted by Jackie over calling the latter the weakest chef. While she argued that she spoke the truth to Ramsay, Jackie was angry that she called her the weakest chef on the red team, despite stating earlier that Kristin and Manda were the weakest, before calling her fake as her fake tits and threatening to break her face. Before leaving, Jackie told her that she could never run a kitchen, but she refused to take that comment seriously. Later, she told Jared who she never got such disrespect from somebody like Jackie, stated that she would stay longer than the latter, and Jared promised to be there for her.
During the Shopping Cart Challenge, Ashley annoyingly accused Jackie of being all over the place after the latter decided to cut off the burnt parts of her halibut. She was the final person from the red team to have her dish judged, and presented her and presented her pan-seared halibut with a sweet curry broth. It was heavily praised for being sweet, spicy, and aeromantic, she scored a perfect 5, and the score was a 22-point tie. To break the tie, Ramsay decided to announce the best dish overall, and after deeming her dish the best, the red team won the challenge, which she called the best feeling to have Ramsay call her dish the best. The red team was rewarded with a day in stunt planes. During the reward, she decided that there should be no animosity between her and Jackie, and the two made up from their argument last night.
During prep, Ashley remarked that if Jackie’s best friend, referring to Ariel, was getting frustrated, then there was a problem. During dinner service, she was at the dessert station. She was not seen that night, both teams were named joint-losers, and for the red team, Ariel was named the Best of the Worst.
She was not nominated for elimination.[6]
Episode 7[]
- Main article: Episode 1507 - 11 Chefs Compete
Before the Chef Andi Wedding Planning Challenge, Ashley hoped that it would be a gay wedding like Neil Patrick Harris had. She was paired with Jackie on the chicken entrée round, they were the final pair from the red team to have their dishes judged, and went up against Frank and Joe from the blue team. She made a pan-fried chicken breast on top of roasted cauliflower, and while it was deemed nice and not at all heavy as the presentation looked like, she did not score for the red team. The red team lost the challenge 1-2, and they were punished by helping the wedding planner, Kristin Banta, with the finishing touches for the following night’s service, and make macarons.
During the Wedding dinner service, Ashley was on the appetizer station with Jackie. At one point, she noticed that Jackie’s garlic was burned for the risotto, but the latter ignored her. Both teams were named joint-losers and were asked to nominate two each.
She was not nominated for elimination.[7]
Episode 8[]
- Main article: Episode 1508 - 10 Chefs Compete
During the Ingredient Number Challenge, Ashley was the fourth person from the red team to have her dish judged and went up against Chad in the ahi tuna round. She made a four-ingredient sesame seed crusted ahi tuna with broccoli, leeks, and mushrooms, it was praised for having a beautifully cooked tuna, and that the crust did not overpower the taste When she saw Chad's dish, she compared to shit on a plate. She scored that round over Chad, the red team won the challenge 3-1, and they were rewarded with a paintball game. When she found out about their reward, she called it the coolest thing ever.
During prep, Ashley did not want to do a chest bump as she did not want her fake boobs to pop. During dinner service, she was at the fish station. She was not seen that night, and the red team won the service.
At elimination, Ashley said goodbye to Dannie as the latter was reassigned to the blue team, and welcomed Chad as a new teammate.[8]
Episode 9[]
- Main article: Episode 1509 - 10 Chefs Again
While going back to the dorms, Ashley welcomed Chad to the red team.
Before the Bison Cut Challenge, Ashley compared Joe the bison's pee to a waterfall. She was paired up against Dannie on the filet, she won the shootout, and picked Thailand as their country because Asian food was her strength. During the cooking, she was very confident about what she would do as her dad’s owned an Asian American restaurant and wanted to kick the competition in the bison butt. She was the final person from the red team to have her dish judged by Ramsay and went up against Dannie. She made a bison with shrimp pad Thai, and despite confusing Ramsay for the weird concept, it was praised for being delicious, and she tied that round with Dannie.
