| “ | I got big toes, and you DON’T wanna find them in your ass! | ” |
Joshua "Josh" Trovato was a contestant on Seasons 14 and 17 of Hell's Kitchen. On Season 14, he ranked in 6th place, and on Season 17, he ranked in 14th place.
Season 14[]
Episode 1[]
- Main article: Episode 1401 - 18 Chefs Compete
When the chefs arrived at Hell's Kitchen, the doors were locked, and they noticed that Ramsay was on the roof. Then, Ramsay said that to see if the chefs were 100% committed, they would jump onto an air mattress from the roof. While Josh was more eager to jump off after seeing Enrique and Ruth doing it, Ramsay revealed that it was not necessary as those two were stunt people, and asked the chefs to cook their signature dishes.
During the Signature Dish Challenge, Josh was the first person from the blue team to have his dish judged by Ramsay and went up against Sarah. He made pan-seared scallops with apple fennel slaw and blurted out that seeing Ramsay in person was crazy, before calling it the best day of his life. Ramsay praised the dish for having a perfect sear, being a smart dish, and he scored four points. The blue team won the challenge 31-28, and they were rewarded with a Hummer limousine ride to Saint Rocke in Hermosa Beach to meet William Shatner and had a picture taken with him and Billy Sherwood. He was excited as not only had he just met Ramsay, but was about to see a Hollywood legend as well.
During dinner service, Josh served a special pan-seared prawn appetizer tableside. He was not seen that night, and the blue team won the service.[1]
Episode 2[]
- Main article: Episode 1402 - 17 Chefs Compete
Back in the dorms, Josh started to flirt with the sexy women on the red team, such as Michelle, Christine, and especially Sarah and admitted that he had fun talking to women at the moment, as he was in better shape than when he was as a kid.
During the Crabs Challenge, Josh was on a boat with Bret, Michael, and Randy during the first part, and they were seen collecting six crabs. During part two, he was paired with Randy, and they were seen getting two of their attempts accepted. The blue team lost the challenge 7-10, and they were punished by prepping shrimp, clams, and lobster for a seafood special during the next service. During the punishment, he got annoyed by Cameron’s know-it-all attitude and warned him to have his big feet up his ass. However, the two made up after Cameron apologized about his attitude.
During dinner service, Josh was on the meat station. At one point, he asked what Michael was doing after the latter sent up a beet salad not to order. When the men were sent to the pantry room for a meeting, he got the blue team organized, they attempted to go back into the kitchen, only to find out that there was no door handle to go outside. Later, he sent up perfectly cooked lamb, but when he and Nick struggled to recite the next order, a pissed Ramsay kicked the blue team out of the kitchen. The blue team lost the service and were asked to nominate two people for elimination.
Josh was not nominated for elimination, and when going back upstairs, he believed that with Cameron gone, the blue team took a big step forward.[2]
Episode 3[]
- Main article: Episode 1403 - 16 Chefs Compete
The next day, Josh complained about the wakeup call from Sous Chef James. During the Alaskan Fish Challenge, he was paired with Michael, he grabbed the salmon body as he felt the latter would know what the head looked like, and they eventually got their pieces accepted. They were the second pair from the blue team to have their dishes judged and went up against Monique and Mieka. He made a pan-seared salmon, and while it was praised for tasting nice and having a great coquille, he lost that round to the red team. The blue team lost the challenge 1-3, and they were punished by taking part in seafood Delivery day, prep the fish for the following service, and eat peanut butter and jellyfish sandwiches. During the punishment, he was seen burping a lot after eating his sandwich.
During prep, Josh was concerned about Randy as he lost a lot of blood after the latter cut his finger. During dinner service, he was on the fish station with Bret. He was not seen that night, both teams were named joint-losers, and were asked to nominate two each. During deliberation, he tried to reassure Adam that he would not be eliminated after the latter got disappointed about his plastic incident.
He was not nominated for elimination.[3]
Episode 4[]
- Main article: Episode 1404 - 15 Chefs Compete
Back in the dorms, Josh and Adam joked about pushing the extra beds together.
During the American Classics Challenge, Josh was paired with Milly on the macaroni and cheese, and while he deemed himself a strong athlete, he complained that the balls were coming in fast and very heavy. He was the third person from the blue team to have his dish judged and went up against Alison. He made a three-cheese elbow macaroni with artichoke hearts, it was praised for being delicious, and he scored over Alison. The blue team eventually lost the challenge after a tiebreaker at 4, and they were punished by taking in deliveries of 500 pounds of onions, and prep them for the next service. Back in the dorms, Nick told him that he could not work with Bret anymore due to the latter’s toxic attitude.
During the Family Night dinner service, Josh was on the garnish station. He was not seen much, except for getting dismayed when Bret used recycled risotto as he knew it was something nobody should do. The blue team eventually won the service, but he knew that it was not a true victory as they had some bumps that night.[4]
Episode 5[]
- Main article: Episode 1405 - 14 Chefs Compete
During the International Cheese Challenge, Josh went up against Michelle, and their dish was manicotti. He was the fourth person from the blue team to have his dish judged and presented his Montego and mozzarella manicotti. It was praised for being seasoned perfectly, and he tied along with Michelle. The blue team eventually lost the challenge 4-5, and they were punished by taking in a giant wheel of Parmesan cheese, breaking it down, and grating it for the following service. During the punishment, he was seen breaking apart the wheel and was told by Nick to pound harder.
During dinner service, Josh was on the appetizer station with Adam. At one point, he called Adam confused for not adding butter to the risotto, and asked why he made such a simple mistake. The blue team won the service.[5]
Episode 6[]
- Main article: Episode 1406 - 13 Chefs Compete
During the Firefighter Service Challenge, Josh served the drinks. During prep, he told the blue team to be quick and focused, and when starting on entrées, he took the lead as he refused to lose another challenge. However, Nick told him to stop yelling and pour his drinks into the pitchers, with Adam admitting that he was becoming nerve-racking. Later, he and Nick got concerned about Milly's chicken, until Ramsay forced him to send it up, where it was accepted. The blue team won the challenge, and they were rewarded with a tour at the Malibu vineyard which included a safari tour, and dinner. During the reward, he was surprised that Nick had a girlfriend before after the latter reunited with his ex-girlfriend.
