AUDITIONS BEGIN WITH OPEN CASTING CALLS ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, IN

LOS ANGELES, NEW YORK CITY AND ATLANTA

Season 16 Premieres Friday, September 23, on FOX

FOX has ordered 17th and 18th seasons of the Gordon Ramsay culinary competition series HELL’S KITCHEN. In the hit cooking series, aspiring restaurateurs are put through an intense culinary academy to prove they have the endurance and skill to compete and win a life-changing grand prize.

HELL’S KITCHEN is looking for the next batch of talented, passionate and skilled chefs to work with Chef Ramsay in the hottest kitchen on earth. The bar is being raised and the series is looking for chefs and accomplished line cooks with several years of experience in professional kitchens. Eligible chefs will have the opportunity to audition in cities across the country for the chance to become the next HELL’S KITCHEN winner. The nationwide open casting calls begin Monday, Sept. 12 in Los Angeles, CA; New York, NY; and Atlanta, GA. The search will continue in Chicago, IL; and Dallas, TX, on Friday, Sept. 16. 

HELL’S KITCHEN open casting calls will be held as follows:

CITY                                       DATE                                      VENUE                      

Los Angeles, CA                     Monday, Sept. 12                   Art Institute of California – Hollywood

New York, NY                         Monday, Sept. 12                   International Culinary Center

Atlanta, GA                             Monday, Sept. 12                   Art Institute of Atlanta

Chicago, IL                              Friday, Sept. 16                      Illinois Institute of Art – Chicago

Dallas, TX                               Friday, Sept. 16                      Art Institute of Dallas

For additional casting information, including forms and eligibility requirements, please visit: https://go.mycastingnet.com/Apply/Show/HellsKitchen.

Season 16 of HELL’S KITCHEN premieres Friday, Sept. 23 (8:00-9:01 PM ET/PT), on FOX, when 18 ambitious chefs go head-to-head to impress Ramsay with their skills in hopes of winning a grand prize that includes a Head Chef position at Yardbird Southern Table & Bar at The Venetian Las Vegas.

HELL’S KITCHEN is produced by ITV Entertainment in association with A. Smith & Co. Productions. Arthur Smith, Kent Weed and Gordon Ramsay serve as executive producers. “Like” HELL’S KITCHEN on Facebook at www.facebook.com/hellskitchen. Follow the series on Twitter at @hellskitchenonfox, and follow Ramsay at @GordonRamsay.

About ITV Entertainment

ITV Entertainment is one of the largest international producers for the U.S. market and a major force in acquiring, developing and producing entertainment programming for U.S. networks. ITV Entertainment has a wide slate of series with major networks and syndicators, including HELL’S KITCHEN, “The First 48,” “Rich Kids of Beverly Hills” and new series “EJNYC.”

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“HELL’S KITCHEN” SEASON 17 & 18 RENEWAL ANNOUNCEMENT – Page 2

About A. Smith & Co. Productions

A. Smith & Co. Productions creates some of the most innovative, highly rated, and high-quality programming for the domestic and international television marketplace. The company has produced more than 3,000 hours of award-winning programming - with budgets totaling over one billion dollars across more than 45 broadcast and cable networks. Current productions include “Hell’s Kitchen," “American Ninja Warrior,” “Spartan: Ultimate Team Challenge,” “Ellen’s Design Challenge,” “Unsung,” “Inside the Label,” “Acting Out,” “Full Throttle Saloon,” “Team Ninja Warrior,” “Container Homes,” “Mating Games,” “That Awkward Game Show” and “The Dunk King.” Past hits include “Kitchen Nightmares,” “Wizard Wars,” “Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura,” “UFC Countdown,” “Joe Rogan Questions Everything,” “Paradise Hotel,” “I Survived a Japanese Game Show,” “The Swan,” “Trading Spaces,” “Pros vs. Joes,” “Skating with Celebrities,” and many others. For more information, visit www.asmithco.com.

[EDITOR’S NOTE: For photos and more information on HELL’S KITCHEN, please visit http://www.foxflash.com.]

-FOX-