The red team won the challenge after a tie at 4, and they were rewarded with meeting Hollywood animals and receiving Vitamix blenders. Before learning about the animals, she thought that she would meet Bradley Cooper and Matt Damon. During the reward, she called it crazy that she got to pet an actual tiger.
During the Cowboy Steak Night dinner service, Ashley was on the meat station. Despite warning Jackie that the latter's tuna was getting overcooked, she sent up a ribeye looked boiled on top of being raw. Then, her second attempt came out raw again, and that led to the red team getting kicked out of the kitchen. The red team lost the service and were asked to nominate two people for elimination. During deliberation, she was blamed by Kristin and Jackie for getting them kicked out but argued that she was not the weakest person on the red team, and while believed that the red team would be weaker without her and Ariel, Jackie reminded her that if the fish and meat station did not fall apart, then they would not have gotten kicked out of service. While considered for elimination by Jackie, she considered Ariel and the latter for elimination.
Ashley was not nominated for elimination, even though Jackie told Ramsay that she deserved to be up there.[9]
Episode 10[]
- Main article: Episode 1510 - 9 Chefs Compete
During the Breakfast Challenge, Ashley was on the sweet dish and was the one that decided to use Jackie's vegetarian dish, even comparing Ariel’s presentation to something you would find at the bottom of a dumpster. She was the first person from the red team to have her dish judged and went up against Manda. She made a French toast bread pudding with bourbon cinnamon whipped cream, it was praised for being light and gooey, she scored a perfect 9, and Ramsay remarked that she was high in both calories and score. After Jackie's dish was poorly received, she got dismayed as she should have chosen Ariel’s dish instead.
The red team lost the challenge 23-25, and they were punished by cleaning up both kitchens and making mimosas for the brunch service, which included hand squeezing oranges. Back at the dorms, Ashley immediately regretted not choosing Ariel’s dish for the challenge as she knew that the latter was stronger than Jackie, and wondered what they were thinking.
Before service began, Ashley was excited to find out that Flo Rida would be dining as she was from Florida like he was. During the brunch service, she was at the fish station with Kristin. At one point, she discovered that Jackie's chicken was burnt, and convinced the latter not to send it to the pass. Later, both teams were merged into the blue kitchen to complete service. Both teams were named joint-losers and were asked to come up with an explanation of what happened.
Ashley voted for Chad for elimination and did not receive any votes.[10]
Episode 11[]
- Main article: Episode 1511 - 8 Chefs Compete
Back at the dorms, Ashley, who was bisexual, claimed that she was not turned on by Jackie, and claimed that she would fuck Kristin and Jared.
When Ramsay announced that their next challenge was the Relay Challenge, she knew that it would happen. On the first round, she told Jackie to season their lamb, but while Ariel reminded her that the latter was not that stupid, she deemed Jackie the weakest chef on the red team. She participated in the second round, discovered that the Dijon for the lamb was burnt, and while she sarcastically thanked Jackie for that, Ariel told her to wipe it off with her rag. On the fifth round, she told Jackie to drop the sea bass in the latter's final 5 seconds. She participated in the sixth round and found it difficult to start where somebody else left off, before calling it the hardest challenge so far. After the red team's sea bass was strongly praised, she confidently believed that they had it. When the red team scored on the lamb, she was relieved to have saved the lamb earlier. She presented the red team’s pan-roasted chicken breast with a wild mushroom sauce and sautéed carrots and purple cauliflower but was criticized for having raw carrots due to Kristin, and they lost that round to the blue team. The red team lost the challenge after a tie at 2, and they were punished by taking in a delivery of two full lambs and prepping them for a special lamb shank dish for the following service.