During dinner service, Josh was on the meat station. At one point, Brendan told him that his halibut was overcooked and he needed to refire, but that annoyed him as his Wellington's were ready. When he sent them up, Ramsay saw that they were raw, and accused him of panicking. Later, he tried to urge Nick to help Brendan out when the latter was struggling. Then, he continued to rush out orders and even continued to slice a lamb that raw in the middle. Then, Ramsay pulled him aside, lectured him on not slicing any further if the lamb was raw, and kicked him out of the kitchen.
The blue team lost the service and were asked to nominate two people for elimination. During deliberation, Nick reminded Josh on how frazzled he was on meat, but he argued that the inconsistent timings from fish caused him to get frazzled.
Josh was not nominated for elimination, and when being dismissed, he knew that he had to dig deep and unleash the beast.[6]
Episode 7[]
- Main article: Episode 1407 - 12 Chefs Compete
Before heading back to the dorms, Ramsay called Josh over and asked him what the fuck happened at service. He admitted that he dropped the ball that night and knew that he had to bounce back, but Ramsay reminded him that it was not a sign of weakness to ask for help, urged him to open, and to get a grip. Knowing that Ramsay wanted him at his best, he refused to let him down and gave himself a pep talk in the bedroom.
During the Greek Cuisine Challenge, Josh went up against Alison, and their dish was lamb. During the plate smashing, he was seen brutally smashing his first plate, but got dismayed when he got oranges. When there were 10 minutes left on cooking, he knew that he had to pick up the pace on his dish, but when time was running out, he got concerned that his lamb would not rest properly. He was the first person from the blue team to have his dish judged and presented his seared lamb with tri-colored couscous, candied orange, and apple. It was heavily criticized for having a pool of blood on the plate due to the meat not being rested properly, Ramsay and Michael Psilakis refused to eat the dish, and he received only two points. The blue team eventually won the challenge 41-40, and they were rewarded with a go-karting experience at K-1 Speed, hosted by Miss California USA 2013 Maybelynn Capeluj. During the reward, he wanted to burn rubber, and while he passed most of his teammates, he crashed.
During dinner service, Josh served a special seared octopus appetizer tableside. He was not seen that night, and the blue team won the service.[7]
Episode 8[]
- Main article: Episode 1408 - 11 Chefs Compete
Back in the dorms, Josh told Christine that he was glad she survived as he needed a pretty girl to stick around, and the latter told him that she did not want to be nominated ever again.
During the Alcohol Challenge, Josh revealed that despite not drinking for a long time, he liked cooking with alcohol, and said that he wanted to win it for the blue team. He pushed his team to use his liquor dish as he was very confident in it. He was the final person from the blue team to have his dish judged, went up against Meghan from the red team, and while he knew that the latter had some amazing dishes in the previous dishes, he knew that he had to step up. He made a bourbon mushroom sauce with grilled pork and root vegetable, and while it was praised for its great presentation, Marino criticized the pork for being dry. Despite that, he received 11 points, the blue team won the challenge 31-30, and Ramsay congratulated him for making the winning dish for the blue team and welcomed him back. The blue team was rewarded with a trip to the Moonlight Rollerway for a roller skate experience, and lunch at the Golden Road Brewery. He was proud that he redeemed himself, and called himself the anchor that pulled through another blue team victory. During the reward, he was seen skating perfectly as he used to figure skate when he was three years old, with Nick comparing him to Elton John.
During prep, Josh and the blue team noticed that Bret was gone to the bathroom for a long time, and decided to go find him. He was later seen carrying Bret back to the dorms with Milly, and he told Bret to holler if he needed anything.
During the Gastropub Night dinner service, Josh was on the appetizer station. He knew that they all had their game up now that Bret was no longer there, but while Randy was ready to walk his scallops, he did not communicate with him. So, Randy sent up his scallops even though he was not ready, and Ramsay warned them that if the risotto was not up on the pass in 30 seconds, they would have to start over. Fortunately, he was able to get his risotto accepted on time. Later, he urged the men to fucking speed it up for Bret, though Adam got concerned as he had no idea what his direction would be when he was riled up. After Adam sent up overcooked lamb, Ramsay blamed him for watching Adam sink.
The blue team lost the service, with Ramsay berating Josh for watching the disaster unfold instead of helping, and they were asked to nominate two people for elimination. During deliberation, he reminded Adam how he and Randy did not communicate at all, but when he pointed out that communication was needed to win services, Nick pointed out that Ramsay was not happy that he stood by and did nothing to help. However, he told Nick to relax, and the latter got annoyed by it. When he left for a bit after he thought it was unanimous for Randy and Adam, the latter considered him for elimination for being scattered that night.
Josh was not nominated for elimination, but Ramsay decided to call him up, and he joined Randy and Adam. During his plea, he said that he was the leader of the blue kitchen, that he tried to be vocal, and that he did not notice that the meat station was faltering, but that annoyed Ramsay as he was standing next to Adam when it happened. He survived elimination, and when going back to the dorms, he realized that he did not give the perfection Ramsay wanted, but still wanted to prove to him that he could become his next head chef.[8]
Episode 9[]
- Main article: Episode 1409 - 9 Chefs Compete
Before the Exotic Protein Challenge, Josh was frightened of the snake eyeing him down. he picked wild boar as his dish and went up against Meghan. He was the second person from the blue team to have his dish judged, and presented his pan-seared boar accented with roasted pepper sauce, and served on a bed of cauliflower purée. it was criticized for having the purée muddle everything else, being slightly undercooked, and he scored 7 points. After Randy's ostrich burger was criticized for looking like crap, he got concerned that the latter would not get a 12 or higher. The blue team won the challenge 34-33, and they were rewarded with a day at the Lounge Spa. During the reward, he revealed that he never had a professional facial before, and was ready to pop his cherry. When the blue team came back from their reward, he allowed Michelle to touch his robe.
