February 06, 2025
Provided image/Jess Cuevas
'Hell's Kitchen' finalist Kyle Timpson has worked at Moshulu, the Four Seasons and SIN Philadelphia. The chef was born and raised in Dennis Township in Cape May County.
Kyle Timpson could make "Hell's Kitchen" history Thursday night as the first openly gay man to win the Fox cooking competition, as long as he stuns with his final service.
The Philadelphia-based chef is one of two finalists heading into the Season 23 showdown. His star turn on the Gordon Ramsay show will come to a close — with a victory, or a bow to Florida's own Hannah Flora — during the 8 p.m. finale. The top contestant wins a head chef job at Ramsay's restaurant inside the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut.
Timpson will watch it all unfold live with a crowd at 254 bar on 12th Street.
"It's hard week to week," he said. "A lot of the fans are like, 'oh I can't wait.' Imagine how we feel. We went through it, we've gotta wait all this time. So I'm excited. It's always interesting to see how they piece things together."
Timpson grew up in Dennis Township in Cape May County, holding seasonal summer jobs at various restaurants. He moved to Philadelphia four years ago to further his culinary career, he says, and gain more exposure. Upon arrival, he worked his way through the kitchens of Moshulu, the Four Seasons and SIN Philadelphia.
He also expanded his social media presence, which caught the attention of the "Hell's Kitchen" production team.
"I never applied," Timpson said. "Our whole season was basically cast via finding us on Instagram. We all had someone reach out to us at one point, and we all thought it was a scam. ... So I messaged the lady back and was like, 'Hi, can you confirm this is real?' It was real. And look at me now, I'm on 'Hell's Kitchen.'"
Over the course of the season, the chef has prepared everything from lobster ravioli to a duck breast with white peach salsa and dashi broth. (He's especially proud of the tuna crudo with "liquid guacamole" that he made in the penultimate episode.) Timpson says he's learned to scale back and keep things simple along the way without compromising flavor. He also savored the opportunity to yell at the show's famously irritable host in an Episode 14 challenge.
"Are you kidding me? It was exhilarating," he said. "I literally said afterward, I could run through a wall right now. I don't care if it's uranium, vibranium, titanium, whatever. I'm going to run through that wall."
Timpson is well aware of the threshold he would cross if he wins the competition. While queer chefs like Christina Wilson and Heather West have taken the title in past seasons, a gay man has yet to sweep "Hell's Kitchen." Since he made his debut on the show in the fall, Timpson says he's received "a lot" of messages from fans who say he's inspired them.
"It's a strange feeling having people say I admire you, I look up to you," he said. "Because I never thought I'd be in this position. I just have to use the platform that I have now and hopefully I can win this thing and pull it out for all the young gays and people who feel different."
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