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Leigh Orleans was a contestant on Season 22 of Hell's Kitchen. She ranked in 6th place.

Season 22[]

Episode 1/2[]

Main article: Episode 2201 - The Dream Begins
Main article: Episode 2202 - Tad Overwhelming

The eighteen new chefs arrived at Hell's Kitchen, where Marino awaited them. The chefs entered Hell's Kitchen and noticed the past winners from each season before entering the dining room. To give the chefs some inspiration, Ramsay decided to have them walk through the famous doors and have a taste of what it felt like to win. Afterwards, the chefs got to know each other before the Sous Chefs arrived, explaining how their time in the competition helped their careers. Afterwards, a guitar player appeared and played the national anthem as four other doors appeared behind the curtain, each figure explaining their journey for the American Dream. After Ramsay stepped out, he welcomed the chefs to the twenty-second season, where they were celebrating the American Dream. Ramsay said the three celebrities the chefs saw were proof of the American Dream and that Hell's Kitchen was part of the American Dream. Ramsay said the winner of that season would become his Head Chef at Hell's Kitchen in Caesars Las Vegas with a salary of $250,000. Then, Ramsay told the chefs that their Signature Dish Challenge was about to begin.

During the Signature Dish Challenge, Leigh said she was making an Asian-inspired salmon, adding that she recently graduated from culinary school. While she was confident about searing the salmon, she got concerned when she noticed that the skin was burnt. So, she trimmed off the charred skin and commented that she should turn down the burner for next time. She was the seventh person from the red team to have her dish judged by Ramsay, and she went up against Jermaine. When she went up, she revealed that she got married two years ago, and since her husband worked in the military, she took up cooking for her own interests. She made an Asian-inspired salmon with coconut rice. It was criticized for lacking skin, and she admitted to still getting used to the flat top. Ramsay found the salmon overcooked, but he gave her a three as the rice was cooked perfectly. The red team won the challenge after a 29-point tie. They were rewarded with a day at a Beverly Hills Mansion.[1]

During the Creative Scallops Challenge, Leigh tasted Sammi's dish and thought it was beautiful. Her dish was named one of the top three for the red team, and she was the second person to have her dish judged by Ramsay. She made coriander-dusted scallops, but she wanted to prove to Ramsay she could cook despite her lack of experience. Despite his concerns about the overpowering coriander, Ramsay said the dish lifted the palate, and she dethroned Sammi's dish. She lost the challenge after Melissa's dish dethroned her.

During dinner service, Leigh was at the fish station with Carmen. While working on Martina McBride's order, she knew how stressful it was to cook for the VIP table. Both teams were named joint losers, and they were asked to nominate two each.

She was not nominated for elimination.[2]

Episode 3[]

Main article: Episode 2203 - Citizens of Hell's Kitchen

Back at the dorms, Leigh asked Raneisha for salad pairings on the salmon and scallop dishes to ensure she was right.

During the American Citizen Brunch Service Challenge, Leigh was at the egg station with Carmen. She was not seen during the challenge, and the red team was declared the losers. They were punished by cleaning up all the confetti in the dining room by hand. During the punishment, she said it sucked to lose, and the number of confetti they had to pick up was overwhelming.

During dinner service, Leigh was at the appetizer station with Sandra. She was not seen that night, and both teams were named joint losers. They were asked to nominate two each.

She was not nominated for elimination.[3]

Episode 4[]

Main article: Episode 2204 - Gimme an H!

During the American Classics Challenge, Leigh challenged Dahmere, and their dish was Mac N' Cheese. She was the fifth person from the red team to have her dish judged by Ramsay, and she presented her sage cream mac and cheese. She revealed that she grew her own herbs on the fire escape. Ramsay pointed out that planting herbs on a fire escape was not smart, but she argued that she liked fresh herbs. Still, Ramsay loved the dish as he wanted to dive into it, and she tied that round with Dahmere. The red team lost the challenge 6-7, and they were punished by baking bread for the following service, which included grinding the wheat by hand. During the punishment, she managed to deflate Sammi's hope when she revealed they needed more than what the former grinded.

During dinner service, Leigh was at the appetizer station with Raneisha. When Raneisha tried to serve carbonara with too much sauce and lied to Sous Chef Christina about it, she was not happy the former did that. The red team won the service. After elimination, she was not pleased to see Jason survive but knew it was not her problem as he was not on her team.[4]

Episode 5[]

Main article: Episode 2205 - Just Bring the DARN Fish!