During the progress report, Josh was freaking out over talking with Ramsay, and eventually, he was the only person left in the dorms, while wondering when Ramsay was going to call him. Eventually, Ramsay called him and told him that he was finished with everybody else’s meetings. However, he took that as Ramsay not wanting to meet him, but Ramsay told him to get his ass down to his office. There, Ramsay told him that while there were times he had the potential to win the competition, there were other times where he wanted to throw him the fuck out for making some stupid mistakes. He promised that he would give Ramsay the brilliant side of him and that he wanted nothing more than to win the competition, but Ramsay retorted that he wanted to see it. He was not deemed the weakest chef on the blue team by his teammates and therefore did not compete in the Cook For Your Life Challenge.
During the challenge, Josh felt that Randy was confused on what to do based on his eyes, and later, decided to support him as he felt that the latter was still nervous. However, he told Nick not to say frazzled as it would make Randy nervous. After Christine's bread pudding received poor reviews, he deemed the latter's downfall as a lack of finesse.[9]
Episode 10[]
- Main article: Episode 1410 - 8 Chefs Compete
Back in the dorms, Josh talked with Meghan on how the only way to receive a black jacket was by teamwork while adding on that they had to earn their leadership in the competition. When Meghan disagreed with him, he pointed out that if nobody hated each other, then it would not be a competition.
During the Homecoming Planning Challenge, Josh paired with Nick on the beef entrée and reminded the blue team to work together despite creating separate dishes. With five minutes remaining, he revealed that they were making a chicken fried steak, and believed that the kids would eat it up. During Randy's turn, while he was confident in the latter due to the past challenges, he knew that Meghan was a tough competitor and that he needed to knock it out of the park. He and Nick were the final pair from the blue team to have their dish judged, and went up against Michelle. They presented their chicken fried filet mignon with creole seasoning, and while it was praised for being different, and having a nice cook, it was criticized for the sauce making the dish not as crispy as it should be. Despite that, they scored over Michelle. and the blue team won the challenge 2-1. They were rewarded with a trip to a local pirate dinner theater.
During prep, Josh was determined to see a girl go home that night but got annoyed by Nick’s poor response for a good. Before service began, Ramsay asked the blue team how their reward, and he said that he had a blast. During the Homecoming Dance dinner service, he was on the appetizer station. He wanted to be on his best and shine, but when he sent up his risotto, Ramsay and Sous Chef James found out that it had a white wine taste to it, Ramsay lectured him that he did not any teenagers getting drunk that night, and got accused of being drunk himself as he failed to identify the taste several times. While his risotto refire was accepted, his capellini was raw, with Ramsay saying that he could even snap it, before ordering the blue team to get a grip. Despite that, he managed to get his refire accepted on time. When it was revealed that Milly's flattop was not on, he was shocked as that was supposed to be easy, and when the former sent up raw snapper, he knew that the flattop incident earlier caused it.
The blue team lost the service and were asked to nominate two people for elimination. During deliberation, Josh was considered for elimination by Nick and Milly. However, he did not like that announcement, considered Nick and Randy for elimination, and argued that the former was on the garnish station that night, which he considered the easiest station. When Nick stood by his decision, he called it crazy, refused to go down to a lightweight like the former, called him a Suzy homemaker, and that he was coasting by, which angered Nick.
Josh was the blue team's second nominee for elimination, with Randy as the first. During his plea, he said that this was all he had, before declaring that he was not a Suzy homemaker like Nick, before explaining that he believed the latter was not tested enough like himself. However, Ramsay reminded him that there was no leader in the blue kitchen that night. After much deliberation, he was told to take off his jacket. However, instead of being eliminated, Ramsay transferred him to the red team, he was exchanged with Meghan, and survived elimination. While being dismissed, he believed that Ramsay transferred him to the red team because he was leadership material.[10]
Episode 11[]
- Main article: Episode 1411 - 8 Chefs Compete Again
Back in the dorms, Josh was still in shock over the fact he was now in the red team, believed that Ramsay saw the fight in him, and knew what he had to do to win, before declaring that it was on like Donkey Kong. Then, he said that he would crush the blue team, and mockingly asked Nick if the situation sucked, but the latter snarkily responded that it sucked for the girls.
During the Blind Taste Test, Josh was the second person from the red team to compete, went up against Nick, and said that he was confident in his palate as he ate a lot of things since he could walk. He scored three points as he got American cheese, lobster, and celery, saving Alison from being dunked. During Alison's turn, he did not get dunked. When the score was tied at 9, he was chosen as the representative for the red team as he had the highest score of the team. While he got zucchini incorrect, he got avocado correct, and the red team won the challenge. They were rewarded with a trip to Petrosian to taste caviar and a $2,000 shopping spree. While leaving for his reward, he wore a blue shirt to mock his former teammates.
During the closed charity dinner service, Josh oversaw the tuna Nicosia salad. He was seen getting the tuna Nicosia ready and wanted it to be perfect as it was his first night on the red team. However, Alison found out that the tuna was overcooked, but he decided to pick out the better pieces. While he believed that his second attempt would be acceptable, one plate had overcooked tuna, Ramsay yelled that even canned tuna had more texture, and Michelle called it a fucking disaster. Then, Ramsay discovered more plates that had overcooked tuna, he realized that there was barely any tuna left to work with. After, he asked Ramsay if he could borrow some tuna from the blue kitchen, and the latter horrifyingly realized that they ran out of tuna, before asking what the fuck was going on, and threatening to have himself and Sous Chef Andi complete service themselves. Despite that, Ramsay allowed him some tuna from the blue kitchen, and the red team finally served their tuna Nicosia salads. During T's course, he began micromanaging her cooking, and during Michelle's course, he suggested to her that she put her steaks in earlier to let them rest. However, Michelle ignored him after the tuna incident earlier, with Ramsay even asking him if anybody taught him how to cook the tuna, before saying that he trusted Michelle with the steak. Later, he was seen slicing the steak late.
