DINH DOONG

In a fiery, dramatic showdown that left reality TV fans on the edge of their seats, celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay reportedly threw Minnesota Governor Tim Walz out of his popular show Hell’s Kitchen, labeling the politician a “woke creep” after a brief but disastrous stint in the kitchen. Ramsay, known for his no-nonsense attitude and colorful vocabulary, wasted no time booting Walz from the competition after what some are calling one of the most bizarre cooking debacles in the show’s history.

It all started when Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota and a self-proclaimed foodie, appeared as a guest on Hell’s Kitchen as part of a special episode meant to raise awareness about local food sourcing and sustainability. Ramsay, never one to shy away from a challenge, thought it might be “interesting” to see how a politician would fare under the pressure of his notoriously chaotic kitchen environment.

“I figured it would be fun,” Ramsay later told the media. “Maybe get him to make something halfway decent. I thought, ‘Let’s see if he can do more than sign bills and talk policy. Maybe he can actually cook.’”

However, Ramsay would soon regret his decision.

Things went south almost immediately when Walz, who was assigned to prepare a classic beef Wellington, decided to reinvent the dish by using tofu instead of beef and kale in place of the puff pastry. In what he called an effort to “modernize and decolonize” the traditional dish, Walz proudly presented his “Tofu Wellington,” claiming it was a “bold statement for climate justice.”

Ramsay’s initial shock at the dish’s appearance quickly gave way to rage.

“WHAT IS THIS?” Ramsay bellowed in his trademark style, eyes bulging as he poked at the gelatinous tofu monstrosity on the plate. “This isn’t even food! You’ve murdered a Wellington! And what’s this nonsense about ‘climate justice’? I don’t care about your politics, I care about food, and this is absolute RUBBISH!”

Walz, seemingly unfazed by Ramsay’s temper, attempted to defend his creation. “This dish is representative of where our food systems need to go, Gordon. We need to embrace sustainability and move away from harmful traditions.”

That was all Ramsay needed to hear.

Without missing a beat, Ramsay slammed the plate down and launched into one of his now-legendary tirades. “This is HELL’S KITCHEN, not a TED Talk on sustainability! Do you think people come here to eat your political agenda? NO! They want to eat REAL food, not this WOKE garbage you’ve slapped together!”

Walz, who by now was sweating profusely (likely from both the heat of the kitchen and Ramsay’s verbal onslaught), attempted to protest, but it was too late. Ramsay was on a roll, and there was no stopping him.

“Get OUT of my kitchen!” Ramsay shouted, pointing dramatically towards the exit. “I’ve had enough of this woke nonsense! You can’t even cook a proper Wellington, and you want to talk about saving the planet? You’re a woke creep, and you’re RUINING my kitchen!”

The moment Ramsay tossed Walz out of Hell’s Kitchen went viral within minutes. Social media exploded with reactions from all corners of the internet. The hashtag #WokeWellington trended for days, with memes of Ramsay’s angry face and Walz’s tofu disaster flooding Twitter and Instagram.

While some praised Ramsay for “standing up to wokeness,” others condemned him for what they perceived as an overreaction. Walz supporters accused Ramsay of being out of touch with modern values and praised the governor’s attempt to bring awareness to sustainable cooking.

Pundits quickly weighed in on the drama. “This is about more than just food,” one TV analyst declared during a heated panel discussion. “This is about the culture war playing out on the plate. Ramsay represents the old guard—unapologetic, demanding excellence, and focused on tradition. Walz? He’s the new generation, trying to make changes in every space, even in the kitchen. What we saw on Hell’s Kitchen was a microcosm of our broader societal divide.”

The next day, Walz addressed the incident during a press conference, appearing calm and collected despite the media storm surrounding his expulsion from Ramsay’s kitchen.

“I went on Hell’s Kitchen to advocate for sustainable food practices, and while Gordon Ramsay and I had a difference of opinion, I stand by my values,” Walz said. “Tofu Wellington may not be everyone’s favorite dish, but it represents the future of food. We need to think about the planet, and that starts in the kitchen.”

Unsurprisingly, the governor’s comments did little to quell the firestorm online. Critics mocked the very idea of a “Tofu Wellington” and continued to cheer Ramsay’s refusal to let “woke politics” infiltrate his show.

Ramsay, never one to back down from controversy, doubled down on his actions during a radio interview later that week.

“I’m not here to be political,” Ramsay explained. “I’m here to make great food and teach people how to do the same. When someone comes into my kitchen with some ‘woke agenda’ and ruins a beautiful dish, I have to put my foot down. Food is about taste, skill, and passion—not politics.”

When asked if he regretted calling Walz a “woke creep,” Ramsay simply smirked and replied, “If the shoe fits, wear it.”

Despite the backlash, Ramsay remains steadfast in his decision to oust Walz from the competition, and many are wondering what’s next for Hell’s Kitchen.

Rumors have surfaced that Walz may appear on another cooking show that focuses on sustainable cooking, while Ramsay has hinted that future seasons of Hell’s Kitchen might feature a “no politics” rule to prevent another incident like this one.

As for Ramsay, he’s not slowing down. “The kitchen is my domain,” he said. “And in my kitchen, the only thing that matters is great food—not woke nonsense.”