| “ | I'm a better chef than you, I'm faster than you, I'm more creative, I have a better palate than you... | ” |
Ja'Nel Witt was a contestant on Season 11 of Hell's Kitchen. She was the winner of that season, and was awarded a head chef position at Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill in Caesars Palace, in Las Vegas, with a $250,000 salary. However, she got denied the position because she failed a drug test, but she still took the $250,000 and kept the title of "Season 11 winner".
Season 11[]
Episode 1/2[]
- Main article: Episode 1101 - 20 Chefs Compete Part 1
- Main article: Episode 1102 - 20 Chefs Compete Part 2
When the chefs arrived in Los Angeles, Ramsay surprisingly told them to meet him in Las Vegas. Arrived there, they were greeted by showgirls, got on a double-decker bus for a tour of the city, and eventually got tricked in believing they would go on a Las Vegas 4D experience. However, they arrived in front of a live audience, where Ramsay was waiting for them.
During the Signature Dish Challenge, Ja'Nel was the fourth person from the red team to have her dish judged by Ramsay, and went up against Ray. She served her prawns with spicy Asian pesto, but Ramsay asked if she was on a budget as there were only two of them. He asked her if it was an appetizer or an entrée, which she answered appetizer. He tasted them, and praised the harmony of the flavors in her capellini. She tied the round with Ray.
The red team eventually won the challenge 5-4, and they were rewarded with a night out in Las Vegas, meeting Celine Dion, and get VIP tickets for the latter's show. When they arrived in Hell's Kitchen, Ja'Nel declared they were already getting down and dirty in the competition. Later, she struggled to study the menu for the opening night as she was having Gina and her puppet in her face. The next day, during prep, she got annoyed with Gina's confused state, saying that she already gave up.[1] When both teams were lined up, Jean-Philippe came back with suitcases, and she tried to wonder where he has been for the previous three years.
During dinner service, Ja'Nel was at the dessert station. She was not seen much, except at one point when she said that Gina was in La La Land for flipping scallops a million times, and at another when she helped Gina by reminding her to not burn the scallops. The red team won the service.[2]
Episode 3[]
- Main article: Episode 1103 - 19 Chefs Compete
The next morning, some soldiers from the US army came in Hell's Kitchen, went to the dorms, and gave a very brutal wake-up call to the chefs by screaming and yelling to get up. When the teams were challenged to climb up the wall, Ja'Nel acknowledged it was really close, but was determined to beat the men and get it done. The red team managed to get 31 lobsters in their bucket, compared to the blue team's 37, but fortunately for them, that was only the first part of the challenge.
When Ramsay was introducing the Lobster Cleaning Challenge and giving a demo on how to extract the lobster meat, Ja'Nel revealed she never cleaned a lobster before, expressed surprise when she had to take the meat out of the legs as she did not even know there was meat in there, and she declared she was a little bit nervous. During the challenge, she was paired with Jessica. She was very confident that her and Jessica banged it just like that. They scored the first point for the red team, and when the time was over, they brought another attempt, but it was rejected as it was too late. Despite that, the red team won the challenge 11-8, and they were rewarded with a day on an 85-foot luxury yacht, a master sushi chef preparing them lunch, and a massage. During the reward, she declared it was absolutely incredible to have a conversation with Ramsay as he was giving some great advice and funny, and concluded by saying that having champagne with Ramsay was awesome.
During dinner service, Ja'Nel was on the meat station with Susan. At one point, she had to help Mary and Danielle to get their first risotto out, and because of her help, their risotto was deemed delicious. She was proud, celebrated with Mary, and said that the red team was back in action. Because of that, food was leaving the kitchen at a steady pace. Later, she and Susan gave seven minutes on their entrées to be ready, but the red team was eventually kicked out of the kitchen after a lot of mistakes.
Both teams were named joint-losers, and they were asked to nominate two people each. During deliberation, Ja'Nel, along with Jessica, said that the most problematic station was the appetizers, therefore considering Mary and Danielle.
She was not nominated for elimination.[3]
Episode 4[]
- Main article: Episode 1104 - 17 Chefs Compete
Back to the dorms, Ja'Nel said she was happy about Danielle and Mary still being there, and offered her help to both of them, while adding to not give up.
The next morning, all the chefs went outside for the next challenge, and saw Ramsay, dressed in a running suit, and a lot of runners waiting in front of a start/finish line. During the HK3K Service Challenge, Ja'Nel was not seen much as she did not commit any mistakes, the red team eventually won the challenge, and were asked to go help the blue team finish their entrées. They were rewarded with a day at Temecula Valley's Wine Country for wine tasting and making, and flew on a private jet to get there. She was very excited to have won again, and when the women came back from their reward, she told the blue team to not be rude.
During dinner service, Ja'Nel was on the garnish station. Before tickets entered, she and Susan motivated the red team by saying they could do it. She was not seen much, except at one point when she expressed dismay about Danielle's overcooked Wellingtons, saying that Jacqueline and Danielle were crashing and burning every single thing they were doing, and that the team could not get passed it.
The red team eventually lost the service, and they were asked to nominate two people for elimination. During deliberation, Ja'Nel called it disgusting to lose service to the men, and voted for Danielle as she did not step up like she was supposed to, much to Danielle's anger. Moments later, she reminded Jessica that she was second-guessing herself a lot with risottos and that she had to trust herself more.
She was not nominated for elimination.[4]
Episode 5[]
- Main article: Episode 1105 - 16 Chefs Compete Part 1
During the Protein Identification Challenge, Ja'Nel was paired with Jacqueline, and they were the first and last pair to compete for the red team. On their first turn, they landed on the turkey meatballs, and they got it correctly on their first attempt. On their second turn, they landed on the swordfish & chips, and after guessing catfish, cod, and halibut, they finally chose swordfish on their fourth attempt, therefore winning the challenge for the red team 6:37-10:33. The red team was rewarded with a day at Malibu, in a $15M beach house, as well as getting there in convertibles. When they arrived at their beach house, Ja'Nel declared it was huge and that she could see straight through the ocean. During the reward, she motivated Cyndi, who was trying the wakeboarding activity.