The red team lost the service and were asked to nominate two people for elimination. During deliberation, Josh believed that there was too much petty shit in the red team that kept them from working as a team, and stated that he had no time for that, before stating that nobody was on the same page. He was considered by T for the overcooked tuna incident, but he argued that it was the smoothest dish of that night, even though the others thought otherwise. Then, while he acknowledged that he fucked up, he argued that kitchens were run by communication and listening, and not yelling or attacking people, but when Michelle tried to voice out in agreement, he rudely told her that he was talking. When Michelle recalled of the former was the one that started the arguments, he told her that she had to stop it.
Josh was named the red team's first nominee for elimination, with Michelle as the second. During his plea, he stated that his poor performance in the last service affected his confidence, but felt that the red team did well when they listened to him. He survived elimination, and when being dismissed, he said that he could smell the black jackets, and while he thought he would be sent home, he stated that he had nothing else to lose.[11]
Episode 12[]
- Main article: Episode 1412 - 7 Chefs Compete
While walking back to the dorms, Josh called his situation tough as he believed that the only person that would help him was himself, and knew that he would have to get inside his mind to get his shit together. Meghan agreed with him, and after he told himself to get it together, she brought him down to the patio, told him not to get up in the drama, and let everybody else fall over it, which he agreed to.
Before the King of the Hill Challenge, Josh argued that 35 minutes was not a lot of cooking time. He got porterhouse steak from his locker, and while he considered that cut a tricky one to cook, he was confident as he knew how a good porterhouse tasted. He was the third chef to have his dish judged and presented his pomegranate and fig porterhouse. It was criticized for being overcooked, and he failed to dethrone T, much to his dismay. The red team won the challenge, and they were rewarded with a trip to Catalina Islands, received a private submarine ride, a four-course dinner at the Catalina Country Club, and Vitamix blenders.
During prep, Josh did not appreciate Michelle's attempt to help him with cutting the peppers and accused her of being bigger than French bread. Then, he was pissed that Michelle was nitpicking his work as it was insulting, and rudely gave her the responsibility of prepping it herself.
During the Steak Night dinner service, Josh was on the garnish station. At one point, he announced that he needed two more minutes on his garnishes, which angered Ramsay as that meant Alison's salmon would get overcooked by then. As he kept calling times out, a pissed Ramsay called it pathetic. Then, he said that he still needed more time on his garnishes as he was cooking seven things at a time, but T was annoyed that he snapped at her, and it led to a snapping fest between the two of them, and Ramsay chewed him out as his off timings were causing the customers to suffer. Despite that, he managed to get his garnishes to the pass. When the newly formed black jackets team came to help the red team, he and Milly got into an argument over the garnish.
The red team lost the service, and both teams were asked to nominate two people from the red team. During deliberation, Josh was considered by Alison and T due to his unfocused performance on garnish, but when he tried to argue that he had a good performance, Michelle said that they had to look at the bigger picture. While he believed that his fate would end in the red team, Michelle asked him if he had good performances in the blue team, and when he did not respond, Nick pointed out that he has never taken responsibility for his mistakes. However, he believed that they were making it all up.
Josh was the red team's first nominee for elimination, with Alison as the second. During his plea, he said that he was a leader, and despite moments of darkness, he tried to bounce back. After Alison was eliminated, Ramsay told him that while he was tenacious, he did not know what was happening as he was slipping. After he stated that he could bounce back, Ramsay believed that he was not ready to go home, and, as a result, gave him the final black jacket and told him to wake up. While being dismissed, he knew that despite Nick disliking him, he was wearing the same color as the latter.[12]
Episode 13[]
- Main article: Episode 1413 - 6 Chefs Compete
Back in the dorms, Josh said that he remembered clearly what Ramsay told him, but that annoyed everybody as they earned their black jackets, with Michelle commenting that he had nine lives to get his.
Before the Taste It Now Make It Challenge, Josh revealed that he almost failed science at school after seeing Ramsay's chemistry set. He was paired with Meghan. They used halibut, sake, and lobster to recreate Ramsay's dish. During the challenge, he thought that the fish was cod, but decided to use Meghan's suggestion as he never led wrongly before. They lost the challenge as they got the wrong fish protein.
He was punished by participating in recycling day and make 150 pounds of mashed potatoes for the Midnight Mission. Back at the patio, Josh and T called it a rewarding punishment. During the punishment, he started to gag from the trash, T suggested that he breathe through his mouth, but he complained that he would taste it then. He was then called a dumbass by Milly, and a child by T as he was doing very little. When prepping the mashed potatoes, he was seen having two separate mashed potato pots in front of him, and despite T suggesting that he mix them, he said that he did not have a lot of space. That annoyed T as she accused him of doing the easier stuff, asked him to hammer the potatoes, and called him a little bitch. That led to an argument between the two over who was doing their job correctly.
During prep, Josh was prepping the shallots for himself and not for everybody, and an annoyed Michelle accused him of not being a team player. When Milly called him Uncle Randy, he did not appreciate that comment, and that led to an argument between the two until Nick calmed them down.
