Jean-Philippe Susilovic did not leave “Hell’s Kitchen” for any dramatic reason, but simply because he had responsibilities running Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant, Pétrus. Gordon Ramsay confirmed this on his Twitter account.
“Hell’s Kitchen” contestants say they are genuinely surprised by the events of the show, so those shocked reactions you see onscreen are totally real. For example, contestant Ariel Malone said in an interview with Delish that the producers had told her that they were all going out to eat when they were going to cook instead.
However, not everything on television is as it seems – for example, although tensions seem high on the show and often it appears as if a fight would break out, this isn’t the case in reality. The truth is, the show’s producers would never let an actual fight break out, and there are bodyguards on the set; the fighting is simply manufactured to add some extra drama to the show.
Jean-Philippe Susilovic, best known for his work as the maître d’hôtel for celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay’s cooking show, “Hell’s Kitchen.” However, when Jean-Philippe left the show, many fans wondered why.
“I had six-inch heels on, and then, surprise!” Thankfully, they gave her better shoes as heels are a safety hazard in the kitchen, but otherwise, she had to cook in full glam.
During dinner service, JP was on the fish station with JR. Despite asking Aaron for a time on his risotto, he did not get any answer from him. When he sent up his lobster tail, it was raw, and Ramsay called him “Just Pathetic”, based on his initials. When entrées began, he and JR were confused about what to do. Then, when Steve and Ramsay kept asking him for the halibut, he decided to send it, even though he felt it was not good enough. Indeed, the halibut was raw and Ramsay ejected him and JR for their disastrous performance.
While the chefs were on their way to Hells Kitchen, the bus pulled over to Pacific’s Cinerama Theatre as Ramsay wanted to show them an inspirational video before going there. JP was one of the eight chefs shown receiving their acceptance invitation, and he teared up when he saw his daughter while knowing how difficult it was to be away from her. After, Ramsay revealed that the winner of that season would become the Head Chef at Gordon Ramsay Pub and Grill at Caesars Palace, in Atlantic City, and told the chefs to cook their signature dish.
JP was the blue teams second nominee for elimination, with Aaron being the first. During his plea, Ramsay asked him if he knew how to cook fish, which he answered he did and said he was a great chef, and blamed Aaron for being responsible for the blue teams loss. Later, he declared he owned his mistakes after Aaron did with his own. In the end, he was eliminated for his poor performance on fish, and not taking responsibility for it. During his exit interview, he still thought that Aaron sank the kitchen, and claimed himself as a strong cook.
Hometown
Boston, MA
Occupation
Kitchen Manager
Statistics
- Season 13
Signature Dish Challenge Score
1 out of 5
Challenges Won
0
Services Won
0
Times as BoW/Announcer
0
Times Nominated
1
Placement
18th
Episode Eliminated
18 Chefs Compete
During the Signature Dish Challenge, JP was the first to finish cooking with 20 minutes still to go. Ramsay found out, and despite him convincing Ramsay that he would keep it warmed up, Ramsay warned him that it would be overcooked by then, so he decided to start over. He was the second person from the blue team to have his dish judged by Ramsay and went up against Sade. Before tasting, Ramsay asked him if he made another dish after finishing his first one with twenty minutes left, which he answered he did. After, he presented his Boston baked haddock with fingerling potatoes, haricot verts, and lemon beurre blanc sauce. Ramsay criticized the fish for being dry, the potatoes for being hard, and the lemon for being something out of the 1970’s before reminding him that he was the only chef who cooked his dish twice. After that, Ramsay said he was tempted to just send him home at the moment, therefore threatening him with on-the-spot elimination. He answered he wanted to stay, and only scored 1 out of 5. The blue team lost the challenge 23-24, and they were punished by setting up the dorms for both teams, and carrying the red teams luggage when they would come back from their reward.
The mild-mannered Belgian Jean-Philippe has an impressive resumé as a maître dhôtel at some of the worlds (and Ramsays) best Michelin-starred restaurants. He first met Ramsay in Cannes at the famed La Palme dOr restaurant. He was 17 and Gordon was 25. Gordon was there to pick up some ideas for opening his very first restaurant, Aubergine. Theyve been a dynamic duo ever since. However, Jean-Philippe really made his mark on the HK world in season one. In the tenth episode of that season, a chef named Ralph 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, Im gonna kill you.” From then on, Jean-Philippe was a Hells Kitchen fan favorite.
After Hells Kitchen (fans love looking at restaurants prices online) season seven, Ramsay took to Twitter to soothe fans who were worried about what happened to Jean-Philippe. He told them, “for everyone asking about why Jean-Philippes not in Hells Kitchen, hes back working as Restaurant Manager at Pétrus in London…” However, after season twelve, there were no tweets and no news. Rumors swirled that Jean-Philippes back trouble flared up. Hed broken his back falling out of his window in 2005. Some thought he simply got tired of sweating in the heat of Hells Kitchen. In a 2013 interview, 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. Sometimes it feels like Formula One races with many crashes.”
Maîtres dhôtel are commonly known as a maître ds 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 Hells Kitchen, a maître d will greet guests, seat guests, and take their order tickets directly to Gordon Ramsay. 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 Hells Kitchen history. He was there for some shocking chef eliminations. Susilovic held the position for the first seven seasons and then returned for seasons eleven and twelve.
Maybe it was simply time for him to leave the race behind. Whatever the reason, fans of the show really miss him.
The screaming, yelling, and heat of Hells Kitchen is back with season 19. Gordon Ramsay is bringing the long-awaited season to fans from Las Vegas. So long, converted warehouse in Los Angeles! After a hiatus that lasted for more than two years, the series is finally back and chefs are battling it out for $250k, plus an executive chef position at the Hells Kitchen Lake Tahoe Restaurant. This seasons contestants are top-notch talent who promise to deliver pure entertainment. Chef Ramsays support staff is also exciting this season. Chef Christina Wilson is back for her fourth season as the Red Teams sous chef and Jason Santos (season 7s runner-up) is back with his blue hair as the Blue Teams sous chef. Amid so many fun and familiar faces, viewers have to wonder what happened to some of their favorite Hells Kitchen cast members, including the iconic Jean-Philippe Susilovic.
FAQ
Where is JP from Hell’s Kitchen now?
Why did Gordon Ramsay leave Hell’s Kitchen?
Does JP still work for chef Ramsay?
