The torture behind ‘Apprentice,’ ‘Hell’s Kitchen,’ and ‘Top Chef’

[mystery-ak]

http://nypost.com/2015/01/25/apprentice-hells-kitchen-top-chef-reveal-torture-behind-scenes/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=NYPFacebook&utm_medium=SocialFlow

The torture behind ‘Apprentice,’ ‘Hell’s Kitchen,’ and ‘Top Chef’
By Maureen CallahanJanuary 25, 2015 | 6:00am


Tom Colicchio, Donald Trump and Gordon Ramsay
Photo: Bravo ; NBC ; FOX

Last Sunday, two former contestants on “The Biggest Loser” revealed to The Post the torture, starvation and anguish that goes on behind the scenes of the popular reality show.

Since publication, a number of former contestants on other shows reached out to the Post to tell stories of utter devastation: physical, mental, financial. Some have since changed their names; some have had to change careers.

“Reality stars are treated with less consideration than a non-speaking actor brought in off the street,” says one veteran, who asked to remain anonymous. “You walk in and they own you. The contracts they make you sign absolve the networks of any responsibility whatsoever — but what they don’t tell you is that they intend to inflict physical and emotional harm on you.”

continued...

[mountaineer]

Who signs up for a "reality show" without knowing what it's all about?   

[ABX]

We had one local who appeared on Masterchef and his whole bio they gave him was made up. He was actually an actor and later he said that pretty much everyone on the show but a couple of people were all actors first and almost everything was written for them. They even had coaching on each dish they made in the contest so it was scripted what dishes were good, bad, and eventually won.

[Oceander]

I've heard that on some of the cooking competition shows they more or less pre-select the winner before the ovens are even warmed up.

[ABX]

I've heard that on some of the cooking competition shows they more or less pre-select the winner before the ovens are even warmed up.

The season of Masterchef that the guy in town was in, the winner ended up being a blind woman. Let that sink in, a blind person winning a cooking competition. Complete scripted underdog story.

Of course, oops, it was revealed she really wasn't fully blind. Legally blind yes, but she did have partial eyesight. They described it as looking in a foggy bathroom mirror.  They didn't reveal this in the show of course, they played her up as totally 100% blind.

http://gossipandgab.com/5109/masterchef-2012-blind-contestant-christine-ha-not-fully-blind

[Luis Gonzalez]

I've heard that on some of the cooking competition shows they more or less pre-select the winner before the ovens are even warmed up.

Gordon Ramsay isn't about to pick some random fry cook from Tuscaloosa to run his brand new steakhouse concept at Caesar's Palace and pay him or her $250K a year to do it.

There are two, maybe three real contestants and everyone else is there for the entertainment value.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZg-N9rzQpU

[jmyrlefuller]

I've heard that on some of the cooking competition shows they more or less pre-select the winner before the ovens are even warmed up.

If that's true, we have another Twenty One on our hands.

[mountaineer]

The cooking competition shows are ridiculous, especially the ones with children competing. Can anyone understand any of the so-called reality shows on the WE network? Where do they find these people, even if they're actors? Awful.

[ABX]

Gordon Ramsay isn't about to pick some random fry cook from Tuscaloosa to run his brand new steakhouse concept at Caesar's Palace and pay him or her $250K a year to do it.

There are two, maybe three real contestants and everyone else is there for the entertainment value.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZg-N9rzQpU

...until you find out that a vast majority of the winners (6 of 7) are never allowed to cook in or run his restaurants. http://foodiegossip.blogspot.com/2010/12/hells-kitchen-hell-of-embarrassment.html Some get lesser roles, most don't actually get the job.

[GourmetDan]

 
Reality-shows are simply entertainment.

I don't know anybody who believes they are anything but a totally-scripted program...

[olde north church]

...until you find out that a vast majority of the winners (6 of 7) are never allowed to cook in or run his restaurants. http://foodiegossip.blogspot.com/2010/12/hells-kitchen-hell-of-embarrassment.html Some get lesser roles, most don't actually get the job.

I take most of what I watch on television or read on the Internet with a grain of salt, whether a game show or "foodie blog".