The screaming, yelling, and heat of Hell’s Kitchen is legendary, and it’s time to let fans know what Jean-Philippe Susilovic is up to following season 12. Gordon Ramsay brought that long-awaited season to fans from Las Vegas. That was a big change from a converted warehouse in Los Angeles. After a hiatus that lasted for more than two years, the series finally returned, and chefs were battling it out for $250k, plus an executive chef position at the Hell’s Kitchen Lake Tahoe Restaurant. That installment’s contestants were top-notch talents, who delivered pure entertainment. Chef Ramsay’s support staff was also exciting. Chef Christina Wilson was back for her fourth season as the Red Team’s sous chef, and Jason Santos (season 7’s runner-up) returned with his blue hair, as the Blue Team’s sous chef.
After seeing so many fun and familiar Hell’s Kitchen faces, viewers are wondering what happened to some of their favorite Hell’s Kitchen cast members, including the iconic Jean-Philippe. Maîtres d’hôtel are commonly known as maître d’s, and there is little talk about these HK cast members, simply because these pros typically do their jobs so well. While working at the front of the house on Hell’s Kitchen, a maître d’ will greet guests, seat guests, and take their order tickets directly to Gordon. These front of house workers will generally keep the house in order while the kitchen struggles to serve customers. Though viewers do love the current maître d’, Marino “Subito!” Monferrato, most fans consider Jean-Philippe the best maître d’ in Hell’s Kitchen history. He was there for shocking chef eliminations. He held the position for the first seven seasons, and returned for seasons 11 and 12.
Jean-Philippe Was A Hell’s Kitchen Mainstay
The Belgian Jean-Philippe has an impressive resumé. The Hell’s Kitchen maître d’hôtel has worked at some of the world’s (and Gordon’s) best Michelin-starred restaurants. He first met Gordon in Cannes, at the famed La Palme d’Or restaurant. He was 17, and Gordon was 25. Gordon was there to pick up some ideas for opening his very first restaurant, Aubergine. Jean-Philippe really made his mark in the HK world during season 1. In the tenth episode of that season, a chef named Ralph Pagano called the maître d’ “Jean-Pierre” so many times that Jean-Philippe lost it, telling Ralph: “If you call me one more time Jean-Pierre, I’m gonna kill you.” From then on, Jean-Philippe was a Hell’s Kitchen fan favorite.
Sadly, after season 7, Jean-Philippe left Hell’s Kitchen. He then served as the restaurant director of Ramsay’s London eatery, Pétrus. He then met someone he loved in Belgium, so he decided to return to his home permanently. In Belgium, Jean-Philippe opened his own restaurant, Bentley’s. Believing that his HK time was truly over, he discovered that he was missed, and was asked to return. He did come back for seasons 11 and 12, and then left again. The reason for his departure was never explained.
After Hell’s Kitchen season 7, Gordon took to Twitter to soothe fans who were worried about Jean-Philippe. Gordon told them, “for everyone asking about why Jean-Philippe’s not in Hell’s Kitchen, he’s back working as Restaurant Manager at Pétrus in London…” However, after season 12, rumors swirled that Jean-Philippe’s back trouble had flared up. He’d broken his back falling out of his window in 2005. Some thought he simply got tired of sweating in the heat of Hell’s Kitchen. In a 2013 interview, as per Matt & Jess, Jean-Philippe said of the show, “I always feel sorry for the chefs with genuine talent who have a mental meltdown in the middle of the show, not realizing that they have what it takes to win. The last weeks are crazy as some chefs are really tired and make some silly mistakes.” Maybe it was simply time for him to leave the race behind. Whatever the reason, Hell’s Kitchen fans really miss him.
Hell’s Kitchen airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on Fox
Sources: Gordon Ramsay/Twitter, Matt & Jess