Dubious digs Ramsay checks into Fox for season 2 of ‘Hotel Hell’

By Shona Dustan TV Media

Gordon Ramsay is a force to be reckoned with.

After taking his native Great Britain by storm, Ramsay has officially won over hearts — and television sets — on this side of the pond. His fourth series for the Fox network is now well into its second season, and with Ramsay’s candid and colorful personality as popular as ever, it shows no signs of slowing down. Catch a new episode of “Hotel Hell” airing Monday, Aug. 18, on Fox.

The sophomore season of Ramsay’s latest reality hit premiered in July and saw the world famous Scottish chef working his magic in Las Cruces, N.M., where Cali Szczawinski runs the Meson de Mesilla Hotel, a Tuscan-style accommodation in the middle of the New Mexico desert. Unfortunately — as with all of Ramsay’s “Hotel Hell” subjects — her business model leaves much to be desired. Watching Ramsay swoop in with his characteristic brash bluntness is always a delight, and he really didn’t pull any punches for this season opener.

After being besieged with images of how the plain, dirty, unprofessional hotel was being run, fans got to revel in the carnage as Ramsay tore Cali’s business acumen to shreds. A general manager was fired, cooks were given the third degree and, most importantly, Cali was banned from ever singing karaoke in her hotel again. One guest even told the woman, “I would pay you $100 not to sing,” but Ramsay managed to make it happen without shelling out cash. By the end of the season premiere, it’s clear that the great Gordon Ramsay still has that special something that has made him a fixture of both British and American TV — that plus an impressive physique, as a quick dip in the Meson de Mesilla Hotel’s contaminated pool reveals. This season of “Hotel Hell” promises even more drama than the last, and it seems Ramsay is in his element once again.

Oddly, though, Gordon Ramsay began his professional life in a job far from the hospitality industry. Once upon a time, he was a footballer (or soccer player, if that suits you better), though his short competitive career was marred by setbacks and injuries. When it came time for him to move into the big leagues, Ramsay had the distinct honor of training with his beloved Glasgow Rangers, but fell the world’s best chefs, Ramsay spent the late ‘80s and early ‘90s making a name for himself in the restaurant world. Despite a few scandals (an affair with the wife of a restaurateur he worked for definitely created a bump in the road to success), Ramsay’s work spoke for itself. By 1998, he had opened his own restaurant, and skills — as well as his unpredictable personality — had already earned him some television time in the U.K. with the kitchen documentaries “Boiling Point” (1999) and “Beyond Boiling Point” (2000), as well as a BAFTA-winning episode of “Faking It” in 2001. But it wasn’t until 2004 that Ramsay’s television career really no time getting on the Gordon Ramsay bandwagon, and by 2005, the network was producing a U.S. version of “Hell’s Kitchen,” focusing on the drama that’s so often whipped up by Ramsay’s short temper, focus and perfectionism. The series is still going strong, its 13th season set to premiere this September. network. In 2010, he signed on as both producer and judge on Fox’s U.S. version of “MasterChef,” a show that’s seen five seasons and is still going strong. Add that to a handful of British series Ramsay has developed and starred in on the side, and you’ve got one uberbusy chef.

The latest collaboration be- diences love the dynamic of Ramhanded approach to helping chef travels the country, mark — and hopefully nesses — in his wake.

Catch a new epinamic series as “Hotel Hell” day, Aug.

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