During the Protein Identification Challenge, Leigh was paired up with Melissa, and they were the second pair from the red team to compete. Their dish was crab and ostrich. She realized that the fish they got was crab, and she got the fish protein while Melissa grabbed beef. However, it was half right, and they swapped the crab for the langoustine per Raneisha's suggestion. Their second attempt got a red light, making her ask why she did not follow her gut. She and Melissa got their third attempt accepted. The red team lost the challenge 13:14-6:39, and they were punished by taking in deliveries of Alaskan salmon and prepping them for the following service. During the punishment, Sous Chef Christina was impressed with her salmon prep, shocking her as she had less experience than her teammates.

During dinner service, Leigh was at the meat station with Atoye. After the first order of appetizers was rejected, she was unhappy that they dropped the ball at the start of the night. While working on Paula Abdul's order, she wanted to get it right for the former as she watched her every night when she grew up. However, she was unhappy when Raneisha and Sandra served the halibut without her knowledge, as she did not think the steaks were okay. Still, Atoye walked them up, and they were undercooked. As she flash-fried them, she blamed the fish station for rushing her. Fortunately, the refired order was accepted, and Abdul's table got her order. Later, she asked Melissa a question, but the latter did not answer it properly. When Sandra burned a salmon for the final order, she could not understand why the fish station was ending service on a sour note.

The red team lost the service, and they were asked to nominate two people for elimination. During deliberation, Leigh wanted to focus on who got the most flustered when Ramsay yelled at them.

She was not nominated for elimination.[5]

Episode 6[]

Main article: Episode 2206 - Fusion Confusion

During the Fusion Cuisine Challenge, Leigh went up against Brad and hit Spanish, while the latter hit French. She was the fifth person from the red team to have her dish judged and presented her prawn and langoustine poached in Tarragon butter sauce. They were nailed beautifully, and she scored over Brad. The red team lost the challenge 3-4 and they were punished by prepping ingredients for the carbonara for service, including shucking peas, dicing pancetta, and shredding parmesan by hand.

During dinner service, Leigh was at the appetizer station with Sammi. She was not seen that night. After Brad's exit, Ramsay asked both teams to nominate two each.

She was not nominated for elimination.[6]

Episode 7[]

Main article: Episode 2207 - All Up in Your Grills

During the Grilling Challenge, Leigh went up against Jason, and their protein was the chicken breast. When Aaron Franklin came to guest judge, she got excited as she and her husband watched him every morning. She was the third person from the red team to have her dish judged, but she felt her heart beat fast as she worried about the chicken breast's cook. She made a shawarma marinated chicken breast with an Israeli green Ju sauce and ginger lime salad. It was praised for having good moisture retention, and Franklin loved the balanced flavor of the chicken. She scored that round over Jason, and she was proud that she did something great in front of her idol. The red team won the challenge 5-2, and they were rewarded with the rights to keep the Vision brand grills, a day at Dave and Busters, and lunch cooked by Yamashiro. During the reward, she and Carmen hit targets by imagining they were hitting Jason's face.

During the Steak Night dinner service, Leigh was at the fish station. At one point, Ramsay praised her for her spot-on fish. The red team won the service.[7]

Episode 8[]

Main article: Episode 2208 - Cooking For Your Life

Back at the dorms, Leigh comforted an upset Devon and told him he was a good chef.

When Ramsay asked the chefs what the top five ethnic cuisines in America were, Leigh said Thai, which was number four on the board. During the Last Chef Standing Challenge, she cooked the Mexican steak tacos and was the second chef to leave the red kitchen. She was the first chef from the red team to have her dish judged by Ramsay, and she went up against Devon. Her ancho chilli espresso-rubbed steak tacos were praised for having perfectly cooked meat, and she tied that round with Devon. The red team lost the challenge 3-5 and they were punished by participating in trash sorting day, which included building compost boxes. During the punishment, she called it the worst punishment in the show's history. She and Donya struggled to build the compost box, and the former felt embarrassed as she helped her husband with woodworking projects.

Later that day, Ramsay held private interviews with the chefs. When Ramsay called Atoye down to his office, Leigh wondered if Ramsay had learned about the former's near quit earlier that day. She was the third chef to have her interview, and Ramsay told her that despite her lack of experience entering the competition, she proved to be a fast learner. She said she gave up a stable career in finance to follow her dream, and Ramsay urged her not to stop. She did not compete in the Cook For Your Life Challenge as she was not deemed one of the weakest chefs in the red team.[8]

Episode 9[]

Main article: Episode 2209 - More Bang For Your Buck

Before the Budget Challenge, Leigh said goodbye to Atoye as the latter was reassigned to the blue team. She was the second chef from the red team to have her dish judged and presented her bone-in pan-seared pork chop with cauliflower puree. It had a dated presentation despite having a pretty cook, but the seasoning was on point. She scored $42. The red team lost the challenge $207-$208, and they were punished by making puff pastry for the beef Wellingtons and churning butter by hand. During the punishment, she suggested churning the butter on top of the ice. When Sous Chef Christina came to check on the red team's work, the former bursted into laughter when she told her that they churned on top of ice. Sous Chef Christina said that would quadruple their work, making her wonder if they were that dumb to make the former laugh.

