There have been plenty of amazing interviews on Hot Ones.
What's not to like about watching your favorite actors choking down hot sauce while discussing
their work?
Unfortunately, not all Hot Ones episodes are created equal.
Here are six of the best and six of the very worst.
Bon appetit.
Model-turned-actress and host Padma Lakshmi clearly has a thing for spices: In fact, her
fourth book is even called The Encyclopedia of Spices and Herbs, so it's safe to say she
knows her stuff when it comes to the subject.
On her hugely entertaining episode of Hot Ones, Lakshmi proves she can take the heat
right from the get go, and she proves to be quite knowledgeable about hot sauce in general.
Not a huge surprise, seeing as she's the host of Top Chef.
Throughout the episode, Lakshmi effectively shows these scorching sauces who's boss.
"It's hot."
"Mm-hm."
"It's hot."
Noted astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson is perhaps best known for his show Star Talk,
and for hosting Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey.
Early on in his episode of Hot Ones, he assures us that he can get down with spicy food.
"I can hang."
"We'll see if you can hang."
"I can hang."
Well, talk about eating your words.
It's absolutely delicious watching him suffer through these increasingly spicy wings, and
his ongoing philosophical musings certainly bring something new to the plate.
"My entire mouth is participating in this, and I respect it for that."
Throughout the episode, the hot sauce seems to inspire plenty of lofty ideas about art,
science, and the world at large.
Viewers liked Tyson as a guest, and many folks mentioned that he became more down to earth
the further along he got.
As one Redditor put it,
"[This is a] prime example of the genius of this show's format.
The wings break down the guest's composure and lowers their guard, resulting in genuine
human expression."
Actress Charlize Theron may have been the most composed Hot Ones guest of all time.
It clearly didn't hurt that she absolutely loves spicy food.
In fact, her own son even nicknamed her "Mama Spicy," though she says that has more to do
with her attitude than anything else.
"That's one of my nicknames.
But I don't think it's the connection to…"
"It doesn't translate?"
"...spicy, no.
I think it's more, you know, mom's pointing her finger and being sassy."
Theron pulls no punches during the interview.
She's candid, hilarious, and often downright vulgar, but in the best possible way.
She's creative, too: At one point, she asks for some rice to help quell the heat; a pro
move if there ever was one.
"Can I have some rice?
I like spice but that's like… somebody being an ass----."
Mayor of Flavortown.
Restaurateur.
Emmy Award-winning host.
Is there anything Guy Fieri can't do?
He rose to fame by winning the first season of Food Network Star, back when it was still
called The Next Food Network Star.
That eventually earned him his own show, Guy's Big Bite.
Since then, his illustrious culinary career and vast television empire have absolutely
exploded.
In his Hot Ones appearance, Fieri is personable and open when it comes to answering Sean Evans'
questions, and his dry humor is on full display here.
His anecdote about bowling shirts is particularly entertaining, especially since the hot sauce
is clearly catching up with him.
"That's still giving me a little sting in the back of the throat."
"Mm-hmm."
Towards the end of the episode, Evans asks Fieri what he thinks of his critics.
His answer is about as down to earth as you can get:
"I really don't give a s---."
He even teaches Evans a thing or two about cooking, explaining how to make a scrumptious
queso dip.
Then he gives a speech about the importance of teaching kids how to cook, which seems
to have really resonated with viewers.
Fieri is well known for being outrageous on television, but his passion and composure
really shine on this episode.
There's nothing quite like a Terry Crews scream, and he screams a lot during his Hot Ones episode.
Once a defensive end and linebacker in the NFL, Crews has since launched an incredibly
successful acting career.
Most notably, he plays NYPD Lieutenant Terry Jeffords in the comedy sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine
and hosts America's Got Talent.
The man certainly has personality to spare, so it comes as no surprise that he's an absolutely
fantastic Hot Ones guest.
His facial expressions alone are worth the price of admission.