During dinner service, Ashley was on the appetizer station. On their first ticket, she remarked that even though she was a chef at her family's own restaurant, she wanted to prove that she could do things on her own. However, her risotto was soupy but was able to get her refire accepted. However, despite not wanting a repeat of her earlier mistake, the risotto was soupy again, and Ramsay commented that there was more cheese in the risotto than there was in fucking Holland. Then, Ramsay pulled her aside and asked if she was okay, but she nearly broke into tears and received help from Kristin. On their final ticket, she convinced Jackie to send up her Arctic Char, but it was raw.
The red team lost the service and were asked to nominate two people for elimination. Before being dismissed, Ramsay pulled Ashley aside and asked what was wrong. She teared up that she should have had a better night, but while Ramsay admitted that she did have an awkward night, he told her not to keep hold of it and urged her to get stronger and vocal. During deliberation, she was still pissed with herself as she knew she was stronger than that, and knew that she would be targeted for being a threat, reminded Kristin that she was the one that had Jackie bring the raw fish up, and blamed herself for being the reason they lost. She was considered for elimination by Jackie and Kristin, and while she considered herself and Kristin for elimination, the latter told her not to put her name up without a good explanation.
Ashley was named the red team's first nominee, with Jackie as the second. During her plea, Ramsay asked her what happened that night, and she believed that she got inside her head, before explaining that she was better than Jackie as she could run a restaurant. While Ramsay remarked that running her family’s restaurants would not make her a success in the industry, she said that she wanted it even if she did not have her family's support. She survived elimination, and when being dismissed, she called it a serious wake-up call and claimed that she could do things without her father’s help.[11]
Episode 12[]
- Main article: Episode 1512 - 7 Chefs Compete
While going back to the dorms, Ashley called being nominated the scariest moment of her life. Then, she told Jared that she would have killed herself if she was eliminated before Jackie, and the latter reminded her that Ramsay was looking for an Executive Chef, not somebody who was going to grow into an Executive Chef. However, she remarked that Ramsay may not be looking for a chef who looked towards their parent’s businesses, and felt that she may not be in the business without her dad’s help. Then, Jared comforted her.
During the Blind Taste Test, Ashley was the second person from the red team to compete and went up against Jared. She got lemon and cinnamon correct, saving Ariel from being shot at. On Kristin's turn, she was not shot at. The red team won the challenge 10-3, with her proud to have whooped the blue team’s ass, and they were rewarded with a $2000 shopping spree at Rolland’s Kitchenware.
During dinner service, Ashley was on the meat station. When service began, she knew that with the competition growing smaller, there was no more room for errors and that nothing but perfection would be accepted. In the middle of entrées, Ramsay told her that she was the only red chef that was not engaged, but she argued that she was focused, and her dishes were deemed perfect. The red team won the service, and she deemed it their best service yet.
While being dismissed, Ashley believed that the blue team was in shambles.[2]
Episode 13[]
- Main article: Episode 1513 - 6 Chefs Compete
Back at the dorms, Ashley asked Jared if he was okay, and while he was disappointed with his poor performance, she reminded him that he was still here. The next day, she received a visit from one of her father's. While she hoped to have received a black jacket she was shocked to have received a straight jacket instead.
During the Cooking School Challenge, Ashley was confident with her father as they owned multiple restaurants, but he struggled to find the beans for the dish. they were the second pair from the red team to have their branzino dish judged, she was confident about their chances, and while their dish was praised for a crispy skin and tasting delicious and on point, it was not chosen as the best of the red team. The red team won the challenge and were rewarded with a spa day at Berk Williams, which excited her as she was overdue for one. During the reward, she got grossed out when Kristin commented on Jared’s hairy back.
During dinner service, Ashley was on the meat station. When the women were working on Lil’ Jon’s order, she wanted to make sure that the food was perfect. Later, Ramsay reminded her to speak up more, she delivered her steaks slowly, and while Ramsay commented that he moved faster than her despite being twenty-years-older than her, they were accepted. The red team won the service, they received their black jackets after service, and both teams were asked to nominate two people from the blue team. During deliberation, she said that she was tired of Dannie acting like she was better than everybody else, before saying that she was not.