During dinner service, Leigh was at the fish station. She was not seen that night, and the red team lost the challenge. They were asked to nominate two people for elimination. During deliberation, she considered Donya and Sandra for nomination.

Leigh was not nominated for elimination. While being dismissed, she thought the red team was full of strong women, but she knew that only one would win. Also, she thought Sandra deserved to go home after calling herself a weak chef.[9]

Episode 10[]

Main article: Episode 2210 - The Pastabilities Are Endless

During part one of the Creative Pasta Challenge, Leigh was the first chef from the red team to cross the balance beam. She knew winning the five-minute head start would be valuable for any team and said she was sick of losing challenges as she searched for an ingredient to use. She crossed over successfully and was later seen crossing for the last ingredient. However, she failed to beat Johnathan, and the red team was forced to cook five minutes later. She cooked the pappardelle, was the third person from the red team to have her dish judged, and she went up against Dahmere and Atoye from the blue team. She made a pork pappardelle. It looked good, with delicious seasoning and on-spot rolling of the pasta. She scored that round over Dahmere and Atoye, and the red team won the challenge 3-1. They were rewarded with a goat yoga session and an Oxo cooking set. During the reward, she felt good to be outside of Hell’s Kitchen despite the goats acting like drunk idiots.

During dinner service, Leigh was at the appetizer station. She knew there was no room to hide that night and called out orders as she wanted to see who could lead and who could not. When Donya ripped the scallops, that shocked her as she knew the former was better than out. Still, Ramsay praised her for her risotto, making Sammi impressed with her leadership. Both teams were named joint-losers, but Ramsay named her the "Best of the Worst" for the red team due to being flawless on the red team. During deliberation, she did not feel comfortable having the power to nominate people, while Sammi told her that Carmen and Donya deserved to be nominated. Later, she told Donya that she was going up on the chopping block that night, and the latter knew she dropped the ball that night. Still, Donya thanked her for being honest. Afterwards, she tried to comfort Carmen in the red bedroom.

Leigh nominated Donya and Carmen for elimination. While being dismissed, she felt great to be one of the strongest chefs in the competition.[10]

Episode 11[]

Main article: Episode 2211 - A Hellish Food Fight

Back at the dorms, Leigh thought Ramsay would have sent two people home that night, and Sammi thought he should have.

When Leigh saw the space station set with NASA props in the dining room, she dreaded the thought of a space-themed cooking challenge, as she knew how terrible her husband’s military rations tasted. When the chefs participated in the food fight, Ryan hit her in the face. During the Blind Taste Test, she was the third person from the red team to compete and went up against Dahmere. She got strawberries and cucumber correct, resulting in Donya getting the milk dunk punishment. During Sammi's turn, she got all three punishments and claimed she smelled like rotten parmesan cheese at the back of a fridge. The red team lost the challenge 5-7, and they were punished by cleaning up the dining room ahead of Charity Night.

During prep, Leigh said that Charity Night meant a lot to her as she was ready to give back to people who helped in their daily lives. During the Charity Night dinner service, she noticed that Carmen brought out some frantic energy in her leadership and that the latter was unsure about her leadership. She led the pan-seared scallops course and was seen plating the scallops. She asked Donya to help her, and she got her dish out with no problems. During the Chilean sea bass course, her pan caught on fire, but Ramsay put it out. During the filet mignon course, she saw that Donya had a hard time separating herself from a line cook to a leader.

Both teams were named joint losers, and they were asked to nominate one each. During deliberation, Leigh called it hard to pick one person out of four and was torn between Carmen’s frantic micromanagement and Donya’s lack of confidence. The women struggled with making a choice, as she called it a cruel fate.

She was not nominated for elimination.[11]

Episode 12[]

Main article: Episode 2212 - A Hell's Kitchen Special Delivery

When Ramsay announced the Black Jackets Challenge, Leigh felt fired up that day as getting a black jacket was an honor a few chefs received. During the first challenge, she rolled a P and picked prosciutto. She was the fourth person to have her dish judged by Ramsay, and she presented her miso-glazed halibut with cauliflower truffle Berblanc. The Berblanc was bland, but Ramsay liked the miso flavoring of the dish. She lost the challenge to Johnathan and Sammi, and she was forced to compete in the second challenge.