The highlights are many.
His story about building a PC with his son is truly touching, showing that he's much
more than your average funny fellow.
"I didn't understand what was happening, and I said, 'I've gotta find a way to connect
with his world.'"
It's nice to see the softer side of Crews here.
He begins to break down around the 100,000 Scoville mark, and it's only downhill and
more hilarious from there.
If you know anything about Hot Ones, you know all about the Mega Death hot sauce.
Well, after he gives it a try, that's when Crews really starts screaming.
It's a joy.
He's the perpetually angry British chef prone to screaming insults and cursing up a storm,
and his wild tantrums can be seen on such shows as Hell's Kitchen and MasterChef.
We imagine people were concerned for Sean Evans' safety when it came time to interview
Gordon Ramsay on Hot Ones.
And Ramsey definitely didn't have the easiest time on the show.
"It's not, uh…Not good that one, is it?"
"It's a tough one."
"Yeah it's a tough one.
Also, it's just…"
Despite his vast experience in the culinary world, it seems like Ramsay just can't handle
his volcanic spices.
Perhaps it's because he's already such a hothead?
His utter discomfort becomes increasingly clear throughout the episode.
Want to see a public figure completely lose his marbles?
Watch this interview in its entirety.
Needless to say, the quips between Ramsay and Evans are hugely entertaining, especially
when Ramsay earnestly reviews "Da' Bomb" hot sauce:
"That's like f---ing sticking your f---ing tongue on a plate of acid."
The sight of him chugging down Pepto Bismol shortly afterwards is just begging for a meme
or two, so someone get on that pronto.
The last six minutes of the episode are truly amazing.
Ramsay unleashes an unceasing stream of curses as he tries cooling down his mouth, and somehow,
Evans is still treated to a cooking lesson about making scrambled eggs.
Of course, this is done in Ramsay's trademark style, and he seems to take a great deal of
joy in ordering Evans around.
Revenge is a dish best served HOT.
When it was first announced that Kevin Durant had done a Hot Ones episode, basketball fans
were certainly excited.
After all, Durant is an intensely popular figure, both on and off the court.
Expectations were sky high, but unfortunately, this episode proved to be a bit of a letdown.
Durant wasn't a bad guest, per se.
He was just a little dull maybe.
Perhaps a bit too relaxed.
"I wanna see if people actually buy this stuff.
Mainly for pranks."
"Mm-hmm, dorm room pranks, that's it."
Fans and long-time viewers were a bit put off by the appearance, even though Sean Evans
is clearly trying to steer the episode towards greatness.
But sometimes, you're just at the mercy of your guest.
And when that guest has a slow, calm way of speaking, it can all get a bit monotonous.
The content of the interview is interesting enough, but Durant just wasn't a particularly
engaging guest.
This is certainly not the worst episode of Hot Ones, but it's nothing to write home about,
either.
Best known for his portrayal of Charlie Kelly on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Charlie
Day is an actor, screenwriter, director, producer, and musician.
His film credits include fare like Pacific Rim, Horrible Bosses, and Fist Fight, the
2017 film he's clearly promoting on Hot Ones.
Unfortunately, it seems like his obligation to promote the movie gets the interview off
on the wrong foot.
"I'm already a little disappointed in myself.
I'm shamelessly promoting a movie."
"Right."
"And then, I'm going to hurt myself."
It's pretty obvious that Day isn't super into the spicy wing challenge, this is clearly
just another stop on the promotional tour for him.
His answers don't cut too deep and he's ready to move on pretty quick.
One YouTube commentator wondered,
"Does anyone else get the feeling that he just absolutely and totally hates PR stuff
lol"
When it's abundantly clear that you're gritting your teeth through an entire interview, it's
going to color people's perception of you.
On the flip side, several viewers felt like Day slowly discovered the charm of Hot Ones
as he got further into the interview.
By the time he left, he may have even enjoyed himself.