When being dismissed, Ashley knew that Dannie was somebody nobody was comfortable around to be with, and while she welcomed Jared and Manda to the black jackets, she warned them that they would be going home if they fucked up.[12]
Episode 14[]
- Main article: Episode 1514 - 5 Chefs Compete
Back at the dorms, Ashley was happy to be one of the few chefs to have worn a black jacket and told Jared that she was not about to let him go home.
Before the 100 Animo Venice High School Portions Challenge, Ashley was very embarrassed about her high school photo and asked where Ramsay got her embarrassing cheerleader photo. She decided to make a mini chicken pot pie, and even though Ramsay called it ambitious, she stated that she loved eating them at her high school, even though she knew that it would not be easy to make. While serving her dishes, she noticed that more people were at everybody else’s station than her own. She lost the challenge as she placed in 3rd place, and while she thought that Jared would choose her to come on the reward due to their friendship, she was angry when he picked Kristin instead.
Ashley was punished by participating in recycling day, which included sorting through the trash from the Animo Venice Charter High School’s trash from last week. During the punishment, she said that Jared was dead to her as the two mockingly compared a skinned fish to him. Later that night, she angrily told Jared that he was dead to her, accused him of being sneaky, and was hurt that he did not choose her as they used to be friends.
During dinner service, Ashley was at the dessert station. She was the second person to act as Ramsay's Sous Chef, but she was nervous as she was scared about being Ramsay’s Sous Chef. Then, she confused Jared by calling out a ticket order that was not ready yet, Ramsay lectured her about sending out the wrong information. When Manda sent up a blue striploin, she annoyingly said that they were competing for BLT Steak, not BLT Chicken or BLT Fish. After Jared's Char was raw, she annoyingly said that she was done with him.
After service, Ramsay asked the final five to nominate one person for elimination. During deliberation, Ashley called that night embarrassing as they were black jacket chefs and suggested they figure out which station went down the most. Then, she believed that Jared was mentally checked out.
Ashley was not nominated for elimination, and when being dismissed, she said that she was dreaming for the Head Chef position since she was seventeen.[13]
Episode 15[]
- Main article: Episode 1515 - 3 Chefs Compete
While going back to the dorms, Ashley commented that she never saw Ramsay eliminate two black jacket chefs in one night, and while she was sad to see Jared go home as he was her best friend, she had to remain focused. Later that night, she told Kristin that she wanted them to be in the finals bad, but notes that it would be difficult as Ariel has been a monster in the competition, before feeling that the latter's attitude might fuck her up in the end.
During the BLT Bone-in Steak Challenge, Ashley picked the fourth briefcase and received a filet cut. During the cooking, she commented that she never worked with a cut that big before, but decided to use South Western as her theme. She was the first person to have her dish judged and presented her South Western-styled fascia pepper rubbed filet with grilled poblano pepper and sautéed chipotle corn. While the dish was praised for having the steak at the forefront, the peppers were criticized for being undercooked. She lost the challenge to Kristin and was punished by cleaning the armored truck and police motorcycles and prepping for the following service. During the punishment, she said that she wanted to have lunch with Ramsay as he has been her idol since she was five years old.
During dinner service, Ashley was at the fish station. At one point, her snapper was rejected by Kristin for being burnt, she did not respond to the latter until Ramsay called her out for it, and managed to get the refire accepted. She was the final person to run the hot plate, and while she acknowledged her struggles on fish earlier, she felt that it was the chance to redeem herself. Despite calling out her first order, Ariel did not respond to her on the risottos. Then, while she thought that Ariel’s risotto was fine, Ramsay informed her that it was undercooked, and Ariel continued not to communicate with her. Then, Ramsay pulled her over to the blue kitchen and told her that while everybody else had made mistakes on the hot plate, she was too quiet and unresponsive, before urging her to bounce back. While upset by her poor performance, she knew that she could not give up, and rejected Ariel’s refire for not being seasoned enough. Her quality control was strong and was unable to identify a black garlic purée instead of the black pepper purée needed. However, Sous Chef Christina replaced arctic char for a similar-looking salmon, and she did not recognize it until Ramsay told her. Despite that, she was able to finish her time on the pass on a strong note.