During breakfast service, Ja'Nel was on the scrambled eggs station. Before the first ticket entered, she motivated the team, and she succeeded to serve food at a good pace along with Cyndi, with Ramsay complimenting her for the perfectly cooked scrambled eggs. Near the end, she acknowledged that the pancake station was dragging the team down, so she told that every woman grabbed a pan each to make pancakes. The red team lost the service as they failed to complete their tickets before the blue team, and they were asked to nominate two people. While going back to the dorms, Ja'Nel was not happy to send somebody home as it was not even 9 am, and some of them have not woke up entirely yet. During deliberation, she asked Nedra who should be nominated instead of her, which the latter answered Mary.
Ja'Nel was not nominated for elimination, and when Ramsay asked for her opinion, she said she would trust Nedra more than Mary, therefore disagreeing with Amanda.[5]
Episode 6[]
- Main article: Episode 1106 - 16 Chefs Compete Part 2
During dinner service, Ja'Nel was on the fish station with Amanda. She was not seen at all, but after a lot of mistakes, the red team was kicked out of the kitchen. Both teams were named joint-losers, and they were asked to nominate two people each. Back in the dorms, she commented on how close they were to finish before the raw pork incident.
She was not nominated for elimination.[6]
Episode 7[]
- Main article: Episode 1107 - 15 Chefs Compete
The next day, both teams went to the dining room, where Ramsay introduced the Chinese Dish Creation Challenge, along with the Samurai statue that was placed there. When the countdown began, everybody ran to the plate of fortune cookies that was in front of the statue, but when they arrived, it started moving, making everybody flinch and laugh. Then, Sous Chef Andi brought the red team's basket of giant fortune cookies that would be carried with chopsticks, and during the first part, Ja'Nel volunteered to be manning the board, along with Jacqueline, as both of them were the most comfortable with Chinese cuisine. However, they did not succeed to put five ingredients to five of the six dishes, and they were accused of dropping the ball and blowing it for the red team by Cyndi and Mary.
During the second part of the challenge, Ja'Nel was in charge of the soup course, and when Nedra wished that she had cabbage for her spring rolls, she told her that she put it on the board, but Cyndi reminded that they would have it if it was on the board. She was the fifth person from the red team to have her dish judged, her lemongrass red Miso soup was praised for the ingredients complementing each other, and she tied the round with Michael. The red team lost the challenge 3-4, and they were punished by cleaning both kitchens for the next service, as well as making potstickers and steam dumplings from scratch, and eating balut eggs for lunch.
During dinner service, Ja'Nel served dim sum tableside. She was not seen at all, but she helped Nedra and Mary to keep the momentum on appetizers. Both teams were named joint-losers, and they were asked to nominate their two weakest chefs each.
She was not nominated for elimination.[7]
Episode 8[]
- Main article: Episode 1108 - 14 Chefs Compete
The next morning, both teams went to the dining room, and they were taken outside by Ramsay, who introduced the Farm Animal Challenge. When Nedra revealed her animal phobia, Ja'Nel acknowledged that the turkeys seemed mean, and during the first part of the challenge, she was the first person from the red team who entered the pen. She chose a goat and polenta combination, and during the second part, she was concerned about Amanda's potato gratin idea, even wondering if she had enough time to make it. She was the last person from the red team to have her dish judged, served her goat and wild mushroom ragout, which was praised for being very tasty and tender, and she won the round over Michael.
The red team won the challenge 3-2, and they were rewarded with a day at the Aquarium of the Pacific, as VIP guests. Ja'Nel was pumped after recovering from a loss during the previous challenge, and her dish was deemed the best overall, which she was excited about. The next day, during prep, she was very confident as the women were focused and feeling good.
During the Family Night dinner service, Ja'Nel was on the appetizer station. She was not seen much, but she helped her teammates to send the appetizers and entrées out with good communication. After the red team served all of their tickets, they were asked to go over to the blue kitchen to help the men out. When they did, she declared how happy she was about blowing out the blue team, and the service was completed.
The red team won the service by a mile.[8]
Episode 9[]
- Main article: Episode 1109 - 13 Chefs Compete
Back in the dorms, Ja'Nel thought that the red team was competing against themselves because the blue team was very weak.
The next morning, both teams went to the dining room, where Ramsay introduced the Steak Creation Challenge, and during the challenge, Ja'Nel was worried about Mary's stock because the latter was a butcher, and butchering and cooking meat were two different things. When she tasted Mary's stock, she found it sweet and declared that she did not like it. She was the fifth person from the red team to have her dish judged, her hanger with Argentine chimichurri and orange was deemed delicious, and she won the round over Barret. The red team won the challenge 4-3, and they were rewarded with a day by the pool at the Wilshire Hotel, with a 360-degree view of Los Angeles, as well as a manicure and pedicure.
During the Steak Night dinner service, Ja'Nel was on the appetizer station with Nedra. She was not seen much, but after four of her teammates were kicked out, she rallied to complete the service, along with Mary and Susan. The red team lost the service, and they were asked to nominate two people.
She was not nominated for elimination.[9]
Episode 10[]
- Main article: Episode 1110 - 12 Chefs Compete
Back at the dorms, Susan and Ja'Nel both said they put Amanda up because she was folding during service.
During the Quinceañera Planning Challenge, when Ja'Nel smelled the peppers on the grill, she explained that it smelled like a Quinceañera. She cooked the cold appetizer, was the first person from the red team to have her dish judged, and went up against Jon. She made ceviche with cucumber, jalapeno, orange, and lime, and while it was praised for not being too spicy, she lost that round to Jon. The red team eventually won the challenge 3-2, and they were rewarded with a trip to Knott's Berry Farm. During the reward, she wanted to go on the scariest roller coaster, but when Nedra saw the rides, she was scared, and asked if there were drops on the ride when she picked one. When the red team came back, she mockingly said how hard it was to keep winning.
During the Quinceañera dinner service, Ja'Nel was on the garnish station. She was seen sending up her first ravioli, but when the red team failed to complete appetizers before the waltz, she asked if she could drop another ravioli. Later, her station went up in flames. After completing the service, she was disappointed as she wanted that night to be memorable for Brianna, but instead, they fucking sucked that night. Both teams were named joint losers, and they were asked to nominate two each. During deliberation, she reminding Amanda how every tuna got sent back that night.
