I still feel depressed about my elimination. I was shocked because I wasn’t one of the people nominated to leave. I didn’t feel it was fair.
Like I said before, I was never taken seriously, and I really feel it was because of the way I looked; I felt like I was singled out because I wear make up. I was constantly getting, “Sharon, why don’t you go fix your make up?”
Chef Ramsay said I cared more about my appearance than I did about cooking, and that was so untrue. I think all the women on our team wore make up, but I guess mine was more dramatic.
I don’t know if it was a matter of sexism. Jason made some comments about us women having a Tupperware party, but I never actually heard him saying anything in front of us. Women can absolutely cook as well as men, but I definitely think that goes on where people think women are not as good at cooking as the men.
Chasing The Chef’s Ultimate Prize
I imagine the people that are watching it from the outside look at the show and think, ‘How the hell do they find these people?’ but until you’re there, you just don’t know.
I’ve been cooking for 12 or 13 years, so I feel like I can cook, but on the show, it doesn’t look like anybody can cook. I think the challenges, like prepping halibut, are fair, but you don’t really get a chance to see all our skills.
The garbage picking part of the episode was disgusting. I’d watched what other people go through on Hell’s Kitchen, but I wanted to see if I could do it. You get your own restaurant, you get a nice salary. I just felt it was the ultimate prize.
Hopefully the diners know what they’re in for too. After watching it and seeing that girl get hit in the head with a chair, I was like, “Wow!”
Hindsight And Reality TV Are 20/20
It’s crazy to watch yourself on TV. There is so much stuff that you do that you don’t realize. It’s exciting and depressing all at the same time.
I didn’t have a chance to say anything to Chef Ramsay when I left, but I think I would have told him that I didn’t think he was giving me a fair enough chance. I would say, “Stop judging me for the way I look and the make up I am wearing.”
Since the show, I’m just doing what I was doing before the show. I hope it doesn’t change the opinions of the people that know me. I don’t want people I work with to doubt my cooking ability.
Some people have said they would have done this or that differently, and I just tell them to try out for the show themselves. But if I could go back, I would absolutely do things differently. I picked two signature dishes and they picked one for me to prepare. I really would have loved to do the other one, but I can’t change it now. I would also say, don’t judge people for what you see on TV until you have lived that experience yourself.
Predictions: Who Will Take The Cake?
I’m rooting for Louross. I think he has the drive and he’s a good cook.
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Check out all the Orato.com special series:
Hell’s Kitchen Chopping Block [1]
Song Over For American Idols [2]
People In Peril [4]
