Hell's Kitchen (American season 2)


Season 2 of Hell's Kitchen was cast during November 2005, premiered on June 12, 2006 and concluded on August 14, 2006. This was the first season of Hell's Kitchen to start a number of contestants divided to two teams by gender, which would become a tradition in subsequent seasons.
Sous chef Heather West won the season. Her prize was the position of executive chef at the Red Rock Resort Spa and Casino in Las Vegas with a salary of $250,000, where she worked as chef at the Terra Rossa Restaurant. Runner-up Virginia Dalbeck had the worst streak of any finalist on the show, being nominated every single time apart from wins and "Best of the Worst" nominations.
Taping for the second season was done in the same building where the first season was taped.
This was the last season of the show to be aired in standard definition.

Cast

The second season featured the following 12 contestants, who were initially separated onto blue and red teams by gender:
ContestantAge OccupationHometownResult
Heather West25Sous chefPort Jefferson, New YorkWinner
Virginia Dalbeck25Salad chefNew York, New YorkRunner-Up
Keith Greene †28Chef/bartenderSouthampton, New YorkEliminated before Finals
Sara Horowitz31Deli managerDallas, TexasEliminated after 8th Service
Garrett Telle27Former Prisoner/ChefCedar Park, TexasEliminated after 7th Service
Maribel Miller31Cafeteria chefBrooklyn, New YorkEliminated before Black Jackets
Rachel Brown †39Personal chefDallas, TexasEliminated after 5th Service
Thomas "Tom" Poley43Former stockbrokerBelleville, New JerseyEliminated after 4th Service
Giacomo Alfieri21Pizza chefEuless, TexasEliminated after 3rd Service
Gabriel "Gabe" Gagliardi27Marketing executiveChicago, IllinoisEliminated after 2nd Service
Lawrence "Larry" Ross38FishmongerArlington, TexasLeft before 2nd Service
Paula "Polly" Holladay43CatererBen Franklin, TexasEliminated after 1st Service

† Indicates that the contestants died after filming ended.
On May 9, 2007, Rachel Brown committed suicide in her own home.
On August 15, 2012, Keith Greene drowned in a lake during a morning swim.

Contestant progress

Each week, the best member from the losing team during the latest service period was asked to nominate two of their teammates for elimination; one of these two was sent home by Ramsay.

Episodes