After service, Ramsay asked the final three to name one person each that did not deserve to be in the finale. During deliberation, Ashley commented that she pushed herself more than she thought, and while she thought of herself as a leader, Ariel said that she could not remember a time when she stepped up as one, which Kristin agreed with. However, she told Ariel to go fuck herself and reminded her about her attitude problem throughout the competition.
When asked by Ramsay why she deserved to be in the finale, Ashley said that she pushed herself to her limits in the competition, and called it a dream to be in the finale. Then, she said that Ariel did not deserve to be in the finale as the latter’s attitude might clash with other people. She was eliminated after Kristin and Ariel were named the final two, but before leaving, Ramsay told her that she was born to cook, allowed her to keep her jacket, and reminded her that it was a very close decision for the finals. She received a retrospective montage during her exit interview. At the end of the episode, she received the portrait burning sequence.
Ramsay's comment: "Ashley's a young chef with a very bright future. She earned her place in the final three, and I have no doubt that she'll be a great success." [14]
Episode 16[]
- Main article: Episode 1516 - Winner Chosen
Ashley was one of the eight chefs that returned for the final dinner service. She was Kristin's first pick, followed by Frank, Joe, and Chad, and the first pick overall.
During dinner service, Ashley was on the appetizer station. After Frank's duck was undercooked, she annoyingly said that the latter needed to get his head out of his ass. Despite that, the refire was accepted thanks to her help. After Chad's salmon was raw, Kristin asked her to help him out on fish, and she knew that despite the struggles, it was a service to help Kristin win the competition. Fortunately, her refire was accepted. Kristin would eventually lose the finals to Ariel.[15]
Nomination history[]
| Week 1 | Win |
|---|---|
| Week 2 | Safe |
| Week 3 | Safe |
| Week 4 | Safe |
| Week 5 | Safe |
| Week 6 | Safe |
| Week 7 | Safe |
| Week 8 | Win |
| Week 9 | Safe |
| Week 10 | Safe |
| Week 11 | Nominated |
| Week 12 | Win |
| Week 13 | Win |
| Week 14 | Safe |
| Week 15 | Eliminated |
Season 17[]
Episode 1/2[]
- Main article: Episode 1701 - All-Stars Arrive
- Main article: Episode 1702 - Raising the Bar
During the opening credits, Ashley was seen accepting Ramsay's offer to compete again and was screaming in excitement. She was the second All-Star to arrive at Hell's Kitchen and was excited to show Ramsay that he made the wrong decision in eliminating her last time, before refusing to let anything get in her way. However, she struggled to get her door open and claimed she got to pee so bad, but after opening her door, she and Milly greeted each other, and then, she said that as a super fan, she knew everything about the show, before telling Milly that he was one of her favorites. When Jennifer arrived, the former told her that she knew that she would see her as they were Facebook friends. When Jared arrived, the two reunited and knew that despite the ups and downs, especially the incident when he picked Kristin for his reward instead of herself, she still reaffirmed that she and Jared were boo-boos. When Robyn arrived, she got swept off her feet by the former. When Manda arrived, she and Jared reunited with her. Before Elise arrived, she deemed the former the most hated chef in the show’s history.
During the Signature Dish Challenge, Ashley received duck as her main protein, and during the cooking, she called Robyn all over the place. She was the first person from the red team to have her dish judged by Ramsay and went up against Jared. Before tasting her dish, Ramsay asked the two what their relationship was now, but the two confirm that they were still friends. She made a duck marinated in sake with Brussel sprout and celery root purée, it was praised for having a beautiful presentation, and the duck being nailed beautifully, but criticized for overuse on the sauce, and scoring 4 points. The red team eventually lost the challenge 27-28, and they were punished by cleaning up the front of the entrance, tear down the risers and red carpets, and clean up the confetti on the ground. During the punishment, she asked Robyn how many lesbians it took to remove a railing.[16]
During the Bar Menu Challenge, Ashley was the second chef from the red team to be called up and presented her polenta cake with tequila and lime marinated shrimp. Ramsay praised the presentation as it looked like an above and beyond bar menu dish, and put her dish in the top four. When Jared was called up, she knew that they loved putting her and the former against each other. She lost the challenge when Elise's dish took her's out of the top four.