During dinner service, Josh was on the meat station. When T asked him for a time, he failed to give her one, and then, he caused his station to catch fire, and while he panicked on what to do, Meghan was able to control the fire by reducing the temperature, and Ramsay wondering what was wrong with him. Soon after, he found out that his lamb felt raw, and put it back in the oven. When Ramsay lectured him for letting T walk the salmon up despite not being ready, he argued that he did not know she was going up and that she did not tell him, even though T stated that she did tell him earlier. Despite that, he managed to get his lamb accepted, but when he decided to pump himself up with a woo sound, Ramsay mocked him for that and ordered him to get composed, before calling him a baboon. Then, he sent up pink chicken and said he needed eight minutes on the refire, but Ramsay reminded him that the breast was fine, and he just needed the leg cooked a little bit more. However, he was able to get the chicken out to the chef's table and said that his confidence was back. On the final ticket, he wanted to finish strong, and he got his lamb approved.
After service, Ramsay asked the final six to name two people for elimination. During deliberation, Josh recalled about his raw chicken leg, and despite claiming that he had a great performance otherwise, Nick argued that he was frazzled that night. However, he argued he had control that night, and while he considered that Nick did not have a perfect service because of the latter's cold lobster tail, Nick considered him a frazzled mess.
Josh was the first nominee for elimination, with Michelle as the second. During his plea, he said that he gave everything at nights, that he bounced back that night, and believed that the rest of the chefs were out to get him. He was eliminated for being on his fifth nomination in a row, and being in a downward spiral. Before leaving, Ramsay praised him for leaving on a strong performance and urged him to stay passionate. He received a retrospective montage during his exit interview.
Ramsay's comment: "Josh had great passion and a strong service tonight. Unfortunately, it was too little, too late." [13]
Episode 16[]
- Main article: Episode 1416 - Winner Chosen
Josh was one of the eight chefs who returned for the final dinner service. He was Meghan's third pick after Michelle and Alison and followed by Randy. He said that it was his time to have Meghan's back after she had his all season. While being debriefed over the menu, he confirmed that they were all supporting Meghan to win.
During prep, Josh got chided by Meghan for leaving his pot unattended and having it boil over. During dinner service, he was on the fish station. At one point, he was slow on fish but managed to get it up on time. After seeing Randy's sliced chicken in the oven, he knew that it was unacceptable as it would cause the chicken to dry out. Meghan eventually won the finals over T. During the celebration, Ramsay asked him if he would be interested in competing again, he considered it and said that the Blind Taste Test was his favorite challenge.[14]
Nomination history[]
| Week 1 | Win |
|---|---|
| Week 2 | Safe |
| Week 3 | Safe |
| Week 4 | Win |
| Week 5 | Win |
| Week 6 | Safe |
| Week 7 | Win |
| Week 8 | Nominated |
| Week 9 | Safe |
| Week 10 | Nominated |
| Week 11 | Nominated |
| Week 12 | Nominated |
| Week 13 | Nominated |
Season 17[]
Episode 1/2[]
Josh was the sixteenth and final All-Star to arrive at Hell's Kitchen, and after greeting Nick, he said that there could not be an All-Star season without himself.
During the Signature Dish Challenge, Josh received filet as his protein, was the sixth person from the blue team to have his dish judged by Ramsay, and went up against Dana. Before tasting his dish, he told Ramsay that his favorite moment last time was meeting him. He made an unknown filet dish, it was criticized for being cooked to hell, and he scored 2 points. The blue team eventually won the challenge 28-27, and they were rewarded with a trip to the sky slide in downtown Los Angeles, and dinner at Wolfgang Puck’s WP24 restaurant. During the reward, he asked who had the idea to put a glass slide on a 70-story building.[15]
During the Bar Menu Challenge, Ramsay tasted Josh's coconut curry sauce and told him that it was delicious. He lost the challenge as he was not in the top four of the blue team. Back in the dorms, he was happy that Milly won and reminded Michelle that if the latter knew a dish that he made a thousand times before, then he was going to win the challenge.
During prep, Josh compared learning the new dishes to a walk through a desert without water. During dinner service, he was on the appetizer station with Van. He was slow platting the salmon appetizer but argued that he was doing his best to prove to Ramsay that he deserved to be an All-Star, before refusing to send up anything but perfection if it meant a couple more minutes. Despite Ramsay’s impatience, his appetizer was accepted. The blue team won the service.[16]
Episode 3[]
The next day, Josh was eating breakfast, but a bemused Ashley noticed that he was eating a chimichanga. After coming downstairs, he ran off into the blue kitchen to throw up his chimichanga and vitamins, though claimed that it was good luck for quarterbacks to throw up.
Before the Seafood Tower Challenge, Josh believed that a great palate was behind a great chef, and when Jared was struggling on the cup tower, he could only comment that he was glad it was not the entire challenge. He was paired up with Nick, and they were the third pair to compete. They got their first attempt accepted. The blue team won the challenge, and they were rewarded with a seafood lunch at the Ocean Club in Malibu, and a soccer game with Alyssa Naeher and Julie Johnston. After hearing the reward, he was excited that they not only won two challenges in a row, but they were going to Malibu.
During dinner service, Josh was on the meat station with Milly. At one point, did not hear the order as he was focused on cooking his meat, and later, he was late on the lamb as he was still basting it. With some help from Jared, he was able to get it accepted. The blue team won the service after completing the red team's tickets.[17]
Episode 4[]
During the Chance Challenge, Josh called out agnolotti during the A round, but Ramsay told him that it was tortellini stuffed with braised beef. He was the sixth person from the blue team to have his dish judged by Ramsay, he felt confident that his dish would help them win the challenge, and presented his bacon-wrapped halibut basted with thyme. While it was praised for looking like it came off from a book, it was criticized for an overcooked fish, and he scored only 3 points. The blue team lost the challenge 25-26, and they were punished by taking in deliveries of potatoes, sorting through garbage, and eating a smelly fish sandwich. During the punishment, he said that he did not want to spend eight hours sorting through trash, and Giovanni said that they must make sure it never happened again. During lunch, he found bones in his sandwich.
