Hell's Kitchen (season 1)

This article contains contestant information and episode summaries from the first season of the American competitive reality television series Hell's Kitchen. Season 1 aired starting on May 30, 2005 and concluded on August 1, 2005. This was the first season where the teams were not separated by gender at the start, which wouldn't happen again until season 18. This was also the only season where Ramsay addressed the show's progress on camera to the viewers, rather than just a voice-over explaining eliminations.

The show was taped in Los Angeles at KCOP, in a converted former television broadcast facility that previously hosted shows such as The Jokers Wild and Tic-Tac-Dough in the late 1970s to mid-1980s.

The winner of this season was Russell Orosco.

This season was followed by season two.

Chefs
The 12 contestants were initially divided into the Blue team and the Red team, but not based on gender as in all the following seasons. The contestants were:

Contestant progress
Each week, the best member from the losing team during the latest service period ("least bad" as determined by Ramsay) is asked to nominate two of their teammates for elimination; one of these two is sent home by Gordon Ramsay.