OMI Hooper, whose still making it through season 2 of Gordon Ramsay’s Next Level Chef, gave her best tips and tricks for getting on the cooking show.
Speaking exclusively with The U.S. Sun, Omi said anyone who hopes to be on Gordon’s fast-paced cooking show needs to remember it’s a game and it’s all about how you play it.
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“I think that you have to look at the competition as a game. We are playing a game and it’s about who’s going to play it best,” she said of her time on Next Level Chef.
“You have to be aware of the time, you need to make sure that you are listening actively to the mentors.
“It’s $250,000, but it’s also a one-year mentorship by Gordon Ramsay, Nyesha Arrington and Richard Blais.
“They want to know how coachable you are, they want to know how well are you listening on that floor as you’re cooking, and that will be very telling for them.
“They really want to know ‘Does this person have the potential or does this person already know it all and feel like they don’t need anything from us?’
“And I feel like that was probably the best advice that I even took for myself… remain a student at all times.”
Omi also opened up about the secret, surprising rules the contestants were given.
“The rules are to be yourself. The rules are straight out be yourself.
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“Please don’t try to make a scene for the cameras please don’t act out of character what got you here is you being yourself and please remain that way.
“So they were constantly preaching that to us, like just forget that the cameras are here and just be yourself, and I felt like that liberated a lot of people from just being able to just be.”
THE MENTORS
Next Level Chef sees three mentors take talented chefs under their wings to compete in unique cooking challenges in hopes of finding the “food world’s newest superstar.”
Those mentors include Gordon Ramsey, Nayisha Arrington and Richard Blais.
Legendary British chef Gordon Ramsay is no stranger to the culinary world or television.
Since 1997, he has been awarded 17 Michelin stars overall across various restaurants and has been seen on several cooking shows, including Hell’s Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares, and MasterChef.
When Ramsay is not working, he can often be found at home with his wife, Tana Ramsay, and their five kids.
Nyesha Arrington is a popular chef from California who began cooking at the age of five.
After graduating from the Art Institute of California in Los Angeles, she went on to open two restaurants- which have both been placed on Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Jonathan Gold’s iconic list of 101 Best Restaurants- and star on several cooking shows, including Top Chef and Guy’s Grocery Games.
Richard Blais is known as a chef, television personality, restaurateur, and author.
Over the years, he has been seen competing on several shows, including Top Chef and Top Chef: All-Stars, which he previously won.
When Blais is not in the kitchen, he can often be found at home, spending time with his wife, Jazmin Blais, and two kids.
How can I watch Next Level Chef?
Season 2 of Next Level Chef first premiered on February 12, 2023, and is already a hit among fans.
New episodes can be watched weekly on Fox, Thursdays at 8pm EST.
The show can also be streamed on Hulu with an active subscription.
This year, the contestants will be competing for the $250,000 grand prize and a one-year mentorship from the three chefs, according to Variety.
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