During dinner service, Ashley was on the appetizer station with Jennifer. She was concerned as she was on appetizers, which was her worst station, and that she did not do carbonaras back home. Despite Elise warning her that the carbonara looked wet, she ignored her, sent up broken carbonara, and Ramsay expressed disappointment. Despite that, her refire was accepted, and she apologized to the red team for her earlier mistake. After Elise cried over having Giovanni come over to cook her steaks, she was unsympathetic as she did not cry when she made mistakes, but footage from Season 15 proved otherwise. Later, she told Manda that her salmon's skin looked burnt, and was forced to tell Ramsay about that.
The red team lost the service and were asked to nominate two people for elimination. During deliberation, Ashley admitted to her fumble on the carbonara, before arguing that she bounced back. However, Manda felt that she should be nominated for messing up on appetizers from the start of service as carbonara should be muscle memory by that point, but she argued that she bounced back and helped that night.
Ashley was not nominated for elimination, and when asked by Ramsay on who should be eliminated, she said Manda.[17]
Episode 3[]
- Main article: Episode 1703 - Tower of Terror
The next day, a bemused Ashley noticed that Josh was eating a chimichanga.
During the |Seafood Tower Challenge, Ashley was paired up with Manda, and they were the first pair from the red team to compete. They got their first attempt rejected as it lacked the seaweed but got their second attempt accepted not long after. The red team lost the challenge, and were punished by taking deliveries of 100 pounds of seafood, prep them for that night’s service along with both kitchens, and eat a bowl of disgusting fish soup.
During dinner service, Ashley was on the meat station with Barbie. At one point, she felt that the red team had some strong women in the team, before deciding to let them lead while she drank water. However, Ramsay caught her doing nothing but staring at her watch, sarcastically asked her if she had an appointment for her nails, and asked Marino to take her to the bar. While she called it complete bullshit, Marino urged her to shake it off. Eventually, she returned to the red kitchen, and Barbie told her to be with her. However, she did not pay attention to one of Ramsay’s lecture until he threw the salmon to her, and told her to watch her nails. Later, she sent up an overcooked lobster Wellington, and it was one of the dishes that got the red team kicked out of the kitchen.
The red team lost the service and were asked to nominate two people for elimination. During deliberation, Ashley considered Robyn and Manda for elimination but was considered by Jennifer for elimination. While Elise reminded her of how she did nothing that night compared to Barbie, she argued that she did nothing wrong that night.
Ashley was not nominated for elimination but was called down because she had received a couple of votes, and was joined by Robyn, Barbie, and Manda. During her plea, Ramsay reminded her of how she temporarily left service to go to the bar, which she called horrible, and he commented that he never saw somebody stare at their watch for that long. She claimed that she was trying to make sure she had the correct timings in her head, but Ramsay pointed out that she left service better looking than she started. However, she promised Ramsay that it would never happen again, and when asked about the reason for the multiple failures that night, she believed that there was a lack of communication across the board. She was eliminated for not contributing enough that night, and Ramsay feeling that she had no fight left in her. During her exit interview, she was not happy about being eliminated so early, said that Barbie and Robyn are running on a thin line, while also telling them to check their egos at the door and calling them shady bitches, and said that Hell’s Kitchen is hell on Earth.
