Ryan O'Sullivan

 

“

I'm the fucking winner of Hell's Kitchen! I'm so proud to be Irish. I'm so proud of where I come from and so proud of what I've achieved. A lot of blood, sweat, tears, and determination, sacrifices. Vegas, here I come, baby!

”

Hometown/Residence	Cork, Ireland
Occupation	Chef de Cuisine
Culinary Education	Cork Institute of Technology
Culinary Inspiration	Father and Gordon Ramsay
Statistics
Signature Dish Challenge Score	5 out of 5
Blind Taste Test Score	2 out of 4
Challenges Won	8
Services Won	3
Times as BoW/Announcer	3
Times Nominated	0
Placement	Winner

Ryan O'Sullivan was a contestant on Season 22 of Hell's Kitchen. He was the winner of that season and awarded the Head Chef position at Hell's Kitchen at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, with a $250,000 salary.

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. Later, 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. Ryan said his American dream only scratched the surface and hoped Hell's Kitchen propelled it. 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, Ryan knew that boxed pasta would not win Ramsay over after seeing Dahmere use it. He was the second person from the blue team to have his dish judged by Ramsay, and he went up against Raneisha. Before having his dish judged, he revealed he was from Ireland and came from a family of chefs, and he watched Ramsay on television since he was five years old. After Brad was mesmerized by his accent, he presented his veal tenderloin with veal and rose Ju. After tasting it, Ramsay said something was missing, making him fearful of what it was. It turned out that what he missed was that his father was not around to see the review, and Ramsay gave him a perfect five. Afterwards, he knew his strong dish put him on the map for the other chefs. After seeing Tad's disastrous dish, he could not believe the former sent that to Ramsay. When the score was tied at 29 each, Ramsay called on his dish for a second look against Sammi's dish. Ultimately, he lost to Sammi, and the blue team lost the challenge.

The blue team was punished by participating in delivery day and cleaning up both kitchens. During the punishment, the women walked past them, but Ryan told them to enjoy being wined and dined as it would be their last. As the men cleaned the kitchens, he tried to make conversation with Sous Chef Jason, but Jason told him to work and talk. He felt Jason was rude, but the latter felt the men were not taking the competition seriously.

During the Creative Scallops Challenge, Ryan's dish made it to the top three of the blue team, and he was the final person to have his dish judged by Ramsay. After crossing everything he had, he presented his pan-seared scallops in lemongrass Berblanc sauce. Ramsay said the scallops were nailed perfectly, making him feel he was on cloud nine. However, he lost the challenge to Johnathan as he failed to dethrone the latter.

During dinner service, Ryan was at the appetizer station with Mattias. Ramsay called out the first order for the men, and he took command of the ticket. But, when Jason did not respond to his or Mattias' questions, he felt that the former was staring into space. When the blue team got kicked out of the kitchen, he was embarrassed about their performance and wondered why Oscar De La Hoya did not knock them out. After Sous Chef Jason came into the dorms to scold the men for the worst service he witnessed, he felt embarrassed.

Both teams were named joint losers, and they were asked to nominate two each. During deliberation, Ryan and Mattias brought up the raw lobster tails Jason served, while the latter badgered him for not looking him in the eyes.

He was not nominated for elimination.

Episode 3

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

When the chefs saw the American citizen ceremony, Ryan swore he would become one someday. During the American Citizen Brunch Service Challenge, he was at the garnish station with Johnathan. At one point, Jermaine told him that the chicken was taking longer than expected as he did not want it undercooked. After the blue team served their final order, he rang the triangle to solidify the men’s victory and was glad to finally win a challenge. The blue team was rewarded with a Los Angeles-styled pool party at the Godfrey Hotel with a lunch catered by Craig’s. During the reward, he did not believe the women could pick up the confetti by hand.

During dinner service, Ryan was at the fish station with Dahmere. At one point, he was not pleased with Mattias’ poor performance. Then, he rejected Brad's offer to help as he did not want the former to wreck their momentum. When the blue team got kicked out of the kitchen, he was frustrated that they failed to complete their second service in a row. Both teams were named joint losers, and they were asked to nominate two each. During deliberation, he pointed out that Jermaine only had Wellingtons that night and sold six when the latter claimed he had his own problems that night.

He was not nominated for elimination.

Episode 4

Main article: Episode 2204 - Gimme an H!