During the second Black Jackets Challenge, Dahmere forced his way past Leigh for the sea bass, and Carmen grabbed the scallops from hr. The only protein left for her was the ribeye, but she was comfortable cooking that protein. During the cooking, she said she had a lot of adrenaline in her blood as everything was on the line. She decided to go for Mexican flavors as she met her husband in Mexico. Five minutes left, Sammi saw her slicing her ribeye, and the former accused her of hacking it. She was the final person to have her dish judged by Ramsay, and she presented her Mexican spiced rib cap with aloutte creamed corn and a cilantro lime seasoned salad. Ramsay noted that she took the cap off the rib and asked why. She said she wanted to portion the dish out well, but Ramsay said the garnish was more than the meat. While the dish tasted good, Ramsay warned her about not leaving too much meat off the plate. Afterwards, she said she loved the dish but felt irritated that she had not left more meat on the plate. Despite praying she got one as she felt close to it, she lost the challenge to Dahmere and Carmen. She was forced to compete in the final challenge.

Before the final Black Jackets Challenge, Leigh was determined to make it to the top five and refused to leave after everything she went through. During the cooking, she made mashed peas as her husband was raised in England, and she knew they worked well with lamb. Eight minutes left, she took her lamb out of the oven and sliced into a rack, only to come out undercooked. Seeing that caused Johnathan to feel that she was going home, but she put it back in the oven. She was the first person to have her dish judged by Ramsay and said her plate was the only thing standing between her and a black jacket. She made a Tzar spiced lamb chop with mushy peas and a hot honey-dressed salad. It had a beautiful cook on the lamb, but Ramsay asked her why she made mushy peas. She said that she and her husband loved peas, and they tasted special when elevated. After returning in line, Leigh felt she expressed herself on the plate multiple times that day. After Jason's elimination, Ramsay said picking between her and Ryan’s dishes was hard as both were well done. Ultimately, Ramsay announced that she won the final black jacket, making her feel that all the fight she had in Hell’s Kitchen was worth it. However, she felt bad seeing Ryan crushed when he did well in the competition. Fortunately, she saw Ryan get a sixth black jacket as Ramsay admitted he could not decide between two great dishes, and he decided to break his rule for once. Leigh was welcomed with open arms at the dorms, as Carmen said she deserved it.[12]

Episode 13[]

Main article: Episode 2213 - HellishHangover

During the Presentation Challenge, Leigh worked on her scallop dish and decided to candied kumquats to bring some sweetness to her hot sauce. Despite never candying fruit before, she decided to take the risk. As she plated her dish, she was confident about her dish’s presentation due to the contrasting colors. When Kevin Meehan came in, she was stunned that Ramsay invited another Michelin star chef to help with a challenge. After Sammi's poor review, she was frightened as she never expected that from the former. She was the fourth person to have her dish judged, and she presented her pan-seared scallops and noodles in a Thai coconut broth. The dish looked beautiful, and Ramsay was amazed that she candied kumquats. So, she scored seventeen points between Meehan’s eight and Ramsay’s nine. After tallying the online votes, her dish was ranked the best and scored an additional ten points, giving her 27 points.

Leigh won the challenge and was rewarded with a day at the Muscle Lab in Pasadena, a high tea ceremony at Langham Huntington, and a Spiceology set. Ramsay offered her the chance to bring someone with her, and she brought Carmen, as the latter was the runner-up. When the two got their Spiceology kit, she said they cooked with them in the competition and said they were flavorful. During the reward, she and Carmen got changed for cryotherapy, with her explaining the cold was dry. Also, she was glad to go on a spa day. At teatime, she was happy to be with her friend Carmen and said all of them looked down on her earlier due to her lack of experience. However, Carmen felt the other chefs were getting cocky and knew they deserved to wear black jackets.

During dinner service, Leigh was at the meat station with Carmen. At one point, the lamb she and Carmen made was raw, and Ramsay did not understand why they and Dahmere were struggling. Still, she complained about working with too much meat. As the final six continued to struggle that night, Ramsay accused her of being on another island. Later, she sliced her first Wellington, something she avoided until now. However, the Wellington was hacked up due to Leigh’s improper slicing, and Johnathan said they should know how to cook one by now. After telling Leigh off, Ramsay told Marino to stop taking orders as he decided to stop the service and give the former a lesson on how to cut a Wellington. Leigh felt her ego was blown and said it was a bad feeling.

