Reality Rundown: Kitchen Nightmares USA

One of my guilty pleasures on daytime television is Kitchen Nightmares USA. It’s just something I remember coming across whilst mindlessly scrolling through channels as a child and have recently got back into on All 4. I briefly tried an episode of Kitchen Nightmares UK, but I could not get into it at all. This got me questioning what makes the USA one so addictive?  

Gordon Ramsay is of course the face of the show and it’s fascinating how he has crafted this persona for American audiences versus a British one, particularly on his shows with Gino D’Acampo and Fred Sirieux. The show is a chaotic one, filled with dramatic walkouts, relationships in ruins and many screaming matches. It also has the shock factor revealing some disgusting behind-the-scenes of restaurants. It’s grim but you can’t stop watching. There are some heartfelt moments when Gordon Ramsay’s compassionate side comes out and you get the feeling he really cares about the people and turning the business around.

Sadly, the show stopped running about 8 years ago, but the show’s YouTube page remains active, making compilations and uploading full episodes. Kitchen Nightmares USA will always be an entertaining choice for me, guaranteeing a few laughs and plenty of “wouldn’t want to eat there” remarks.