The final five chefs on Hell’s Kitchen Season 24 battled for survival in a pair of intense episodes that aired on January 8, 2026, leading to two eliminations and the reveal of the final three competitors vying for the head chef position. Anaiya Marie from Delaware was eliminated in Episode 13, followed by Lisa Rivera from California in Episode 14. This leaves Cydni Stickney (North Carolina), Ellie Parker (Nevada), and Jada Vidal (Florida) to compete in the upcoming finale for a $250,000 prize and the head chef position at the Hell’s Kitchen Restaurant in Connecticut.
The episodes were significant as they followed the historic moment in Episode 12 where an all-female final five received their black jackets for the first time in the show’s history. The challenges and dinner services in Episodes 13 and 14 tested the chefs’ creativity, adaptability, and leadership under direct pressure from Chef Gordon Ramsay.
Episode 13 Recap: A Social Media Challenge and a Rocky Service Lead to the First Elimination
The first of the two episodes, titled “Queens of the Kitchen,” focused heavily on the modern food industry. Chef Ramsay presented the first individual challenge by emphasizing the power of social media. The five chefs had 40 minutes to create a visually stunning and tasty dish that would be photographed and posted to Ramsay’s social media accounts for his followers to judge. Guest chef Ken Oringer joined Ramsay to taste and score the dishes.
The competition was tight. Jada Vidal prepared a salt-crusted ribeye to stand out from the seafood-focused dishes, while Anaiya Marie attempted a risky cherry gel she had never made before. Lisa Rivera impressed the judges with her black cod, earning high marks for both presentation and taste. When the social media votes were combined with the judges’ scores, Lisa won the challenge. Her reward was a day at a racetrack and a meal at the Hell’s Kitchen restaurant at Foxwoods, and she chose Ellie Parker to join her. The losing chefs—Anaiya, Cydni, and Jada—had to prep 100 pounds of French fries as punishment.
The first black jacket dinner service of the season featured WWE Champion Big E as a VIP guest. The service was marked by communication issues and mistakes. Cydni Stickney, working solo on the normally two-person fish station, became flustered and initially sent up scallop plates with incorrect counts before correcting herself. Anaiya Marie, on the meat station, struggled significantly, sending up undercooked lamb, a charred New York strip, and facing timing issues with chicken orders.
After the service, Ramsay tasked the chefs with nominating two of their own for elimination. A tense debate ensued in the dorm, with Lisa and Jada taking the lead in the discussion as they had performed well. The group struggled to reach a consensus, frustrating Ramsay when they initially returned without a decision. Eventually, they nominated Cydni and Anaiya.
In front of Chef Ramsay, both nominated chefs pleaded their case. Cydni argued she handled the hardest station alone and was a fighter, while Anaiya admitted her mistakes but stated she had proven she was not the weakest chef. After calling it one of his toughest decisions, Ramsay eliminated Anaiya Marie.
“Delaware might be known as the First State, but unfortunately, after tonight’s service, Anaiya will be known as fifth place,” said Gordon Ramsay upon Anaiya’s exit.
Episode 14 Recap: A Cruel Ingredient Swap and Leadership Tests Determine the Final Three
With four chefs remaining, Episode 14 began with a challenge designed to test adaptability. The chefs were taken to a market and given 10 minutes and $25 each to shop for ingredients for a dish of their choice. Upon returning to the kitchen, Ramsay delivered a twist: the chefs had to swap the ingredients they had just purchased with another competitor.
The chefs then had 45 minutes to create a new dish with the unfamiliar ingredients. Guest judge Chef Stephanie Izard joined Ramsay for a tasting where the chefs vied for a “throne”; each new dish was compared to the last, with the better chef taking the seat. Ellie Parker ultimately won the challenge with her elevated shrimp and grits, earning a $1,000 shopping spree and choosing Cydni to join her for a reward dinner. Jada and Lisa were left to scrub greasy pans as punishment.
The dinner service took a unique turn, with each of the four chefs taking a turn running the pass—the station where orders are coordinated and plates are inspected before going to the dining room. Chef Ramsay and his team actively tested and sabotaged each chef during their turn to see if they could maintain control and spot the errors.
Jada performed strongly, catching all three sabotages, including a switched pasta and an incorrect puree. Cydni missed her first test when salmon was swapped for trout but caught the next two. Lisa successfully spotted a swapped lobster tail but failed to notice when peas were replaced with edamame and when a New York strip was switched for a ribeye. Ellie also passed all her tests, catching switched scallops and an incorrect steak.
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After the service, each chef made a final plea to Ramsay. He then announced the chefs advancing to the final three: first Cydni Stickney, citing her great improvement, and then Jada Vidal. The last spot came down to Ellie Parker and Lisa Rivera. Ramsay awarded the final position to Ellie.
“Your command in the kitchen tonight didn’t rise to the level of the other three behind you,” Ramsay told Lisa as he eliminated her.
Lisa’s departure meant the final three chefs moving forward are Cydni Stickney, Ellie Parker, and Jada Vidal.
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