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Just Desserts: "This Competition Isn't for Everyone," Says Host Gail Simmons

Find out what the Food & Wine editor tells us about about last night's pastry chef drama

By Marc Malkin Oct 07, 2010 11:15 PMTags
Top Chef, Gail Simmons, Seth CaroKelsey McNeal/Bravo

If you can't stand the heat—or some cold Breyer's ice cream—get out of the kitchen.

In other words, Top Chef: Just Desserts may not be every pastry chef's cup of tea. "We don't want anyone on the show who is not happy to be there," host Gail Simmons told me earlier today. "And that's OK. We're not forcing you to be there. We're not twisting your arm."

In last night's episode, Seth Caro left the competition by ambulance after he had a full-on anxiety attack. Malika Ameen quit because she didn't like cooking competitively and she was homesick. "When I walked off set that day I'm pretty certain I went for a cocktail," Simmons said, adding, "This competition isn't for everyone."

And as much reality as the producers like to show, Simmons says they purposely didn't air all of Caro's meltdown. "We wanted to be true to the events but also sensitive to the lives who it concerned, and I think we did that," she said. "But it truly is reality. Life happens. It's not scripted. We can't control it. That's the beauty of it and what it makes it so compelling."

Sorta like the Real Housewives? "It's a different kind of drama," Simmons said. "I think pastry chefs are more interesting than Housewives because they've got serious skills to back up their serious drama."

Don't tell that to Teresa Giudice—she apparently thinks it takes some skill to flip a table.