She was not nominated for elimination.[10]
Episode 11[]
- Main article: Episode 1111 - 10 Chefs Compete
During the Presentation Challenge, Ja'Nel was one of the three people from the red team to make it to the second round, was the first person from the red team to have her dish judged, and presented her basil marinated grilled prawns with black garlic vinaigrette. While it was deemed delicious, she scored 89 points in total, upsetting her as she wanted an A instead of a B. The red team eventually won the challenge 269-257, and she was shocked they won yet again. They were rewarded with a photoshoot for Star watch and received Vitamix blenders, which she called the shit as she wanted one for a long time.
After the red team came back from their reward, Ramsay called both teams to his office, with Ja'Nel having no idea what was going on. During the Private dinner service, she led the butter-poached spot prawns but did not respond to Ramsay’s comment until he repeated himself three times, and he warned her that she was not even directing her teammates. While admitting to being frazzled, she refused to quit and got her course out not long after Jon did. During the second course, she called themselves pathetic for Ramsay to show them how to boil pasta after their water did not boil. Both teams were named joint losers, and they were asked to nominate one each.
She was not nominated for elimination.[11]
Episode 12[]
- Main article: Episode 1112 - 9 Chefs Compete
The next day, at 4:50 AM, the chefs were sound asleep as Sous Chefs Andi and James came into the dorms and woke them up with air horns and pots. While that startled Nedra and Anthony, the chefs were ordered to head downstairs, and Ramsay announced that both teams would create their own menus for that night’s service. During prep, Ja'Nel said it was time to put the pedal to the metal as they did not want to come up short. When Ramsay looked at their menu items, her grilled peach salad had inconsistent cooks on them, making her want to be in the garbage can where her dish would end up. As Ramsay continued to criticize the dishes, she got dismayed, and when they were forced to rework their dishes, she felt they were under a heat lamp trying to get everything revamped before service began. Fortunately, Ramsay liked their revisions, to her relief.
During dinner service, Ja'Nel was on the appetizer station. She was not seen that night, and the red team won the service. However, their celebration was cut short as Ramsay called the dorms and told Mary to bring the entire team down to his office, making Nedra nervous as she did not know what to expect. There, Ramsay told the red team that he wanted them to have a meeting and decide who was joining the blue team after elimination as he wants that person to be both a fighter and a leader who could whip the men into shape. As everybody wanted to move into the blue team, she wanted to draw names from a hat and leave it to fate. However, her name was not pulled out.
After Michael's elimination, Ramsay asked Ja'Nel who was going into the blue team, but she revealed that all of them wanted to go and had to draw a name from a pot. That frustrated Ramsay as they were not playing roulette for a restaurant, and before anything else could be done, the episode ended as a cliffhanger.[12]
Episode 13[]
- Main article: Episode 1113 - 8 Chefs Compete
Continuing from the previous episode, an irate Ramsay sent the red team back into the red kitchen and gave them two minutes to discuss who was going into the blue team, yelling that he did not ask them to pull names out of a hat like a fucking game show. When Ja'Nel asked Nedra if she still wanted to go, the latter said she did as she did not mind it, and was hoping to step it up for the blue team so she could get to both the black jackets and the grand prize. So, she said goodbye to Nedra as the latter was reassigned to the blue team.
During the International Cuisine Challenge, Ja'Nel went up against Nedra, and they landed on Thailand with their ingredients being kaffir lime, lemongrass, mango, coconut milk, and jasmine rice. She was the second person from the red team to have her dish judged and presented her steamed halibut with lemongrass coconut broth. It was deemed gorgeous and an excellent reinterpretation of a Thai dish, and having a vibrant flavor to the taste, leaving an annoyed Nedra to only say really in the confessional. So, she scored that round over Nedra, and the red team won the challenge 3-1. They were rewarded with a $2,000 shopping spree at Kitson, lunch at Mr. Chow’s, and brand new cookware.
When the red team came back from their reward, Ja'Nel wanted to get refocused and kick the blue team’s butts again. During dinner service, she was on the fish station. 45 minutes into service, Susan announced she was ready in one minute, but she revealed she did not drop her scallops yet, telling her to tell her when to drop them. However, Susan felt that she would be left in the dust if she was dragging behind, and then, she sent up raw scallops, dismaying her as it was her worst nightmare. That angered Ramsay as Susan was not paying attention to numbers, she was bastardizing scallops, and accused the red team of choking despite pulling down the menu items. Then, Susan accused her of drowning while dragging them down, while Mary wanted to slap her as she was better than that. Hoping that her refire was her perfect dish, she got them accepted. While working on Kelly Hu's entrée order, she felt she was under a huge magnifying glass due to her scallop mishap, and hoped to keep working with her head down. Unfortunately, her halibut was raw, and after reminding herself it was meant for the VIP, she hoped it was a bad dream before asking somebody to get her out of the hell hole. That was the final straw for Ramsay, who proceeded to kick the red team out of the kitchen. With both teams kicked out, Ramsay told Jean-Philippe to shut down both kitchens.
Back at the dorms, Cyndi asked Ja'Nel what happened to her as she was running the kitchen well in the past before falling hard that night, but she had no explanation as she was ashamed of her performance. Both teams were named joint losers, and they were asked to nominate one each. During deliberation, Cyndi deemed her night a bad one, and Susan felt that sending her up would be the easy choice as she got them kicked out. However, she asked if one bad performance automatically deemed her the weakest chef, refused to believe that without a fight, and reminded them that Ramsay asked them to nominate the weakest chef overall. While Susan felt they were all equally strong, she disagreed and considered the former for nomination, even asking Susan if she felt she was a better cook than herself. Susan said she was and reminded her about her multiple mistakes that night, but she asked Mary and Cyndi which one of them would they want to have, herself or Susan.