During prep, Milly asked Josh what his job was, and he revealed that he was a personal chef to celebrities and that he owned his own catering company. However, when he revealed that he only worked three hours a day, it shocked the blue team and angered Van and Jared. During dinner service, he was on the appetizer station with Van. When it came time for the twelve-top table, Ramsay told him and Michelle to get them done in eight minutes. While he believed that he had risottos as it was in his blood, he was not ready by the time Michelle was. Despite that, both teams got the twelve top’s orders out at the same time. However, he was having heat problems on his station, and his frantic performance had an annoyed Jared compare him to a kid who drank coffee for the first time. Then, he and Milly argued about getting the rice cooking faster, and when the appetizers were sent up, Ramsay discovered that he made six portions of risottos when only two were needed and was ordered to get a grip. Despite his problems, the blue team was pushing out appetizers. On the next ticket, he stumbled on calling out times as he was looking at his stopwatch, and when he continued to look at his stopwatch, Ramsay lectured him to count in his head, before ordering him to hand it over as he tossed it into the pizza oven. Then, he once again sent up over portioned risottos, that time being five, and Ramsay gave him the extra portions for him to eat at the chef’s table with Paige Vanzant. When he came back, his frazzled performance led to an argument between him and Van, who called the former a little bitch, but Nick defused it.
The blue team lost the service, and they were asked to nominate two people for elimination. During deliberation, Josh said that the raw pork and Wellingtons were the main reasons they got kicked out of service, hinting at Giovanni and Benjamin, but the latter argued that everything got them kicked out that night. But, when he reminded Giovanni that he purposefully served burnt pork, the latter called him twisted, and argued that he was staying, before reminding him on his risotto incident. Despite arguing that none of his risottos were sent back, Giovanni reminded him that he served too many portions than needed, and when he continued to argue against that, Nick called him delusional as he slowed down service that night. When he asked if making too many portions was worse than not knowing how to cook meat, Jared said that it was. However, he believed that the raw meat was worse, and believed that Benjamin, Giovanni, and Jared deserved to be nominated that night. But, Jared called him a mess in the kitchen for not focusing, and when he continued argued that the best chefs of the blue team sent up raw meat and that they deserved to be nominated, Milly argued that they taught him everything to know, mocked his position as a personal chef, and yelled that he could not burn.
Josh was named the blue team's first nominee, with Giovanni as the second. During his plea, he said that he had a lot of passion to compete, and wanted to give Ramsay everything. When Benjamin called him the weakest chef on the blue team, he disagreed with that notion, but the rest of the blue team agreed with the former. In the end, Ramsay called him down and told him to give him his jacket as the blue team has given up on him. However, instead of being eliminated, Ramsay decided to relocate him to the red team, much to their dismay, and was switched out with Robyn. After moving into his new team, Ramsay warned him that he has not been performing at his best and that he was getting one more chance to perform at the same strength he was back in Season 14. While being dismissed, he felt that the red team was ruthless, but wanted to show Ramsay that he deserved his second chance.[18]
Episode 5[]
While going back to the dorms, Josh felt uncomfortable going into a different team and knew that he would die unless he adapted to the situation. Then, he wanted to talk with Elise outside, but the latter refused to as she refused to acknowledge him as a red chef yet. While he argued that Elise was not gelling with the new situation, the latter argued that she was gelling with her old teammates, and not with him as he was the new guy. Then, Michelle told him that he had to come into the red team with an open mind as he was going to work with a lot of strong personalities, but he told her to worry about herself, much to Michelle’s dismay.
During the Wood Plank Cooking Challenge, Josh felt that the red team’s fire pit needed more coal, and believed that he could take the red team to victory. Despite Michelle’s protest, he dumped cold coals over the hot ones, which suffocated the heat as a result, and Barbie accused him of tanking them. He was paired up with Dana on the barramundi, they were the third pair from the red team to have their dish judged, and went up against Van. They made a cedar smoked barramundi with poblano vinaigrette, it was praised for tasting delicious, and they tied that round with Van.
The red team lost the challenge after a tie at 3, and they were punished by cleaning up a stable at Apex Ranch. Back at the dorms, Manda blamed Josh for being the reason they lost after he screwed up the fire pit, and was reminded of how he dumped cold coals over a hot fire. However, he argued that they needed fire and that’s why he dumped the coals, but when Elise retorted that cold coals did not help, he called her a bully in response. While Elise denied being a bully and called him being a soft man for calling her that, he accused her of taking HCH that morning, and accused her of being a master manipulator. During the punishment, Manda asked him to help her move some buckets up to the trailer as she was getting tired, but when he accused her of not doing it properly, she angrily snapped at him, and that led to an argument over his condescending attitude that ended with Manda calling him the stupidest person she had ever met.
During prep, Josh felt alienated from both teams, and that there was no other team to go to, but wanted to prove that night that he deserved to stay. During dinner service, he was on the garnish station. His first order was for the from the bar menu, but Manda told him not to put the fish & chips in the same fryer as he would get batter all over the place. Then, he went missing for a while as he went to get bowls for the fries, Ramsay accused him of switching off due to his slow speed, and then, Michelle told him to refire the fish as they looked dark. Ramsay himself asked him how he could get behind on bar food, but he argued that he was working his ass off, and wanted to show the red team what he had. Despite his problems, his bar food was accepted. Later, his unorganized performance had him asking where the eggs went for the garnish, and Ramsay was getting impatient as the proteins were already at the pass. Despite receiving help from Manda, Ramsay discovered that his spinach was too watery and garlicky and that his mashed potatoes were liquid. Then, he argued with Manda when the latter tried to help him out on garnish, but Elise told him to stop arguing and put it up anyway as they seriously needed the garnishes. After, he decided to work on the lobster garnish, but Sous Chef Christina told him that lobster was not part of the order, Manda told him to get the mashed potatoes ready, and when he told them to stop yelling at him, Sous Chef Christina said that they will after he gives them what they need. Then, Ramsay caught him carrying ice-cold potatoes in his hands and angrily reminded him that the Wellingtons were at the pass. Despite arguing that he was doing his best, Ramsay retorted that it was not good enough, and kicked him out of service. As he walked back to the dorms, he apologized to Ramsay for letting him down and believed that his team was toxic towards him, before saying that he never felt so alienated before.