During the American Classics Challenge, Ryan challenged Atoye and their dish was spaghetti & meatballs. He was the third person from the blue team to have his dish judged by Ramsay, and he presented his three meat meatballs and spaghetti. They were deemed delicious, and he scored over Atoye. The blue team won the challenge 7-6, and they were rewarded with a trip to Santa Barbara with parasailing and dinner at the Hotel Milo. He was thrilled as he had never gone parasailing before.

During dinner service, Ryan was at the meat station with Jason. When Ramsay caught Jason smearing butter on a steak, he confirmed to the former that it was not proper basting. He knew Ramsay saw everything and thought Jason should not try to pull lies on the latter. Later, he served a raw lamb, and Ramsay could not understand the mess they were in. Devon told him to get it together as he had a target on his back, but he got his refire accepted. The blue team lost the service, and they were asked to nominate two people for elimination. During deliberation, he did not raise his hand when Jermaine asked who had food sent back. He refused to be nominated for a lamb that was two minutes off, but Jermaine thought otherwise. Although Jermaine acknowledged him as a leader, the former thought he should have owned the raw lamb.

Ryan was not nominated for elimination. While being dismissed, he called that night a wake-up call as he had to be 110% daily.

Episode 5

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

During the Protein Identification Challenge, Ryan was paired up with Jason, and they were the first pair from the blue team to compete. Their dish was oysters and venison. They chose mussels and lamb as their first pairing, but it was wrong. Their second attempt, venison and clams, got a blue light. They kept the venison, but after getting crab wrong, he and Jason got their fourth attempt accepted after grabbing oysters. The blue team won the challenge 6:39-13:14, and they were rewarded with an axe-throwing experience.

During dinner service, Ryan was at the garnish station. He was not seen that night, and the blue team won the service.

Episode 6

Main article: Episode 2206 - Fusion Confusion

During the Fusion Cuisine Challenge, Ryan challenged Raneisha as he did not think the latter was trained in French or Italian cuisine. He hit French while Raneisha hit Japanese. He was the sixth person from the blue team to have his dish judged and presented his miso braised sea bream. It was praised for having all the elements together but criticized for an overcooked fish. He scored over Raneisha, and the blue team won the challenge 4-3. They were rewarded with a day playing bubble soccer and brand-new Keurig sets. During the reward, he called the game release for all the stress they had.

During dinner service, Ryan was at the appetizer station with Dahmere. After Jason was caught firing fish ahead of time, he deemed the former his own worst enemy. Later, he knew that Jason had doomed them by rushing on fish after Devon had served a raw steak. After Brad's exit, Ramsay asked both teams to nominate two each. During deliberation, he asked how they would base their decision, but Jermaine suggested they go on with what happened in service.

He was not nominated for elimination.

Episode 7

Main article: Episode 2207 - All Up in Your Grills

During the Grilling Challenge, Ryan went up against Sandra, and their protein was swordfish. He was the first person from the blue team to have his dish judged, and he presented his swordfish salmoriglio with grilled smashed baby potatoes and lemon-tarragon aioli. It had an overpowered sauce and was too salty. He lost that round to Sandra, and the blue team lost the challenge 2-5. They were punished by cleaning the grills, disassembling them, and packing them up for the women.

During the Steak Night dinner service, Ryan was at the fish station. After the blue team got kicked out of the kitchen, he blamed Devon for losing his composure. The blue team lost the service, and Dahmere was named the "Best of the Worst". During deliberation, he angrily told Devon that he knew better than that, and the latter agreed with that accusation. After Dahmere's speech, he told Devon that he only got on his case because he knew the latter could do better. Devon agreed with him as the last two steaks got away from him, while Dahmere revealed what Ramsay assigned him to do. He left the room in response, deciding to vent alone.

He was not nominated for elimination.

Episode 8

Main article: Episode 2208 - Cooking For Your Life

When Ramsay asked the chefs what the five ethnic cuisines in America were, Ryan said Chinese, which was number one on the board. During the Last Chef Standing Challenge, he cooked the Indian chicken curry and refused to leave the kitchen when the blue team had to kick someone out. Johnathan gave him directions on the veal, and Jason barked at him and Devon on his pad Thai. He was the last chef left in the blue kitchen, and Dahmere was impressed with how well he handled all the dishes alone, including his chicken curry dish. He said he wanted to do a butter chicken curry dish and loved doing what he did. He was the final chef from the blue team to have his dish judged by Ramsay, and he went up against Carmen. His butter chicken curry was deemed fragrant, and he won that round over Carmen. After the blue team won the challenge 5-3, Ramsay said that his dish tasted like it was cooked for two hours. He said it was his wife's favorite dish, which he wanted to honor.

