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Hell's Kitchen Season 21 aired its season finale on Thursday, February 9, 2023, at 8 pm ET on Fox. The two-hour special episode saw the Top 3 contestants, Dafne, Alex, and Alejandro give it their all and finish the competition on a high. Throughout the installment, they brought in incredible and delicious dishes and proved their mettle to stay in the running.
In the season finale of Hell's Kitchen, Alex and Dafne were first selected as the Top 2 by renowned chefs after the first challenge. The final task saw the two chefs battle it out with their team of fellow Season 21 contestants. Eventually, Alex Belew was crowned the winner of the series and became the head chef of Caesars, Atlantic City.
Fans rejoiced at Alex's win, with one tweeting:
Fans celebrate Alex being crowned the winner of Hell's Kitchen Season 21
Fans took to social media to celebrate Alex's win. Check out what they had to say:
What happened in the season finale of Hell's Kitchen Season 21?
The season finale of Hell's Kitchen began with the Top 3 contestants, Dafne, Alex, and Alejandro. The final day of the competition saw them participate in tough challenges while also constantly reflecting on their journey. Ahead of their task, the chefs enjoyed a day of relaxation at a soundbath and a fancy dinner with chef Ramsay.
For the first finale challenge, the contestants had to create their own menu and cook it in front of a large audience. Alejandro decided to go with Middle Eastern and Asian cuisine, Dafne stuck to cooking her specialty Italian course, and Alex decided to go with his hometown Tennesse-inspired style of cooking. The finalists pulled out all the stops to ensure they remained in the running for the title.
Host Gordon Ramsay called in some of the most popular and renowned chefs to score their dishes on Hell's Kitchen. These included Nightshade owner Mei Lin, Michelin star chef and owner of Adrift David Myers, Girl & The Goat owner Stephanie Izard, owner of Osteria Mozza Nancy Silverton, and Michelin star chef Curtis Stone.
Dafne took an early lead by creating delicious dishes and became the first contestant to make the Top 2. Alex and Alejandro were tied halfway into the scoring. By the end of the challenge, the latter missed out by one point, leaving Alex as the second contender to fight for one last chance at the title.
The Hell's Kitchen finalists were also greeted by fellow Season 21 chefs. Both Dafne and Alex had to choose teams made up of their former competitors. Alex chose Alejandro, Brett, Cheyenne, and Tara, while Dafne went with Sommer, Sakari, Vlad, and Abe. The top 2 were handed their executive chef jackets by chef Ramsay and asked to lead their respective kitchens for the final challenge.
Amid the task, chef Ramsay called Dafne and Alex into his office and surprised them with a visit by their families. The reunion made the contestants extremely emotional but at the same time more motivated than ever to go out and finish the service on a high and potentially win the season.
The finalists headed back to the kitchen and resumed the service. Throughout the challenge on Hell's Kitchen, both Dafne and Alex struggled with their team members' mistakes, some of which even disappointed chef Ramsay.
Both squads decided to give their best and support their leaders to help them win. Although it wasn't the smoothest service, the guests were happy to eat all of the food.
Soon, it was decision time. Chef Ramsay asked the Top 2 contestants, Dafne and Alex, to wait in their dorms until a decision was made. As the chefs worried about their fate, the host reflected on their journey and decided on who he wanted to make his head chef at Caesars, Atlantic City.
By the end of the Hell's Kitchen episode, Alex and Dafne were called to chef Ramsay's office as the audience, fellow contestants, and family members waited with baited breath for the winner to be announced. The host asked the two finalists to stand in front of the door and pull on the handle. The chef whose door would open would be the winner of the season.
After a short wait, the Top 2 pulled on the door and only Alex's opened. He was crowned the winner and the head chef of Hell's Kitchen Caesars, Atlantic City.
Season 21 of the reality cooking series has been extremely well-received by the audience. The installment began with 18 contestants cooking their hearts out and creating impeccable dishes. Meanwhile, they also ran hectic services, underwent punishmentsm and participated in tough challenges to prove that they were worthy of being crowned the champion.
Hell's Kitchen aired Thursdays on Fox.