Back at the dorms, Josh realized that he gave up his whole life to come back, and decided to go back into the red kitchen to fight his way back, before proclaiming that he was not going down without a fight. However, his presence confused the red team, and when Ramsay asked them why he was back, they had no idea why, and Michelle told him to leave. Then, Ramsay brought him to the pantry room, and while he argued that he wanted to come back, Ramsay told him that despite putting his balls on the line for him several times, he reminded him how he was holding cold garnishes in his hands when the proteins were on the pass, before asking where else could he go from there. Then, while Ramsay praised his big heart and talent, he told him that he was not ready to be his head chef, and was eliminated on the spot. After he gave Ramsay his jacket, the latter wished him well and had Marino escort him out through the front entrance. During his exit interview, he believed that he might get another chance in the future as he gave it his all that season.
Ramsay gave no comment on Josh's elimination, and he did not receive the coat hanging and picture burning sequence.[19]
Nomination history[]
| Week 1 | Win |
|---|---|
| Week 2 | Win |
| Week 3 | Nominated |
| Week 4 | Ejected |
Post Hell's Kitchen[]
- After his first appearance on the show, Josh became a fitness and health guru and is currently an actor.
- On April 22, 2015, he and La Tasha (Season 13) attended the celebration of Gordon Ramsay's 500th episode taping at the MasterChef Studio in Burbank, California.[20]
- After his second appearance on the show, he went back to being a fitness and a health insurance guru and still an actor. He is also a part-time bartender and does cookery events.
Trivia[]
- He and Robyn are the first two contestants to switch teams in two different seasons.
Season 14[]
- He is the ninth contestant to be nominated at least four times in a row, following Virginia (Season 2), Fran, Autumn (both from Season 7), Trev (Season 8), Elise (Season 9), Robyn (Season 10), DeMarco (Season 12), and Roe (Season 13).
- He is the sixth contestant to have survived a fourth consecutive nomination, following Virginia (Season 2), Autumn (Season 7), Trev (Season 8), Elise (Season 9), and DeMarco (Season 12).
- He holds the record for the most consecutive nominations in the show's history, with five (not counting Cook For Your Life), and is tied with DeMarco (Season 12).
- He holds the record for most challenges won in a row by a male, with seven.
- He is the seventh male contestant who switched teams and made it to black jackets, following Michael (Season 1), Matt (Season 4), Giovanni (Season 5), Benjamin (Season 7), Trev (Season 8), and Scott (Season 12).
- He holds the record for the most nominations without being nominated during a joint lose or joint victory, with five.
- He was the last black jacket contestant to rank in 6th place until the streak ended in Season 22 when Leigh is the current black jacket contestant to rank in 6th place. He is currently the last male black jacket contestant to do so.
- He won the most challenges in his season with eight.
- He holds the record for the most consecutive challenge rewards and is tied with Ja'Nel (Season 11) and Ariel (Season 18).
Season 17[]
- He is the eighth contestant to be eliminated during dinner service, and the second member of the red team to do so, following Nilka (Season 7).
- He is the first returning contestant to have been eliminated during service.
- He is the second mid-service ejected contestant who switched teams, following Lacey (Season 5).
- He is the second mid-service ejected contestant who was told to exit by the front door, following Gabriel (Season 12).
- He is the first mid-service ejected contestant to be eliminated in a service who was on the garnish station and for his behavior instead of his cooking skills.
- He is the fifth contestant to be eliminated after their first night with a new team, following Melissa (Season 3), Melissa (Season 8), Nedra (Season 11), and Sandra (Season 12). He is also the first male contestant to do so.
- He is the tenth male contestant who switched teams without making it to the black jackets, following Robert (Season 6), Scott (Season 7), Anton (Season 12), Frank, Sterling (both from Season 13), Hassan, Chad (both from Season 15), Matt, and Andrew (both from Season 16).
- He holds the record for the shortest tenure with a new team in the history of the show with one incomplete service.
- He is the first returning chef from Season 14 of this season who did not make it to black jackets for the second time.
- He is the second contestant who received fewer nominations during their second run on the show, following Robert (Season 6).
- His and Kevin's (Season 18) nomination history are very similar: they both won the first two dinner services, then they were both nominated for elimination on the third episode of the season, then they both switched teams, then they were both eliminated in the following episode, and they both ranked in 14th place.
- He is the first person to have an episode named after them, on Episode 5 of Season 17, "Josh Josh Josh", he is also the first to have it named after him for negative reasons and the first to be eliminated in an episode named after himself.
Quotes[]
Season 14[]
- Josh: "...seeing you is crazy. It's crazy. It's awesome, Chef." Ramsay: "You saw me on the roof 5 minutes ago." Josh: "Yeah, I know, but now you're, like, right here. You're talking to me. It's awesome." (laughs) Ramsay: "Wow." (Audience laughs)
- "This is the greatest day of my life!"
- "Nick's a Suzy Homemaker."
- (To Michelle) "Holy shit. Your voice and shit, God bless your boyfriend."
- (When smashing plates in a challenge) "I feel like the Hulk. JOSH SMASH!"
- (When his dish won the challenge) "I'm the anchor today, and I pull through!"
- (To Nick) "You don't have the HEART or the BALLS to be a chef!"
- “I got big toes, and you DON’T wanna find them in your ass!”
- (After being eliminated) "I came here, believing in myself and I was so excited just to have this opportunity. I have a lot of heart, a lot of passion, but it takes being torn apart to get better. Everything that I have been through just made me stronger and I didn't think that was possible. I'm not disappointed in myself at all, I gave it all on the line. I gave a hundred percent every day. Chef Ramsay, I just want to thank you for believing in me. For Chef Ramsay to allow me to leave on a high note is just a magical feeling. This is just the beginning for me, I don't know what the future holds, I don't, but I know it's bright."