The blue team was rewarded with a wellness retreat, lunch from Crossroads Kitchen, and Hexclad cookware. As the blue team went back to the dorms, Ryan was ecstatic that his dish won it for them, and he got to get pampered and not sort trash. During the reward, Sous Chef Jason reminded the men that they had a chance to become Ramsay's right-hand man in Las Vegas, and he said that was all he wanted from his life.

Later that day, Ramsay held private interviews with the chefs. Ryan was the fifth chef to have his interview, where Ramsay told him not to dwell on his small mistakes. He felt great to hear the words Ramsay told him as it validated everything he did. He did not compete in the Cook For Your Life Challenge as he was not named one of the weakest chefs on the blue team. While watching the live stream, he got dismayed when Devon put his filet in the oven and sliced it six times, calling it a cardinal sin.

Episode 9

Main article: Episode 2209 - More Bang For Your Buck

Before the Budget Challenge, Ryan welcomed Atoye as a new teammate. He was the third person from the blue team to have his dish judged and presented his scallop dish. It was deemed liked but not loved by Suzanne Goin, and he scored $44. The blue team won the challenge $208-$207 and they were rewarded with an overnight trip to Hicksville Trailer Park in Joshua Tree.

During dinner service, Ryan was at the appetizer station with Atoye. When working on Daniel Mac's twelve-top order, he and Sammi agreed on five minutes, and Ramsay reminded them that it was not a race to finish first on the order. He tried to coordinate appetizers and claimed it was the men and Atoye's night to win. He kept locking times with Atoye, which helped them get their half out with no problems. Later, he gave Dahmere a bowl after the latter asked for one. On the final ticket, he basted a salmon alongside Jason but accidentally burned his fingers on hot butter. The blue team won the service.

Episode 10

Main article: Episode 2210 - The Pastabilities Are Endless

When the chefs saw Jordan Chiles do gymnastics on the balance beam, Ryan said he would never be able to do what she did. During part one of the Creative Pasta Challenge, he was seen arriving first over the slow-moving Carmen. The blue team finished their board first and won a five-minute head start. During the cooking, he felt good about the ravioli dish as he made that dish every day at work and declared that the challenge was his to win. He was the second chef from the blue team to have his dish judged, and he went up against Carmen. He made a mascarpone and crab ravioli with fresh peas. They were deemed fresh and nicely rolled pasta. He scored over Carmen, and that made him feel a buzz of excitement over the compliments. The blue team lost the challenge 1-3 and they were punished by making 200 lbs. of fresh pasta for that night’s service. During the punishment, he commented that Johnathan should have said something after the latter ruined a batch of pasta dough.

During prep, Ryan got the blue team fired up. During dinner service, he was at the garnish station. He got concerned that Atoye’s lobster tails were undercooked and tried to help. Still, he did not want to overtake her work. When Jason claimed that he did not forget the lamb for Thuy Santos' order, he prayed that the former was right. Both teams were named joint losers, and Dahmere was named the "Best of the Worst" for the blue team. During deliberation, he told Dahmere that he did not deserve to be nominated, but the latter told him he did not need to tell him what to do.

He was not nominated for elimination.

Episode 11

Main article: Episode 2211 - A Hellish Food Fight

When the chefs got into a food fight, Ryan wondered if he accidentally hit Leigh in the face. During the Blind Taste Test, he was the first person from the blue team to compete and he went up against Carmen. He dreaded going first, but he knew it had to be done. He got bell pepper and pineapple correctly, resulting in Johnathan getting the milk dunk punishment. During Jason's turn, he got the milk dunk and sprinkle dunk punishments. The blue team won the challenge 7-5, and they were rewarded with a $4,000 shopping spree at Sur la Table. During the reward, he was happy to buy kitchen items with his $1,000 budget.

When Ramsay announced that the blue team was cooking for The People Concern, he liked that as he knew how much the organization did for the community. During the Charity Night dinner service, he did a quick count of portions of the gnocchi and told Jason they were ready. That annoyed him, as Jason should have delegated someone else to do it. He was in charge of the filet mignon course, and Ramsay reminded him and Donya that it was not a race as he wanted to focus on quality. He strongly led the men on the filets as he knew Ramsay was looking for someone to command a brigade and got his course out with no problems. Both teams were named joint losers, and they were asked to nominate one each. During deliberation, he deemed Jason the weakest leader of the men that night.