She was not nominated for elimination.[13]
Episode 14/15[]
- Main article: Episode 1114 - 7 Chefs Compete Part 1
- Main article: Episode 1115 - 7 Chefs Compete Part 2
Back at the dorms, Ja'Nel noticed how pissed Nedra was at elimination.
While Ja'Nel did not compete in the Touch Challenge, she was confused about what the challenge was as Ramsay always threw something at them after Sous Chef James rolled out a box. During the Blind Taste Test, she was the second person from the red team to compete and went up against Anthony. While was nervous about incorrectly guessing ingredients she tasted every day, she got broccoli, pistachio, and prune correct. The red team won the challenge 7-6, and Ramsay deemed her the star for her team. They were rewarded with a seafood lunch at Nobu in Malibu and horseback riding at the Santa Monica mountains. During the reward, she deemed her lunch delicious.
During the King of the Hill Challenge, Ja'nel called it a ballsy move for Susan to cook lamb as the latter had it hanging over her the entire competition. She was the first person to have her dish judged by Ramsay, and Ramsay recalled her tiger grilled prawns back in the Signature Dish Challenge being good despite there being two prawns. She made a pan-seared duck breast with cumin-scented sweet potato purée and orange glazed green beans, and they were praised for being cooked beautifully, even though she mistook the green beans for carrots during her description leading Ramsay to hand her water in response. After, she sat in the winner’s chair, and Ramsay said she set the bar high. While she won out over Anthony and Susan, she lost the challenge after Jon dethroned her, although she was annoyed that she lost by a nudge.[14]
Back at the dorms, Ja'Nel felt she could have won if she beated out Jon’s dish, but while Susan was proud of the latter for winning, she called Jon a jerk-o-matic as he beated her out twice, before deciding to keep her eye on him. Before service began, Ramsay told the red team they were serving Jeremy Sisto, which excited her as the women were in a great mindset.
During dinner service, Ja'Nel was on the garnish station. At one point, she accidentally cut herself and did not want to bleed all over her station, so Ramsay had the medic come in to look after it. Later, she went back into the kitchen after getting patched up, but despite trying to get back to where she left off, she had no idea what was going on as she did not answer Mary or Susan questions. Then, she sent up poorly made sautéed mushrooms that Ramsay compared to barf, but refused to let her team pick up her slack and got the refire accepted, allowing the VIP table to get their entrées.
The red team won the service, but Ramsay asked them to name one volunteer to join the blue team. During deliberation, Ja'Nel knew Jon was not an issue, but Zach was the issue as Cyndi did not want to deal with the former for being fully arrogant. She felt she was strong enough to force Zach into working together, and to get Anthony more vocal, before wanting to prove herself to Ramsay. With the decision being that she would be joining the blue team, Susan was relieved as they had the best chance of the four remaining women all making it to black jackets, while Cyndi feared that she was going into a black hole.
After Anthony's elimination, Ramsay asked Susan who was going into the blue team, and she answered Ja'Nel was. After receiving her blue jacket, she joined the blue team, while Ramsay hoped she did not follow in Nedra’s footsteps.[15]
Episode 16[]
- Main article: Episode 1116 - 6 Chefs Compete
While going back to the dorms, Zach and Jon welcomed Ja'Nel to the blue team as she was one of the strongest chefs, and in the kitchen, she told Jon and Zach she was excited to work with them.
During the Relay Challenge, Ja'Nel could not see Zach do anything during his time, and on the second round, she was left with nothing fired yet. While she was frustrated by the situation Zach left her as it slowed her down, her pan caught fire until Ramsay put it out. On the fifth round, she was trying to get all their garnishes fired as five minutes was not enough. On the halibut round, she presented the blue team's dish, it was deemed beautifully cooked, and she scored that round. The blue team won the challenge 2-0, and they were rewarded with a helicopter tour of Los Angeles, and a visit to the Gillette Ranch to indulge in $20,000 worth of caviar. When the blue team walked past the red team during their punishment, she boasted that she was a born winner.
When the blue team came back from their reward, Ja'Nel bragged about it to her former teammates. During prep, Jon warned her that the blue team’s biggest problem was shutting down in services, mostly referring to Zach. When Zach made a snide comment about that, she and Jon exchanged a look that said they had to look out for the former. During dinner service, she was on both the appetizer station and the garnish station. As she worked on appetizers, she called herself a workhorse for working smart and hard, before believing she could lead the blue team to victory. She and Jon got their appetizers accepted, and her leadership allowed the blue team to complete appetizers and move onto entrées. At one point, Zach did not answer her request to walk the lamb, leaving her to wonder if he was focused, in the zone, or shitting his pants. After service ended, Jon thanked her for her help.
Although both teams were named joint winners, they were asked to nominate one each. During deliberation, Jon told Ja'Nel that there was no way she was going up based on what he saw that day but was asked who she would nominate. She admitted that Zach kicked ass in challenges in the beginning, and Jon has been kicking ass in the recent challenges, but while she called Zach a weak chef, Jon was her biggest competition and felt it be smart to get the latter nominated.
Ja'Nel was not nominated for elimination, but when Ramsay asked her who the weakest chef on the red team was, she said Susan.[16]
Episode 17/18[]
- Main article: Episode 1117 - 5 Chefs Compete Part 1
- Main article: Episode 1118 - 5 Chefs Compete Part 2
Back at the dorms, Susan asked Ja'Nel why she disliked her, but she argued she was only nitpicking at the tiniest details, and told Susan to take it or leave it. However, Susan felt she needed to get her eyes checked if she did not see her as a threat, before threatening murder if they deemed her weak again.
The next day, Ja'Nel received a video message from her mother and sister, making her recall their support towards her. Soon afterwards, she received a visit from them, and wanted both Ramsay and her mother proud, and tried not to swear in from of her, but struggled a lot. After, Ramsay announced that the final five would become black jackets, and she was the second person to receive hers. In addition, not only was she happy that none of them were sent home, but their families were there to see that moment.