He was also commended for his ability to endure all that spiciness.
That certainly gained him a fair share of respect among Hot Ones viewers, even though
the first half of the episode is a bit of a drag.
Kevin Hart is a well-known comedian in the stand-up and film world.
Notable for his high energy, he seems like he'd be an absolutely terrific guest on Hot
Ones.
Alas, he was a total dud.
Why was he a bad guest?
Well, for one thing, he seemed to be completely disinterested in Sean Evans.
In fact, it seems like he hardly even looks at him, mainly because he's wearing sunglasses
through most of the interview.
Instead, he keeps looking to his friends off camera, reacting to their reactions, and talking
to them.
Not only is it distracting and odd from a viewer's perspective, it's also downright
rude.
Many viewers were annoyed by Hart's habit of repeatedly cutting off Evans.
"In hip hop, there's all these regional repetitions, right?—"
There were so many negative comments left on YouTube, Evans actually replied to fans
and tried clearing the air, attempting to explain Hart's behavior:
"As far as Kevin talking to his team and our crew, I actually think that's what makes this
episode special... a big star hopelessly stuck on a Wayne's World YouTube show he can't escape,
while his team...laughs hysterically."
Worst: Shaq
Who doesn't know who Shaq is?
If you need a refresher, here's some pertinent details about Shaquille O'Neal: These days,
the former NBA basketball player is a sports analyst on TNT, and you may recognize him
from such films as Blue Chips and Grown Ups 2.
He definitely gets around.
But the sad fact is, Shaq's Hot Ones appearance is a little off-putting.
Early on, he tells Sean Evans,
"I guarantee you on this show I will not make a face."
His cockiness doesn't come across as particularly confident or playful.
Instead, he seems to think he's above the very idea of Hot Ones.
The fact that he does ultimately make faces is admittedly fun to watch.
Well, perhaps not the part where he upchucks milk.
Plus, viewers were upset that Shaq refused to eat the last wing.
"I'm not going to eat that one.
I don't trust you."
The fact that he couldn't eat the wing isn't what upset people, everyone should know their
limits, after all.
It's how he went about the whole thing, inventing games and challenges to get himself off the
hook.
Fans were none too pleased, but many people commended Evans for being a gentleman and
for expertly handling someone with a fragile ego.
Fans absolutely hated this episode.
DJ Khaled was sharply criticized for his Hot Ones appearance for a number of reasons, not
least of which was his wild ego-tripping.
"You can never compare myself to anyone.
I'm very rare.
I'm like one of one."
There's also the fact that he refuses to admit defeat, and he bows out after only three wings.
He even seems to think there's some sort of conspiracy going on.
All told, it's just a terrible performance from the rapper.
"Yo bro, is yours different than mine?"
"No.
If you want to switch, we can switch."
Sean Evans says this was one of the toughest Hot Ones interviews he's ever done.
He claims he knew the artist wasn't going to be a good guest when he saw him eating
multiple slices of pizza before they started shooting.
This is just a terrible episode through and through, truth be told.
Who was the worst guest on Hot Ones?
People on Reddit certainly have their opinions…and many people think it's Taraji P. Henson.
You want to know why?
"Yeah I see you up on the Instagram putting money to your ear but we don't call that money
over here."
The actress is perhaps best known for her role as Cookie on Empire, but other credits
include Proud Mary and What Men Want.
Fans weren't impressed with her behavior on the show, and felt bad for Evans and his team
for having to put up with her seemingly drunken antics.
She's very loud…and worse than that, she's not nearly as funny as she thinks she is.
Evans tries his best, but there's only so much you can do when your guest is flailing
around and screaming.
And then Henson brings in her bodyguard to finish the challenge for her.
It turns out that viewers would have preferred that Dave, the bodyguard in question, had
his own episode.
We ardently agree.
"You're not even sweating."
"I'm Trinidadian.
We like this stuff."
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