Ramsay's comment: "Ashley spent more time staring at her watch than paying attention to her station. And so, her time here on Hell's Kitchen is done." [18]
Nomination history[]
| Week 1 | Safe |
|---|---|
| Week 2 | Nominated |
Post Hell's Kitchen[]
- After her first appearance on the show, Ashley opened her own restaurant called Restaurant Ash in Orlando and received excellent reviews before closing in early 2017.
- She also worked at Funky Monkey Bistro & Bar with Dan from Season 11, before returning for the All-Star season one year later.
- After her second appearance on the show, she is currently a cook at Parkview House in New York and offers private chef services, including private dinner parties and pop-up dining experiences.
- She has gotten married.
Trivia[]
- She is the first contestant to get eliminated after being nominated on two different seasons.
- She is the first contestant to hold the record for the second least nominations who participated in two seasons, with two, and is tied with Kevin (Seasons 6 and 18) and Bret (Seasons 14 and 18).
Season 15[]
- She was part of the second, overall and consecutive, all-female final three of Hell's Kitchen, along with Ariel and Kristin.
- She was the last chef of her season to get nominated.
- She is the second contestant that was compliment by Ramsay during an elimination quote, following Susan (Season 11).
- She is the ninth contestant who kept her jacket after elimination, following Ji (Season 5), Ariel (Season 6), Jillian (Season 8), Elise (Season 9), Dana (Season 10), Jon (Season 11), Melanie (Season 12), and Sterling (Season 13).
- She is the second contestant who finished third place that received the burning picture sequence on the episode where she was eliminated, following Jillian (Season 8).
Season 17[]
- She is the only chef of that season to have never won a challenge.
- She is the twelfth contestant to only ever be nominated specifically by Ramsay, and never by her team, following Ralph (Season 1), Gabe (Season 2), Vinnie (Season 3), Amanda, Elizabeth (both from Season 9), Justin (Season 10), Michael (Season 11), Ralph (Season 12), Milly (Season 14), Vanessa (Season 15), and Johnny (Season 16).
- She is the first contestant with the same number of nominations in two different seasons, each with one.
Quotes[]
Season 15[]
- "Jackie is...D-SGUSTING!"
- (To Hassan) "Why are you screaming?" (Hassan: "I'M NOT SCREAMING! THIS IS HOW I TALK!")
- (About Hassan's loud leadership voice) "YOU GUYS NEED TO LISTEN TO ME BECAUSE I AM HASSAN AND I AM BIG AND I AM DUDUDUH, Shut Up!"
- (About Jackie's challenge dish concept) "Really Jackie, a 'Spanish cheeseburger'? Is that even a thing?"
- (To Jared) "You are officially fucking dead to me. Everybody dead, to, me. We are not friends. I have been the only fucking person in this house that has been your friend. What do you think I do every Sunday? Play with myself all fucking day? This isn't even about football, Jared. You’re just doing it to be sneaky. You have officially lost the only friend you had. You're so full of shit, dude, you're just trying to save your own ass."
- (About Manda's poor performance on the meat station) "We are competing to become the head chef at BLT Steak. Not BLT Chicken, not BLT Fish, BLT Steak!"
- (After being eliminated) "I did NOT come to Hell's Kitchen to walk through that door. I came to Hell's Kitchen to walk through the big door, the door to my future. This has been a wild journey! It has been the hardest thing I have ever done, but I made it very far!! I'm proud of myself, after working with my dad’s for 8 years, I have done this entire competition completely on my own. I have done it with my own talent, and I learned that I am one tough bitch. Winning Hell's Kitchen would've been my ultimate dream come true, but my dad is probably really happy deep down that I didn't win because he's not gonna lose me to BLT Steak!"
Season 17[]
- "Yes! I love Jared, and we were on the same season. We were really close. You know, we had our ups and downs, like when he chose Kristin over me for the reward. I don't think I still forgive him for that, but everybody knows that Jared and I are boo-boos."
- (During a punishment) "How many lesbians does it take to take a railing off a bleacher?"
- (About Ramsay kicking her out of the kitchen) "This is complete and utter bullshit!"