During the Pressure Cooker Challenge, Ja'Nel got goat ribs, concerning her as it did not have a lot of meat. During the cooking, she decided to use okra as she never used it a lot but did not know who was judging her dish as she made it spicy. After Susan's critiques, she realized they had their work cut out against tough critics. She was the fourth person to have her dish judged, and presented her goat rib with crispy okra and mashed potatoes. They were praised for tasting better than great, well-seasoned, she scored 14 stars, and wished Mary luck to beat her. When Mary's dish was praised, she grew worried, but was sure her dish was better.
Ja'Nel lost the challenge to Mary, and after hearing the latter's reward, she was horrendously disappointed as she wanted to see her family again. She was punished to help with Tree People which included digging up holes, slashing brushes and shoveling mulch. In addition, She was also forced to participate in recycling day. After hearing all that, she deemed it disgusting and felt her stomach would not be strong against smells. During the punishment, she and Jon worked on the mulch, and was ready to give back to the Earth. The two were able to get their job done quickly, and Jim Hardie gave them a passing grade. While sorting through trash, she complained that the trash smelled over 5000 times worse than the worst smell imagined, and then, freaked out over seeing a maggot. After, she claimed she could go through the punishment if it were not for the maggots, and wanted to get the torture to be over with.
Later that evening, Ramsay called the dorms and asked Mary to bring everybody downstairs immediately.[17] There, Ramsay announced that the black jackets would face off against a team of former champions. When Paul revealed himself, he warned the final five that the big deal was back, but Ja'Nel told him not to talk shit to them out the gate as he had no idea who he was going against. While going over the menu, she loved Mary's idea for a beef tartare, and also agreed with Cyndi on making Susan a floater.
During prep, Ja'Nel was embarrassed after the black jackets failed to plate the duck confit on time. During dinner service, she was on the appetizer station. At one point, Mary tried to speak up as a leader, but she told the former to calm down. When Susan asked her to help her on the tartares, she refused as she had too much risotto, frustrating Susan as she called her pathetic for babysitting two pans of risotto over her fifteen tartares. When Susan called out inconsistent timings on her capellini, she got irritated by the former's inconsistent timings, and questioned how Susan was able to get far, before calling her a joke for making these mistakes by now. The black jackets lost the service as they had a 93% approval rating compared to the champion's 95%, and they were asked to nominate two people for elimination. During deliberation, Cyndi told her that it almost felt Susan was running appetizers more than herself, but she refused to believe that, and refused to believe she was the weakest chef in the competition.
She was not nominated for elimination.[18]
Episode 19[]
- Main article: Episode 1119 - 5 Chefs Compete Part 3
The next day, Ramsay showed the final five a covered dome and asked them to guess what was under there, with Ja'Nel believing it was offal. During the 10 Portions Gourmet Burger Challenge, she made a salmon burger despite it being a big risk, and Mary noticed her jalapeno was going black on one side on the grill. When speaking to the judges, she mentioned how she took a risk for her dish. She lost the challenge to Jon, and was punished by doing all of Jean-Philippe’s daily chores, which was a long list to her shock, and prep the kitchen for that night’s service. During the punishment, she complained that losing sucked as she was not used to punishments, and later, she warned Susan about what type of vacuum nozzle she was using, but the latter annoyingly called her a perfect person, and claimed she knew what she was doing. However, she felt that Mary and Susan had no idea what they were doing and took the lead when it came to set the table, but Mary felt she knew what she was doing until she noticed a tablecloth out of place. Then, Mary told her to chill as they can figure it out.
During dinner service, Ja'Nel was on the appetizer station. She was seen getting her first order accepted, and when Antonio Sabato Jr. came into the chef's table, she refused to buckle under the pressure and wanted to remain focused. On their next order, she felt she was getting slammed on risottos, but wanted to make hers delicious, only for her slow performance to annoy both Ramsay and Jon. When she did send up her risotto, it tasted disgusting and mushy, with a pissed Ramsay asking her, to her embarrassment, what was happening. Due to that mistake, the flow of food slowed down, and diners were left hungry and restless. Fortunately, her refire was accepted, to her relief.
After service, Ramsay asked the final five to name two people for elimination. During deliberation, Mary reminded Ja'Nel how she should know when a risotto gets overcooked by taste, and she admitted she did not taste the mushy risotto. However, when Cyndi accused her of stumbling over the pressure, she felt it was bullshit for everybody to put her up based on that night’s service and felt she was stronger than the other chefs. Then, she wanted to nominate the weakest chef overall, but Susan felt she was not accepting her weaknesses. After, she considered Susan the weakest chef overall, but the latter asked if holding down her station made her weak. However, that comment set her off as she claimed she was better than Susan in a lot of ways; better palate, moved more quickly, had more creative ideas, but Susan sarcastically called her humble based on the list. Then, an argument between her and Susan erupted as she called the latter a rookie.
While Mary was named the first nominee, it was a tie between Ja'Nel and Susan for the second nominee. When Ramsay asked her what the difference between her and Susan was, she retorted that the latter was not stronger than her due to the team not having faith in Susan. However, Ramsay called the three women down to the front, and during her plea, she felt she shown her potential since the beginning and has been a leader since the start. She survived elimination, and while being dismissed, she felt the competition would continue to test her and wanted to be the last person standing.[19]
Episode 20[]
- Main article: Episode 1120 - 4 Chefs Compete
The next day, Ja'Nel was paired up with Cyndi for a puzzle challenge, but while the latter felt she was not working with her on the puzzle, she called it harder than it looked. While they lost to the pair of Jon and Mary, it was not the real challenge as Ramsay announced the Taste It Now Make It Challenge. During the challenge, she revealed her strategy was to taste only the milder stuff first before going for the meat. She used venison and butternut squash for her dish, but after struggling with either between either turnip, parsnip, or celery root, she picked parsnip. During the judging, she was disappointed in her messy presentation but was confident she got it right. She lost the challenge to Cyndi as she failed to get the diced vegetable correct, and was upset she lost another challenge by an inch.
Ja'Nel was punished by participating in moving day, which included moving all the unneeded mattresses and furniture out of the dorms and into the truck. As the three chefs went back to the dorms, Ramsay reminded her how she lost with a parsnip. During the punishment, she was very vocal on her hatred of moving, and complained that one of the mattresses smelled like farts. After, she felt she could not eat anything after what she saw.
