Shelli Weinstein
@shellidw
The next batch of U.K. episodes of “Kitchen Nightmares” will be the last for Gordon Ramsay, who announced the end of the British and Yank editions of the show on his website Monday.
“I’ve had a phenomenal 10 years making 123 episodes, 12 seasons, shot across 2 continents, watched by tens of millions of people and sold to over 150 countries. It’s been a blast but it’s time to call it a day,” Ramsay wrote in a post on his personal website.
The cooking reality show premiered in the U.K. in 2004 and the U.S. rendition bowed on Fox in 2007, featuring Ramsay’s visits to struggling restaurants. The chef would spend one week using his expertise trying to help the owners rehabilitate the business.
The format allowed Ramsay to show off his restauranteur bona fides as well as his attempts at family and couples counseling. Last year, the show hit its peak of pop culture buzz with an episode revolving around an Scottsdale, Ariz. eatery, Amy’s Baking Company, run by an over-the-top couple who produced plenty of Internet-friendly viral vid moments.
Ramsay credited “Kitchen Nightmares” for being “the show that really propelled my TV career.” The show has been a Friday night staple for Fox, with the most recent U.S. episodes airing in April and May. Fox has one more “Revisit” episode of “Kitchen Nightmares” in the can.
But Fox still has plenty of Ramsay on its air, between the competition series “Hell’s Kitchen,” airing now, “Hotel Hell” (bowing July 21) and the “MasterChef” and “MasterChef Junior” franchises.
At present, Ramsay is filming four final episodes of the U.K. “Kitchen Nightmares” for Channel 4.
On his website, Ramsay offered a list of “fun facts” about the show’s decade-long run:
123 restaurants in 99 cities within 2 countries were visited
If you watched all episodes back-to-back it would run for 6,868 minutes
Episodes sold into 150 territories globally
The ‘Kitchen Nightmares’ format was produced locally for 30 territories around the world
Swear count – 10,197
The show brought in $37.3 million in ad revenue during the 2012-13 season – more than any other Friday Fox original series that season
The show was the most viewed TV show across networks during the Friday time slot
Tears – 0.4 gallons
Meltdowns – 27
Walkouts – 1
Mice – 1
Meows – 6
First ever episode was watched by 5.7 million people
2 ulcers and 2.3 litres of Pepto Bismol
234 Zantacs consumed