Season 17[]
- "I'm on my feet three hours a day."
- (To the Blue Team) "You guys are the best chefs and he (Giovanni) burns pork, you (Jared) serve raw duck and you (Benjamin) serve raw Wellington. You guys are the best chefs, you've been doing this every day? Good luck!!!"
- (To Milly) "Then tell me more, Milly!!!"
- (To Elise) "Listen, why do you bully everyone? You're just a bully."
- (To Elise) "You're not a bully? Sit down, did you get your, did you get your dose of HGH today? Will you just take a seat, please? Yeah, take a seat and relax a minute."
- "Elise is all about taking the blame and pushing it on others. Elise is a master manipulator, but you know what, I see right through it."
- (To Elise) "Say something once, and we'll move on. Know that I heard you all, and cut the shit."
- (During punishment) "On this farm, I'm cleaning shit, E-I-E-I-O."
- "It's a very difficult situation to be in when the red team doesn't want you and the blue team doesn't want you, and, you know, there's no green team to go to, so I just feel like I'm alone."
- (After getting kicked out of the kitchen) "I'm sitting here and I'm thinking I gave up my life to be here. I'm not going to go down without a fight. I'm gonna go back. I have to go back. I've got to tell Chef Ramsay that I'm not done. I'm gonna do whatever it takes to come back. If I have to go down, I'm going down swingin'."
- (To Ramsay after returning to the kitchen) "My body told me to come back, chef. I believe in myself. I need to be here, chef."
- (After being eliminated) "You don't ever wanna let Chef Ramsay down, but he knows I'm resilient, he knows I'm a fighter, he knows I have a big heart and I gave it my all. Although it didn't work out, I know that Chef Ramsay still appreciates me, I wouldn't be surprised if he called me up again. You know, not many people in this world get second chances, but if anybody's gonna get a third chance, it would be me! Right?"
Gallery[]
%27s_Intro_Spot.png "Josh (14)'s Intro Spot.png (337 KB)")
_in_Blue_Jacket.png "Josh (14) in Blue Jacket.png (277 KB)")
%27s_Confessional.png "Josh (14)'s Confessional.png (425 KB)")
_joins_the_Red_Team.png "Josh (14) joins the Red Team.png (223 KB)")
_in_Red_Jacket.png "Josh (14) in Red Jacket.png (282 KB)")
%27s_Confessional_(Red_Jacket).png "Josh (14)'s Confessional (Red Jacket).png (330 KB)")
_in_Blind_Taste_Test.png "Josh (14) in Blind Taste Test.png (319 KB)")
.png "Josh and Michelle Nominated (Episode 11).png (305 KB)")
_in_Black_Jacket.png "Josh (14) in Black Jacket.png (213 KB)")
%27s_Confessional_(Black_Jacket).png "Josh (14)'s Confessional (Black Jacket).png (300 KB)")
.png "Josh and Michelle Nominated (Episode 13).png (354 KB)")
_Eliminated.png "Josh (14) Eliminated.png (276 KB)")
_as_Returning_Chef.png "Josh (S14) as Returning Chef.png (1.17 MB)")
.png "Josh's Confessional (Returning Chef).png (1.01 MB)")
%27s_Signature_Dish.png "Josh (S14)'s Signature Dish.png (381 KB)")
%27s_Alaskan_Fish_Dish_(Salmon).png "Josh (S14)'s Alaskan Fish Dish (Salmon).png (374 KB)")
%27s_American_Classics_Dish_(Macaroni_and_Cheese).png "Josh (S14)'s American Classics Dish (Macaroni and Cheese).png (219 KB)")
%27s_International_Cheese_Dish_(Manicotti).png "Josh (S14)'s International Cheese Dish (Manicotti).png (247 KB)")
%27s_Greek_Dish.png "Josh (S14)'s Greek Dish.png (140 KB)")
%27s_Alcohol_Dish.png "Josh (S14)'s Alcohol Dish.png (206 KB)")
%27s_Exotic_Meat_Dish_(Wild_Boar).png "Josh (S14)'s Exotic Meat Dish (Wild Boar).png (336 KB)")
%27s_King_of_The_Hill_Dish_(Porterhouse_Steak).png "Josh (S14)'s King of The Hill Dish (Porterhouse Steak).png (297 KB)")
_in_Blue_Jacket.png "Josh (S17) in Blue Jacket.png (1.26 MB)")
%27s_Confessional_(Blue_Jacket).png "Josh (S17)'s Confessional (Blue Jacket).png (1.53 MB)")
_and_Giovanni_(S17)_Nominated.png "Josh (S17) and Giovanni (S17) Nominated.png (1.6 MB)")
_Joins_the_Red_Team.png "Josh (S17) Joins the Red Team.png (1.65 MB)")
_in_Red_Jacket.png "Josh (S17) in Red Jacket.png (1.81 MB)")
%27s_Confessional_(Red_Jacket).png "Josh (S17)'s Confessional (Red Jacket).png (1.4 MB)")
_before_being_ejected.png "Josh (S17) before being ejected.png (1.15 MB)")
_after_being_ejected.png "Josh (S17) after being ejected.png (874 KB)")
%27s_Signature_Dish.png "Josh (S17)'s Signature Dish.png (1.32 MB)")
%27s_Bar_Dish_(Not_Judged).png "Josh (S17)'s Bar Dish (Not Judged).png (575 KB)")
%27s_Chance_Dish.png "Josh (S17)'s Chance Dish.png (1.1 MB)")
_and_Josh_(S17)%27s_Wood_Plank_Cooking_Dish_(Barramundi).png "Dana (S17) and Josh (S17)'s Wood Plank Cooking Dish (Barramundi).png (1.32 MB)")
External links[]
Josh Trovato on Instagram
Josh Trovato on Twitter
References[]
| Josh Trovato's Navbox (Select One) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||
| ||||||