TV Land

Andy Husbands: No Regrets

Photo: Fox

As we mentioned this morning, last night’s episode of Hell’s Kitchen was the last for Andy Husbands — the Tremont 647 chef was sent packing after slowing down the line during dinner service. Husbands told us this afternoon that he doesn’t much worry about what viewers will think of him because “I know my truth.”

How do you feel now that your elimination episode has finally aired?
Awesome. Honestly, I was getting sick of my own excuses for doing poorly. I had a great run and it was a really cool adventure. Of course I would have liked to have done better, but I’m not upset about it.

Was it hard to watch the episodes as they aired?
The episode where I goofed up the chicken was hard to watch, but after that I knew what had happened. Hell’s Kitchen is a wacky place to work. It’s not like a real restaurant. At a real restaurant, the chef will get angry, but they’ll make sure food goes out in a timely fashion. Obviously, I think I’m a better cook than the way I was portrayed, but the way I cooked on the show doesn’t reflect anything except the way I cooked on Hell’s Kitchen.

Was it worth it to be on the show?
It depends on what your metric is. I love to do different things and check different stuff out, so by that measure, it was totally worth it. In terms of business, I don’t know. Tremont 647 was having a record year before the show started and we’re still doing record business. Overall, though, it was definitely worth it.

What were the high and low points of your experience on the show?
The high point, besides the overall experience, was definitely getting to fly a plane for one of the challenge rewards. The low point was definitely the chicken situation. That was one time when I didn’t realize what was happening, and it was the first moment where I really thought “oh, this is what it’s like on Hell’s Kitchen.”

How are your fingers doing after you cut them with the mandoline?
They’re doing okay now! I had eighteen stitches in two fingers and they said it would take about a year to fully heal, but they’re definitely usable now.

Which contestants are you still in touch with?
I still talk to Jim and Kevin and Dave.

Really? It seems like they were pretty harsh on you.
You know, I wasn’t doing well and they have every right to express their feelings, but we’ve moved past that now.

What’s next for you?
I’d like to do more television! I have a few ideas for restaurant concepts that I can’t really give away right now. Other than that, just spending time at Tremont 647 and with loved ones.

Andy Husbands: No Regrets