During prep, Ja'Nel complained about having her hands scratched. During dinner service, she was on the meat station. She was the second chef to run the pass, but like with Cyndi before her, barely anybody responded to her call out, which she noticed as dysfunctional. Deciding to command the kitchen, she rejected Cyndi’s capellini for a lack of seasoning twice, and accused the latter of making her look stupid. Then, Ramsay reminded Cyndi how she started off strong on appetizers before accusing her of trying to sabotage her, and she not only felt she was in the middle of a shit storm, but feared her impending elimination if she could not run the pass. Cyndi argued she was not sabotaging her, while she decided to turn it around and become the leader Ramsay wanted, before accepting Cyndi’s third attempt. On their next order, Ramsay decided to start firing entrées, but Andi deliberately sent up cod instead of the halibut on order. However, she caught that mistake even after she plated it, even asking where it came from as cod was not on the menu, and Jon was surprised by her strong performance. During Jon's turn, she served raw lamb, and when she did not speak to him on the refire, an irate Ramsay gather everybody and told them to count down in sync. After, her refire was accepted. During Mary's turn, she was excited to see the former being empowering, but felt Mary was acting like a tyrant at the same time.
After service, Ramsay asked the final two come up with a plea on why they deserved to be in the final two. During deliberation, Ja'Nel knew that nobody had a perfect service that night, but at the same time, nobody was a shoe in to get piece out, only for Jon to accused her of fucking him on the raw lamb, and that it reevaluated his opinion of her as a strong chef. Then, Cyndi reminded her of going down under pressure like in the previous service, but she accused them of having tunnel vision as everybody else sent up poorly made food that night, and was frustrated how they were targeting her out of only one mistake.
When the final four came downstairs, Ramsay asked them why they deserved to be in the final two. Ja'Nel called herself strong and talented, while knowing she could improve herself. After Cyndi's elimination, Mary was named the first finalist, and before either she or Jon joined the latter, the episode ended as a cliffhanger.[20]
Episode 21/22[]
- Main article: Episode 1121 - 2 Chefs Compete
- Main article: Episode 1122 - Winner Chosen
Continuing from the previous episode, both Jon and Ja'Nel waited in anticipation for Ramsay’s announcement, but in the end, she was named the second finalist, making her speechless. After Jon left, Ramsay hugged the two finalists remarked how fitting that the final two were both women as that season was the year of the women, and after reminding them that one of them would become the winner, he suggested they enjoy the moment and celebrate, before telling them to pack their bags as they were leaving for Las Vegas immediately. As the two went up to pack, she could not believe she was going back to Vegas and was thankful to be in the final two as the competition between herself and Mary would be intense. Later, the final two met Ramsay at the private jet, and during the trip, they toasted to the milestone. During the trip, Ramsay jokingly asked Mary how many glasses would it take for her voice to deepen, and while the latter felt she was getting close, she felt it was getting higher. Then, she felt she started strong, and despite some hiccups, she bounced back, and that the competition was hers to win. After, Ramsay told the final two to start thinking about their menus which included four appetizers, four entrées, and two desserts with the goal of having it represent themselves. She was assigned Sous Chef James, but when she openly wanted to show Ramsay her range of flavors, Mary felt she thought more about herself than anybody else.
At Vegas, the final two’s personal concierge escorted them to their own Villa for the evening, and Ja'Nel called it pure luxury, before believing she could get used to it. After, the two broke off to think about menu items, and she felt that she was going to fill up her pages with passion. The next day, the Sous Chefs arrived and the final two met with their respective partners for advice. Sous Chef James warned her that her menu had a lot of shellfish items, although she did not agree with him in a few points, and was ready to head back to Hell’s Kitchen. However, a knock on the door occurred, and when they opened the door, a Roman Centurion appeared with a message from Ramsay. The message told the two to be prepared to meet a very important person from the Caesars Palace family, exciting her as she would meet the person she would be working with soon. Once outside, Ramsay introduced the final two to Caesars Palace President Gary Selesner, and he congratulated the final two for making it this far. Then, Ramsay revealed there was one more surprise in store, and as they drove to the Paris hotel, she wondered what was around the corner. There, Ramsay took the final two to Gordon Ramsay Steak, and then, Ramsay called over Season 10 winner Christina to meet with them. That surprised her as Christina just won the previous season, and Ramsay told the final two that he was giving them a chance to speak with a previous contestant that nailed it in her season. As the women sat down for dinner, Christina asked if they thought about their brigades yet as she herself had to think who she could trust in her team, while also evaluating the strong from the weak and reminded them that the first pick was crucial, and they should not pick their best friend like a kickball game. After dinner, Ramsay came back with presents for the two, their head chef jackets, and she called it a great day, before hoping to be in the same position as Christina .
Later that night, the final two made it back to Hell’s Kitchen for a little bit of relaxation, when suddenly the phone rang, and Ramsay told them they were going on another overnight trip, but Ja'Nel knew things in Hell’s Kitchen were not as they seemed. Arriving at a local train station, a conductor led them to what was supposed to be their train, and on their way, the final two reunited with their loved ones, her sister and mother. After, the conductor led them to the entrance to the train, but after entering the hall, they arrived in a stage with a large audience cheering for them. There, Ramsay admitted to the final two that they were not there to catch a train, but instead, it was time for their final challenge, although she felt she was not prepared at all.