He was not nominated for elimination.

Episode 12

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

When Ramsay announced that it was time for the Black Jackets Challenge, Ryan said he wanted one. During the first challenge, he rolled an M and picked miso, claiming that he loved the flavors of the ingredient in the confessional. During the cooking, he was ready to up the ante and grated his cauliflower for a crust. As he knew creativity was important, he said he wanted to be Ramsay’s next head chef more than anyone else in the kitchen. He was the final person to have his dish judged by Ramsay, and he presented his cauliflower and black truffle-crusted halibut, roasted broccoli, pickled cauliflower, miso Berblanc, and crispy prosciutto. While Ramsay liked the cooking of the fish and the turnips, he found the crust to be damp. Still, he was sure he would get a black jacket. However, he lost the challenge to Johnathan and Sammi and was forced to compete in the second challenge.

During the second Black Jackets Challenge, Ryan grabbed lobster and chickpeas. While he was confident he could cook a perfect lobster, he questioned what to do with the chickpeas. As he pureed the chickpeas, the slot machine went off again for the third round. He grabbed purple Brussels sprouts, and he believed he could get a black jacket. But, after plating his dish, he was not happy with his dish and considered it the worst dish he made. He was the first person to have his dish judged by Ramsay, and he presented his poached lobster tail with lemongrass, grilled baby fennel, chickpea puree, and Madras salt. Ramsay found the chickpeas dull and said the dish needed acid to balance out the sweetness of the dish. That caused him to scold himself for making a terrible dish, and he was mad that it was at the most important moment of his life. He lost the challenge to Dahmere and Carmen, and he was forced to compete in the final challenge.

Before the final Black Jackets Challenge, Ryan knew it was his last time after messing up the previous times, but he refused to give up. During the cooking, he made fresh pasta for tortellini and planned on using only sweet potato as the filling. Despite knowing the risks of making a stuffed pasta without a protein, he was all in and refused to make the same mistakes he did on the previous dish. He was the final person to have his dish judged by Ramsay, and he knew his life was on the line with his sweet potato tortellini and sage butter sauce. Ramsay was surprised that he did not cook a protein, but the former liked the presentation on how compact the pasta was, and he loved the fragrance of the dish. After his critique, he hoped he did enough to win a black jacket. After Jason's elimination, Ramsay said picking between Leigh and Ryan’s dishes was hard as both were well done. When Leigh received the fifth black jacket, he was crushed. Ramsay told him that his dish was tremendous, but the bad news was that he would have to put up with him for a bit longer. Ramsay pulled out a sixth black jacket and gave it to him, making him go onto his knees in shock. Still, he was happy to get it as it was his destiny. Ramsay admitted he could not decide between two great dishes, and he decided to break his rule for once. Afterwards, Ramsay took the two back to the dorms to surprise the rest. He bursted through the doors with his black jacket, which excited everyone, especially Johnathan, as the latter wanted to battle with him and prove who was the best out of them.

Episode 13

Main article: Episode 2213 - HellishHangover

During the Presentation Challenge, Ryan knew the significant risk of his dish was cohesion, so he shaved some black truffles for it. As he plated his dish, he made his look like an ocean. He was the first person to have his dish judged, and he presented his porcini-dusted scallops with black truffles and butternut squash puree. Kevin Meehan thought the presentation looked great but commented that he would not have splashed the puree on the plate as he did. Still, the dish was restaurant quality, and Meehan told him that he should be proud of himself. Meehan and Ramsay gave him a nine and an eight, respectively, leaving him with seventeen points. His dish was ranked fourth from the online votes, and he scored an additional seven points, leaving him with twenty-four points.

Ryan lost the challenge to Leigh and was punished by prepping 100 pounds of almonds for the lamb entrée at the following service. During the punishment he felt the punishment would take five hours between the four of them. When Johnathan continued to complain about the comment Ramsay gave him earlier, he told the former to get over it.

During dinner service, Ryan was at the appetizer station with Sammi. Upon receiving their first order, he planned to be vocal and make sure everything was perfect, only to incorrectly call out seven items for the eight-top table. Ramsay corrected him, but he and Sammi pushed out appetizers. Later, he was surprised that Johnathan was doing poorly as he considered the latter his biggest competition. After service, Ramsay asked the final six to name two people for elimination. During deliberation, he pointed out that Leigh’s improper Wellington slicing was not a proper excuse, as she saw it multiple times. He voted for Leigh, but the latter did not want to go home as she pushed herself in the competition.