After service, Ramsay asked the final six to name two nominees for elimination. During deliberation, Leigh admitted to her mistakes that night, but Ryan pointed out that her improper Wellington slicing was not a proper excuse as she saw it multiple times. Ryan voted for her, but she did not want to go home as she pushed herself in the competition.

Leigh was the second nominee for elimination, with Dahmere as the first. During her plea, she said she was passionate and said she was not done fighting. She was eliminated for her poor performance on meat, destroying a Wellington and showing her lack of experience. Still, Ramsay praised her for picking up the pace quickly and could not wait to see what she could do in five years. During her exit interview, she received a retrospective montage of her time on the show.

Ramsay's comment: "Leigh needs more experience and Dahmere needs more finesse, but they both will make great head chefs someday. It's just not today."[13]

Episode 15/16[]

Main article: Episode 2215 - And Then There Were Two
Main article: Episode 2216 - One Hell of An American Dream

Leigh was one of the seven chefs that returned for the final dinner service. She was Johnathan's third pick for his brigade, after Dahmere and Donya, and was followed by Atoye. When Johnathan assigned her to the appetizer station, she was a little surprised to see the former not have an ego.[14]

During dinner service, Leigh was at the appetizer station. At one point, she got nervous as she noticed Dahmere getting overwhelmed. Johnathan eventually lost the finale to Ryan.[15]

Nomination History[]

Week 1 Safe
Week 2 Safe
Week 3 Win
Week 4 Safe
Week 5 Safe
Week 6 Win
Week 7 Safe
Week 8 Safe
Week 9 BoW
Week 10 Safe
Week 11 Safe
Week 12 Nominated

Trivia[]

Quotes[]

  • (After being eliminated) "I wasn't as confident in the beginning because I was the chef with the least experience. I knew Hell's Kitchen would be challenging, but it definitely challenged me in ways that I didn't expect. I gave every single day my all. I pushed myself out of my comfort zone, and I know I proved myself. It's making me leave with my head held high. As much as I want to stay here, God, I want to go home."

Gallery[]

External Links[]

References[]

  1. (September 28, 2022). "Episode 2201 - The Dream Begins". Hell's Kitchen (U.S. TV series). Season 22. Episode 1.
  2. (October 5, 2022). "Episode 2202 - Tad Overwhelming". Hell's Kitchen (U.S. TV series). Season 22. Episode 2.
  3. (October 12, 2022). "Episode 2203 - Citizens of Hell's Kitchen". Hell's Kitchen (U.S. TV series). Season 22. Episode 3.
  4. (October 19, 2022). "Episode 2204 - Gimme an H!". Hell's Kitchen (U.S. TV series). Season 22. Episode 4.
  5. (October 26, 2023). "Episode 2205 - Just Bring the DARN Fish!". Hell's Kitchen (U.S. TV series). Season 22. Episode 5.
  6. (November 2, 2023). "Episode 2206 - Fusion Confusion". Hell's Kitchen (U.S. TV series). Season 22. Episode 6.
  7. (November 9, 2023). "Episode 2207 - All Up in Your Grills". Hell's Kitchen (U.S. TV series). Season 22. Episode 7.
  8. (November 16, 2023). "Episode 2208 - Cooking For Your Life". Hell's Kitchen (U.S. TV series). Season 22. Episode 8.
  9. (November 30, 2023). "Episode 2209 - More Bang For Your Buck". Hell's Kitchen (U.S. TV series). Season 22. Episode 9.
  10. (December 7, 2023). "Episode 2210 - The Pastabilities Are Endless". Season 22. Episode 10.
  11. (December 14, 2023). "Episode 2211 - A Hellish Food Fight". Season 22. Episode 11.
  12. (January 4, 2024). "Episode 2212 - A Hell's Kitchen Special Delivery". Season 22. Episode 12.
  13. (January 11, 2024). "Episode 2213 - HellishHangover". Season 22. Episode 13.
  14. (January 25, 2024). "Episode 2216 - One Hell of An American Dream". Season 22. Episode 16.
  15. (January 25, 2024). "Episode 2216 - One Hell of An American Dream". Season 22. Episode 16.
Hell's Kitchen: The American Dream
Staff
Gordon Ramsay (Head Chef) • Jay Santos (Blue Team Sous Chef) • Christina Wilson (Red Team Sous Chef) • Marino Monferrato (Maître d'hôtel)
Contestants
Johnathan BenvenutiMattias ButtsRaneisha ConerlyBrad DelgadoClaudia DiawaraSandra GajovskyJason HedinCarmen IbarraMelissa IronsAtoye JohnsonDahmere MerriweatherRyan O'SullivanLeigh OrleansDevon RosenblattSammi TarantinoDonya TaylorTad WaltersJermaine Wright
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