During the Final Menu Challenge, Ja'Nel was taken aback by the request as they normally do one dish in 45 minutes, and knew Ramsay was kicking up the pressure. During the cooking, she wanted to go outside the box, and hoped for the judges to see her vision, before taking a big risk with beef cheeks in order to stand out. On the cold appetizer round, she felt confident before believing she would kick ass, and presented her deconstructed BLT with fried green tomatoes, crispy prosciutto, baby arugula, and gorgonzola ranch. Sang Yoon praised the texture of the dish and the crispiness of the prosciutto, but felt it was a stretch to call it a BLT, even though she felt she covered all the bases to call it a BLT. Despite that, she scored that round, and deemed that win proof she had a BLT. During the hot appetizer round, she knew Homaru Cantu was looking for different techniques, and presented her mussels with coconut curry. It was praised for strong flavors, but criticized for a lack of seasoning, and she lost that round. On the fish entrée round, she made a pan seared rainbow trout with cauliflower cooked two ways and brown butter pine vinaigrette, and it was praised for having a moist fish, even though David Lefevre felt it was a little busy in some places. After, she scored that round, and was ready to win it as she only needed one more point. On the chicken entrée round, she made an oven roasted chicken breast with parmesan polenta and salsa verde, and while it was deemed stunning, she lost that round, to her dismay as it meant she had to use her risky beef dish, before hoping her beef cheeks were a hit. On the beef entrée round, she made a red wine braised beef cheeks on top of smashed red potatoes, and fortunately for her, Jeffery Frederick was a huge fan of beef cheeks, and felt she did an excellent job preparing it as it was very tender. After, she won that round, and won the challenge 3-2.
After the challenge, the final two reunited with their former teammates, and Ja'Nel was excited to see them again, before hoping there were no hard feelings. Because she won the challenge, she had first pick of the drafts for her brigade. She picked Cyndi as her first pick after a difficult decision, reasoning that she has worked with the latter before, and felt she was a strong chef who could work fast, with Cyndi’s victory in the Taste It Now Make It Challenge being used, and the latter was happy to have been picked first as it meant it was a close decision. Then, she picked Susan as her second choice, but before making her third choice, she asked Zach how she could trust him in the kitchen. Zach promised that he wanted to see her succeed, despite sabotaging Ray in the private dinner service, and she named him her third pick as he had something to prove, before picking Amanda as her fourth and Ray as her fifth. After, Ramsay gave her and Mary an envelope each for them to read as it contained instructions that could impact their performance in the final service. However, Ramsay told the two not to open them until they returned to Hell’s Kitchen, and while she was ready to dig her heels in and get to work, she was curious what the envelopes contained.
Returning back to Hell’s Kitchen, Ja'Nel and Mary opened their envelopes in the confessional, and both were shocked that the letter gave each of them an opportunity to trade one member from their brigade with somebody from the other’s brigade, but they only had until the doors open to do so. The two met in the bedroom to discuss the letter, and Mary was too uneasy with Dan as the latter was full of himself and could sink her, before expressing a desire to trade him for Cyndi. However, she did not want Dan on her team at all and told Mary she was happy with her brigade, much to the latter’s dismay. Later that night, Susan told her that they were here to make her look good, but when she listed off her appetizers, Zach expressed concern about there being a lot of seafood items, only for her to retort that she wanted it on the menu. However, when Cyndi brought up that three of the four items were grilled, she felt her team was testing her decision, but wanted her menu to please the customers. Then, Cyndi was not sure about beef cheeks for an entrée as nobody from her city would order a dish like that, and Susan commented that she never saw that on a California menu before. Fed up with her team trying to give her suggestions, she bluntly told them that it was her menu and she was their boss, but then, she started to rethink her decision about trading with Mary.[21] Eventually, she left after growing frustrated with her team disliking her menu, and contemplated trading one of them for one of Mary’s. However, she realized that despite being pissed at her team, she was not interested in trading with Mary, and wanted to lead her team to victory. So, she returned to her team, and firmly told her team that she wanted the men to reflect herself, although she did acknowledge that Cyndi was trying to give input and was confident they would kick ass the following service.
The next day, Ja'Nel was ready as she knew that night’s service would determine her entire career. During prep, she wanted her team to pick up the pace as they had to get a lot prepared in a short amount of time, but while Zach promised he had her back, Cyndi warned her that their noodles were half frozen. When Ramsay took a look at her dishes, she explained that she used an elevated Southern background for her dishes. While Ramsay praised the BLT salad, he told her to be generous with the prosciutto, before praising the rest of her dishes as well, deeming it a strong flavor profile. After, she completely trusted herself, was ready to rock it out, and told her team that she was not nervous at all. Before service began, she told her team she really wanted to win and asked them not to get frazzled as it was not a race.
During dinner service, Ja'Nel called out the first order, but nobody responded until Cyndi asked them to as she had her back on her big night. Then, she told Ray to add more dressing to the salad, dismaying Susan as it would be a long night if they could not even get salads right, but Ray was able to get it fixed. Later, Susan got her prawns accepted while she looked to Ray for the second to last order of appetizers, only to reject his salads for being overdressed as an annoyed Ramsay told Ray to wake up. While Ray felt she was getting nitpicky with her perfectionism as blue diners were growing impatient, his second attempt was accepted. When she only had only the chef’s table left for appetizers, Susan sent up burnt flatbread for the mussels and she wanted to keep an evil eye on everything. Fortunately, Amanda’s attempt was accepted, and she started firing entrées. Later that night, Ramsay pulled her and Mary to the middle, and told them they were doing a good job so far while adding on that they needed to keep their standards for their final six tickets. However, she rejected Susan’s garnishes for being cold and underseasoned, and told the latter to make use of the space she had on the flat top. However, Susan told her to worry about something else, and with Cyndi’s help, the refire was accepted. On their next order, Amanda said she could be ready in one minute, but Zach wanted six instead for his chicken, even though the former feared her trout would be overcooked by then. Ramsay warned her that her team was falling apart, before urging her to step it up. So, she became more vocal with her team, but two hours into dinner service, Ramsay told her that Zach’s six minutes was now eleven minutes, and the prawns on the pass became cold as a result. When she asked Amanda and Zach for a time, neither responded until Ramsay spoke up, only for Amanda revealing she lost the cod and had to refire a new one. When nobody responded to her for a time, she grew frustrated as Ramsay warned her the team was running by their rules and not hers, and so, she became more vocal, making her team respond to her now. Because of that, the blue team rallied back, and entrées began flowing out the blue kitchen. She managed to finish service not long after Mary.