He was not nominated for elimination.

Episode 14

Main article: Episode 2214 - Don't Be Fooled

Back at the dorms, Johnathan told Ryan about the discussion he had with Ramsay and was ready for the following day. Then, he said how crazy it was that they each had a one-in-four shot at winning, and he and Johnathan reaffirmed their pact to make it to the end together and battle it out.

During the circuit portion of the King of the Hill Challenge, Ryan grabbed his ingredients with faith. Afterwards, it was revealed that he had shopped for Carmen while he had received Sammi's ingredients. That irritated him as he now had to make a dish with ingredients he did not pick. During the cooking, he felt fine with what he had, as he decided to make a grilled swordfish with grilled pineapple. Recalling the criticism Aaron Franklin had about his swordfish dish in the Grilling Challenge, he decided to back off on the seasoning. With two and a half minutes left, he sliced into the fish and saw it was raw. After slicing it into pieces, he put them on the grill to quickly cook them. He was the second person to have his dish judged by Ramsay and presented his grilled swordfish and lemongrass-scented rice. He mentioned that he tried to get the seasoning right, but Ramsay said the fish needed salt. He failed to dethrone Sammi and moaned that he could not get a swordfish right.

Ryan lost the challenge, but Johnathan chose him to come with him on his jet ski reward. He thanked Johnathan won it for them both, and during the reward, he called it the best experience of his life. At lunch, Johnathan jokingly called it his first date with him and knew the finish line was coming close. As they ate, he and Johnathan agreed to crush service that night and see each other holding the door handles. Despite not knowing if this was his last service, he was glad to spend the day with Johnathan.

During dinner service, Ryan was at the appetizer station. During Carmen's turn at the pass, he sent up his carbonara, only for Ramsay to swap it as part of the former's quality test. He was the second person to run the pass, and he was eager to run the pass as he practiced calling tickets for that moment. He called out his ticket with clear dictation and intent, something Sammi appreciated. As he plated the dishes, Ramsay gave him a risotto with orzo instead of Arborio rice. He caught the mistake and said if he pulled it off for the rest of the night, he would skyrocket into the final three. Then, Marino gave him two tickets for two each, but he spotted the mistake before he read it out and told the former to try again. Moving back to the line, he sliced Carmen’s steak and told her it was overcooked. Carmen promised she would get a refire in seven minutes, but he told her to do it in six minutes instead. Carmen got her refire accepted. After Ryan ended his turn, he felt 110% sure he belonged at the pass. When Sammi ran the pass, he was reassigned to the fish station, but his lobster tails were rejected for being overcooked. Then, he brought up an undercooked lobster tail and tried to argue with Sammi that they were cooked, but Ramsay told him to shut it. As Sammi told him to push it, he got his third attempt accepted.

After service, Ramsay asked the final four to have a deep discussion on why they deserved to continue in the competition. During deliberation, Ryan knew that while they could all talk about how much they did to get into Hell’s Kitchen, he felt he was the epitome of the American Dream as all of them worked for years to get to where they were. Then, he said he could not see his family for four years due to being on a work Visa and going through the COVID-19 pandemic, and he almost went home until his dad convinced him to stay. He explained that his father gave up a chance to go to America because his mother was pregnant with him, and he wanted to win for him.

After the final four came downstairs, Ramsay asked them to explain why they deserved to stay. Ryan said he had the hunger and desire to become Ramsay’s next head chef. He was named the first person in the final three for running the pass with control. While being dismissed, he told his parents he would make it to the final round.

Episode 15/16

Main article: Episode 2215 - And Then There Were Two

Main article: Episode 2216 - One Hell of An American Dream

While returning to the dorms, Ryan was stunned he was in the final three. Sometime later, Ramsay called the dorms and told Johnathan to bring everyone downstairs. There, Ramsay told the three that they must create a menu for their final challenge. To help conceptualize their menus, Ramsay was giving them the Sous Chefs to help them. Ramsay asked one chef to press a button to reveal where they were meeting their Sous Chefs, and he pressed first. He got the patio and met with Season 11's Jon. That made him happy to work with Jon, as he considered it a blank canvas to work with someone he just met. There, he explained that one dish he wanted to put on the menu was a chicken Vol-au-vent, as it was the first dish his father taught him how to cook. As he visualized his menu, Jon noticed the heart he had on it. As he continued to collaborate with Jon, the latter saw that he just wrote royal on the top of the sheet. He appreciated that as, in Ireland, his name means “little king”.