- (After being eliminated) "I am not happy with the fact that I'm leaving this early. Barbie's running on a thin line. Her and Robyn both, they need to check their egos at the door. But I can't help it that they're shady bitches. This is Hell's Kitchen, it is LITERALLY hell, hell on Earth."
Gallery[]
%27s_Intro_Spot.png "Ashley (S15)'s Intro Spot.png (1.18 MB)")
_in_Red_Jacket.png "Ashley (S15) in Red Jacket.png (279 KB)")
%27s_Confessional_(Red_Jacket).png "Ashley (S15)'s Confessional (Red Jacket).png (1.26 MB)")
_and_Jackie_Nominated.png "Ashley (S15) and Jackie Nominated.png (258 KB)")
_in_Blind_Taste_Test.png "Ashley (S15) in Blind Taste Test.png (988 KB)")
_in_Black_Jacket.png "Ashley (S15) in Black Jacket.png (228 KB)")
%27s_Confessional_(Black_Jacket).png "Ashley (S15)'s Confessional (Black Jacket).png (1.68 MB)")
_Eliminated.png "Ashley (S15) Eliminated.png (1.12 MB)")
_as_Returning_Chef.png "Ashley (S15) as Returning Chef.png (736 KB)")
%27s_Confessional_(Returning_Chef).png "Ashley (S15)'s Confessional (Returning Chef).png (1.22 MB)")
%27s_Signature_Dish.png "Ashley (S15)'s Signature Dish.png (1.25 MB)")
_and_Frank_(S15)%27s_Jacket_Dishes_(Sliders).png "Ashley (S15) and Frank (S15)'s Jacket Dishes (Sliders).png (1.57 MB)")
%27s_Duck_Dish.png "Ashley (S15)'s Duck Dish.png (1.01 MB)")
%27s_Holiday_Platter.png "Ariel and Ashley (S15)'s Holiday Platter.png (1.01 MB)")
%27s_Shopping_Cart_Dish.png "Ashley (S15)'s Shopping Cart Dish.png (903 KB)")
%27s_Chef_Andi%27s_Wedding_Chicken_Entr%C3%A9e.png "Ashley (S15)'s Chef Andi's Wedding Chicken Entrée.png (1.39 MB)")
_and_Chad%27s_Ingredient_Number_Dish_(Ahi_Tuna).png "Ashley (S15) and Chad's Ingredient Number Dish (Ahi Tuna).png (626 KB)")
%27s_Bison_Meat_Dish_(Filet).png "Ashley (S15)'s Bison Meat Dish (Filet).png (847 KB)")
%27s_Breakfast_Dish_(Sweet).png "Ashley (S15)'s Breakfast Dish (Sweet).png (1.45 MB)")
%27s_100_Animo_Venice_High_School_Portions_Dish.png "Ashley (S15)'s 100 Animo Venice High School Portions Dish.png (2.07 MB)")
%27s_BLT_Bone-In_Steak_Dish_(Filet).png "Ashley (S15)'s BLT Bone-In Steak Dish (Filet).png (2.18 MB)")
_in_Red_Jacket.png "Ashley (S17) in Red Jacket.png (1.31 MB)")
%27s_Confessional.png "Ashley (S17)'s Confessional.png (1.87 MB)")
,_Robyn_(S17),_Ashley_(S17),_and_Manda_(S17)_Nominated.png "Barbie (S17), Robyn (S17), Ashley (S17), and Manda (S17) Nominated.png (1.68 MB)")
_Eliminated.png "Ashley (S17) Eliminated.png (1.1 MB)")
%27s_Signature_Dish.png "Ashley (S17)'s Signature Dish.png (1.42 MB)")
%27s_Bar_Dish.png "Ashley (S17)'s Bar Dish.png (468 KB)")
External links[]
Ashley Nickell on Instagram- Ashley Nickell on Twitter
References[]
| Ashley Nickell's Navbox (Select One) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||
| ||||||