Back in the dorms, Ja'Nel felt her mind was racing a million miles and was nervous for Ramsay’s decision as she refused to leave empty-handed. Later that night, Ramsay called the dorms asked the finalists to meet at his office, and she knew she could be going to the top or going home that night. At his office, Ramsay praised her for being a natural leader and being in complete control that night, while adding on that no matter what happened, she had a bright future. After, Ramsay had the finalists stand in front of the two doors, and after his countdown from three, both turned their handles, but only her door opened. She became the winner of Hell’s Kitchen, and won the head chef position at Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, with a salary of $250,000, and was extremely happy to win and felt like she was on top of the world, before asking how lucky she was. After, she called it a wild ride, hung up her portrait on the Wall of Fame, and declared her journey at Hell’s Kitchen over, but her journey at Caesars Palace has begun. During the celebrating, she celebrated with her family.
Ramsay's comment: "In all my years in Hell's Kitchen, I have never seen a more composed individual than Ja'Nel. And that is why I am so happy to have this ambitious, creative and talented woman as my Head Chef." [22]
Nomination History[]
| Week 1 | Win |
|---|---|
| Week 2 | Safe |
| Week 3 | Safe |
| Week 4 | Safe |
| Week 5 | Safe |
| Week 6 | Safe |
| Week 7 | Win |
| Week 8 | Safe |
| Week 9 | Safe |
| Week 10 | Safe |
| Week 11 | Win |
| Week 12 | Safe |
| Week 13 | Win |
| Week 14 | Safe |
| Week 15 | Safe |
| Week 16 | Nominated |
| Week 17 | Safe |
| Week 18 | Winner |
Post Hell's Kitchen[]
- After her appearance on the show, Ja'Nel was Executive Chef at Corner Table before working as a Chef Consultant for several restaurants including Sammy's Steakhouse, Beefit Foods, and Sammy's Ritas and Fajitas.
- From April 2019 to November 2020, she had also worked as an Executive Chef at Sonoma Restaurant and Wine Bar.
Trivia[]
- She participated in the second all-female finals of Hell's Kitchen.
- She is the eleventh winner, and sixth female winner of Hell's Kitchen.
- She is the second African-American contestant to win Hell's Kitchen, following Rock (Season 3), and the first female.
- She is the third winner that was nominated by Ramsay, following Christina (Season 4) and Nona (Season 8).
- She and Mary are the first pair of finalists to be nominated for elimination on the same day.
- She is the sixth female contestant who switched teams and made it to the black jackets, following Heather (Season 2), Jen (Season 4), Suzanne (Season 6), Autumn (Season 7), and Robyn (Season 10).
- She is the third contestant who switched teams and won the competition, following Michael (Season 1), and Heather (Season 2).
- She is the third contestant to have worn all four jackets (red, blue, black and chef's) and win the season, following Michael (Season 1) and Heather (Season 2).
- She is the only contestant to date be asked to vote from Chef Ramsay on the red despite being on a blue team due to the red team voted each other during elimination for the weakest chef in the team until Chef Ramsay had to call her to vote.
- She is the third winner to score a point during the Signature Dish Challenge, following Paul (Season 9) and Christina (Season 10). She was also the last, and first one in her round to do so in a tie.
- She is the first contestant to hold the record for the most consecutive challenge rewards, with 7.
- She had the highest record of most challenge victories in a single season, with 12 to her name, and would be tied by one more individual, 7 seasons later.
- She is the third winner who was not awarded their promised position, following Dave (Season 6) and Holli (Season 7). However, she is the first winner to not be awarded their position due to a failed drug test. She is also the last one to this date.
- She won the most challenges in her season, with 12.
- She holds the record for the most consecutive services before a nomination, with 16.
Quotes[]
- (About Jean-Philippe’s sudden return) “Oh my god, JP!? Where has he been for three years?”
- (After serving raw scallops) "This is my worst nightmare. Fuck!"
- (To Susan) "I'm a better chef than you, I'm faster than you, I'm more creative, I have a better palate than you..."
- (After being named winner) "YEAAAAAH. Oh my god, I win! I win Hell's Kitchen season 11. I feel on top of the world. I cannot believe it. How lucky can I be? I will never forget this day for the rest of my life." "I'm so proud of myself, right now. It's been a wild wild ride, but it's been incredible and my life will never ever be the same. My Hell's Kitchen journey ends tonight, but my future lies at Caesars Palace: Gordon Ramsay's Pub & Grill. I am so ready to move to Vegas, dig my heels in, and get to work."
Gallery[]
.png "Ja'Nel's Confessional (Red Jacket).png (345 KB)")
.png "Ja'Nel's Confessional (Blue Jacket).png (343 KB)")
.png "Ja'Nel's Confessional (Black Jacket).png (345 KB)")
.png "Ja'Nel's Confessional (Head Chef Jacket).png (350 KB)")
.png "Ja'Nel's Farm Animal Dish (Goat).png (229 KB)")
.png "Ja'Nel's Steak Creation Dish (Hangar Steak).png (198 KB)")
.png "Ja'Nel's International Cuisine (Thai).png (247 KB)")
.png "Ja'Nel and Mary's Final Tasting Dishes (Cold Appetizer).png (240 KB)")
.png "Ja'Nel's Final Tasting Dish (Hot Appetizer).png (289 KB)")
.png "Ja'Nel's Final Tasting Dish (Fish Entrée).png (254 KB)")
.png "Ja'Nel's Final Tasting Dish (Chicken Entrée).png (215 KB)")
.png "Ja'Nel's Final Tasting Dish (Beef Entrée).png (235 KB)")
External links[]
Ja'Nel Witt on Instagram
References[]
| Hell's Kitchen Season 11 |
|---|
| Staff |
| Gordon Ramsay (Head Chef) • James Avery (Blue Team Sous Chef) • Andi Van Willigan-Cutspec (Red Team Sous Chef) • Jean-Philippe Susilovic (Maître d'hôtel) |
| Contestants |
| Gina Aloise • Ray Alongi • Jacqueline Baldassari • Barret Beyer • Danielle Boorn • Amanda Giblin • Nedra Harris • Susan Heaton • Michael Langdon • Jessica Lewis • Jeremy Madden • Mary Poehnelt • Anthony Rodriguez • Christian Rosati • Sebastian Royo • Dan Ryan • Jon Scallion • Cyndi Stanimirov • Ja'Nel Witt • Zach Womack |