The following day, Ramsay sent the final three to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for inspiration. When the three entered the Coliseum, Ramsay spoke with them through the jumbotron. Ramsay told them how the Coliseum hosted several Olympics throughout the years and how countless athletes made their American Dreams come true on the fields before them. Carl Lewis came out to meet the final three, who explained how he dreamed about joining the Olympics and how he went through a lot to get there. Afterwards, Lewis surprised them with a helicopter tour over Los Angeles. As the final three landed on top of the US Bank building, Ryan was excited about what would happen next. Their first stop was new clothes at the US Boutique, and their second stop was at the 71 Above with Ramsay. He said his progress was validating due to his lack of confidence, and he never cooked for his father due to that. Ramsay told him to cook a meal for his father when the competition was over, and he promised to hold his head high. The final three and Ramsay toasted to their milestone.

When the group got back to Hell’s Kitchen, they saw the front hallway under construction as Ramsay wanted to get things ready for the final service. Ramsay took the final three to another pathway, leading them to a room of the props used in the season. One exhibit was a photo of the Brunch Service Challenge, and Ryan promised to be an American citizen after staying for five years. Ramsay said he was proud of all three of them as they deserved to be in the final three despite their ups and downs before revealing that he had another present for them. Taking them to his office, Ramsay gave the final three two tickets from Allegiant Airlines.

Afterwards, Ramsay took down the paper covering the construction of the dining room, only to reveal a group of guests awaiting them, including seven of the previously eliminated chefs. Johnathan admitted he should have seen that coming as Ramsay announced the Final Menu Challenge. After announcing the final three, Ramsay told them that they had one hour to cook a five-course meal from their menu, with the top two chefs earning their spots in the final dinner service. Ramsay urged the trio to make their meals the most important ones of their career, and he began the challenge.

During the challenge, Ryan knew how high the stakes were and said it was the most important challenge of his life. Later, he felt good about his dishes and was confident he would be in the final two. For the cold appetizer round, he served a beet plate, which contained grilled yellow baby beets, candied walnuts, and a cooled beet sauce. Giada De Laurentiis liked the presentation and the multiple colors on the plate, which made her feel like she was at a French restaurant. He scored nine points. During the hot appetizer round, he made a wild mushroom Voul-la-vant. It had a lot of flavors, but Brian Malarkey liked how light the dish was. He scored a perfect ten. During the fish entrée round, he made a lobster raviolo. It had a stunning presentation, and Nyesha Arrington saw the chunks of lobster on the plate. Then, Arrington loved the flavor of the sauce, making him feel he was over the moon. He scored nine points. For the chicken entrée round, he presented his crispy chicken breast with crispy prosciutto, asparagus, and blood orange Berblanc sauce. Michael Cimarusti deemed the dish beautiful and loved the consistency of the sauce. He scored a perfect ten. For the beef entrée round, he made a wagyu filet with king scallops and black truffles. It looked beautiful, and Curtis Stone praised him for accentuating the flavors of the scallops to the beef. He scored a perfect ten, and with a score of 48 points, he made it to the finale, much to his excitement.

Because Ryan had the highest score, he received the first pick of the drafts. He picked Sammi, making the latter comment that Ramsay could not get rid of her that easily. Then, he picked Jason as his second member, making Johnathan happy that he would not be stuck with the latter. Afterwards, he picked Carmen and Sandra as his final two members.

Returning to the dorms, Ryan was thrilled to be in the finale, saying he worked his butt to get to where he was and knew the best had yet to come. While he felt good about his team, he still had reservations about Jason and drew a penis on the paper, claiming it was the latter. As he went through the menu, he had a moment of realization that it was really happening. Still, he was confident that he could lead, though Carmen got confused about the Voul-la-vant dish. Jason explained the dish to Carmen and said he was not surprised he was on his team as he thought he was a strong chef. However, he kept an eye on Jason’s mouth and went through the rest of the menu. Although Carmen respected his leadership, she got nervous due to having no experience with French cuisine. And while Sandra thought the menu sounded good, she was unsure of how they could execute it. After going through the menu, he told his team to keep the menu sexy and edgy, having them say it back three times.

During prep, Ryan felt he was in his element as he gave directions to his brigade, hoping he could lead them to success. Jason said he would make sure he handled the meat station well. Still, while he acknowledged the former’s strengths as a chef, he was worried about his attitude based on previous experience. Still, he was willing to go through one more night with Jason if it meant winning the competition. Hours later, Sous Chef Jason summoned him to Ramsay’s office, where the latter asked him about how he was doing. To remind him what he was fighting for, Ramsay brought in his wife, making him emotional as he had not seen her in weeks. Then, his father came in, making him more emotional as it was the latter’s dream he was fighting for. Once alone, he and his father recalled what they were fighting for and that he finally got a chance to cook for him. After some time, Ryan said he had more motivation to win it for his family. Before service began, Ramsay summoned him and Johnathan to his office, reminding them that it was their night to prove they could run a kitchen. To get them in the right mindset, Ramsay handed them their head chef jackets. After putting it on, he said he would hang it on the wall regardless of the condition it was in. Ramsay reminded him that he had the chance to cook for his father that night, something he never got a chance to do as his passed away from a heart attack, and the latter never got to see him grow. As he dedicated his service to his father, Ramsay told the two to show that dreams in America could be made and wished them luck. When they exited the office, the dining room was full of people as he called it a pinch-me moment. Ramsay welcomed the guests to the final dinner service and had the finalists explain their menu and their American Dream. He explained that he came into America with pennies in his pocket and big dreams and said his menu was from his heart. Ramsay reminded the two about the grand prize and wished them the best of luck. After entering the red kitchen, he told his brigade to put their hearts onto their dishes for his father.

During dinner service, Ryan received his first order and hoped Ramsay could see he could lead a kitchen. As he pushed Sammi for the beet salad, the latter knew he was channeling his inner Ramsay. Also, Sammi liked his leadership and hoped he would win, getting her beet salads accepted. Later, he received his family’s ticket and told them to make it count. Sandra was amazed that his father had come all the way from Ireland to see his son cook and knew she must do her best for them. However, he served unevenly seared scallops, and he swore he would not be nice the next time it happened. Fortunately, Sandra’s refire was accepted, and his family received their appetizers. On entrées, he fired his family’s order and told his team to taste everything. He told Sandra to season the water as he expected everything to be perfect, no matter what it was. When Sandra walked up her ravioli, he told her that her lobster was perfect. After he called out his final order, Sous Chef Christina warned him that his team could fumble on the final order and urged him to push them. Ramsay suggested that he listen to Sous Chef Christina as she was in his shoes ten years ago. Jason said he was not ready on the chicken breast, dismaying him as it was not the time for that. When Jason served the chicken, it was undercooked, irritating him as it was his reputation on the line. He told Jason to refire it, and the latter claimed he wanted him to win. While Jason served two when one was needed, the refire was accepted. As the chefs cleared down, he was proud of his team.

After lining up, Ramsay thanked the returning chefs for their extraordinary performance for the finalists and said the competition was close. Ramsay said he would study every comment card to help decide a winner, but based on what he saw that night, they made his job difficult. Ramsay sent the group back to the dorms, telling them to enjoy a drink even though Johnathan swore he would not have one after what happened at black jackets. Back at the dorms, Ryan rushed for the Guinness as he was proud of his team for doing well that night. While he felt he would win the competition, he knew that anything could happen in Hell’s Kitchen. He and Johnathan reflected on that night and how much they went through to get there, commenting that no matter what, they were both winners.

Later that evening, Ramsay called the dorms and asked Ryan and Johnathan to enter his office. There, Ramsay said he had a difficult decision that night, thinking back to the first day when he brought out the winning doors to give them a taste of what it was like to win. Ramsay said that his fight and determination were amazing, commenting that he was rich in talent. Afterwards, Ramsay had the two stand in front of the doors, both knowing that only one of them would open for someone. After Ramsay counted to three, both turned their handles, but only his door opened. Ryan was crowned the winner of Hell’s Kitchen and won the head chef position at Hell’s Kitchen in Caesars Palace, with a salary of $250,000. He said he was proud that all he sacrificed was worth it and said that he was going to Las Vegas. As he made his victory speech, he thanked Johnathan for being a friend he would have for his entire life. Ryan hung his portrait on the wall of fame and said he could not wait for what came next.

Ramsay's comment: "Ryan is everything I could want in a head chef. I don't think I've ever met a more passionate chef. He's also very creative and a tremendous leader. His amazing journey from Cork, Ireland, is proof that the American dream is alive and well. Ryan will be a wonderful asset to Hell's Kitchen Las Vegas."

Nomination History

Week 1	Safe
Week 2	Safe
Week 3	Safe
Week 4	Win
Week 5	Safe
Week 6	Safe
Week 7	Safe
Week 8	Win
Week 9	Safe
Week 10	Safe
Week 11	Safe
Week 12	Safe
Week 13	Safe
Week 14	Safe
Week 15	Winner

Post Hell's Kitchen

• After his appearance on the show, Ryan turned down his prize job as Head Chef at the Hell's Kitchen restaurant at Caesars Palace Las Vegas, saying that the job was more about the PR and less about actually running the restaurant. However, he had worked there for a week in the end of April 2024 and made pop-up appearances at the restaurant after winning the season.
• He returned to his job as Chef de Cuisine at Solstice, an Italian restaurant at The Country Club at Mirasol.

Trivia

• He is the first immigrant and non-American winner of Hell's Kitchen.
• He is the third Irish contestant in the history of the show, following Trev (Seasons 8 and 18) and Declan (Season 19), and the third European-born contestant, following Salvatore (Season 7) and Declan (Season 19).
• He and Johnathan are the fifth pair of finalists to completely avoid being nominated throughout the season, following Dave and Kevin (Season 6), Holli and Jay (Season 7), Meghan and T (Season 14), and Ryan and Heather (Season 16).
• He, Johnathan, and Sammi are the second final three to avoid being nominated, following Heidi, Heather, and Ryan (Season 16).
• He is the eleventh winner and fourth male winner who was never nominated for elimination, following Michael (Season 1), Heather (Season 2), Danny (Season 5), Dave (Season 6), Holli (Season 7), Christina (Season 10), La Tasha (Season 13), Meghan (Season 14), Ryan (Season 16), and Ariel (Season 18).
• He is the fourth winner and the second male winner to score a perfect five on the new format of the Signature Dish Challenge, following Meghan (Season 14), Ryan (Season 16), and Alex (Season 21).
• He is the eighth finalist to run the kitchen opposite his starting team without ever having been a member of that team, following Virginia (Season 2), Kevin (Season 6), Will (Season 9), Jason (Season 12), Ariel (Season 15), Ariel (Season 18), and Kori (Season 19). He is also the fourth winner with this detail.

Quotes

• (To Ramsay about his dish) “My dad said to me, he said, 'If you're going to do this, you've got to do it right, to live The American Dream.' Like you say, you know? So I've waited my whole life to stand here in front of you and present you with this dish."
• (After being revealed to be in the final three) “Mom and dad, your boy made it! The American Dream! I told ye! One dish at a time, one day at a time. Wait until you see me in the final, now!"
• (After being named the winner) "I'm the fucking winner of Hell's Kitchen! I'm so proud to be Irish. I'm so proud of where I come from and so proud of what I've achieved. A lot of blood, sweat, tears, and determination, sacrifices. Vegas, here I come, baby!"

Gallery

• Chef
• Dishes

Ryan in Blue Jacket

Ryan's Confessional (Blue Jacket)

Ryan in Blind Taste Test

Ryan's Confessional (Black Jacket)

Ryan in Black Jacket

Ryan's Confessional (Head Chef Jacket)

Ryan in Head Chef Jacket

Ryan after being named winner

Ryan's Signature Dish (Episode 1)

Ryan's Scallops Dish (Episode 2)

Ryan's American Classic Dish (Spaghetti and Meatballs) (Episode 4)

Ryan's Fusion Dish (French-Japanese) (Episode 6)

Ryan's Grilled Dish (Swordfish) (Episode 7)

Ryan's Budget Dish (Scallops) (Episode 9)

Ryan's Pasta Dish (Ravioli) (Episode 10)

Ryan's Black Jacket Dish (Round 1) (Episode 12)

Ryan's Black Jacket Dish (Round 2) (Episode 12)

Ryan's Black Jacket Dish (Round 3) (Episode 12)

Ryan's Presentation Dish (Episode 13)

Ryan's King of The Hill Dish (Episode 14)

Ryan's Final Menu Dish (Cold Appetizer) (Episode 15)

Ryan's Final Menu Dish (Hot Appetizer) (Episode 15)

Ryan's Final Menu Dish (Seafood Entrée) (Episode 15)

Ryan's Final Menu Dish (Chicken Entrée) (Episode 15)

Ryan's Final Menu Dish (Beef Entrée) (Episode 15)

External Links

• Ryan O'Sullivan on Instagram
• Purgatory's Pantry on YouTube