Host Sean Evans addresses the long-standing theory that Hot Ones gives some guests less spicy wings. Debuted in 2015, the YouTube talk show challenges celebrities to eat progressively spicier chicken wings while being interviewed by Evans, often answering deep-probing questions. From humble beginnings, the show has grown immensely in popularity, spawning several spinoffs and its own food brand. Over the years, Hot Ones has produced nearly 300 episodes and attracted celebrities such as Ariana Grande, Jennifer Lawrence, Paul Rudd, Gordon Ramsay, Lorde, Billie Eilish, and many more.
During a recent appearance on The Town with Matthew Belloni podcast, Sean Evans addressed the theory that some guests are given milder wings. The question was posited by co-host Craig Horlbeck, who “doesn’t understand how Ariana Grande can just power through all ten of them when some people are literally dying.” Evans denies that they “nerf” the wings, and emphasized that all of them, including his own, are equally sauced and that some guests, such as Ariana Grande, are just surprisingly good at handling the heat. Read his full response below:
No! I will fully deny that… I deny that we nerf the wings. And I’ll also say this, because I also get this all the time, that people are like, “Well, Sean’s not really reacting. I bet his wings aren’t as sauced,” you know? And I feel like when I do react, people think that I’m like, faking it to match the guest’s energy, and when I don’t react, then wings aren’t sauced. You know, I’m in a no-win situation here, but I’m always open to, like, if a guest wants to swap paddles with me, they can.
And to the Ariana Grande point, she hit me up afterwards and said that she tried it again, and that she had no reaction. [She] sent me videos of her doing again with the family and making it through again.
People Have Different Spice Tolerances
Over the years, viewers have speculated that Hot Ones secretly tones the heat down for certain guests due to their dramatically different reactions. For instance, Jenna Ortega, Lorde, Elizabeth Olsen, Charlize Theron, and Paul Rudd are among the celebrities who best handled the heat on Hot Ones. On the other hand, DJ Khaled, Taraji P. Henson, Shaquille O’Neal, and Jennifer Lawrence visibly struggled, with some even unable to complete the gauntlet of hot sauces and placed in the “Hall of Shame.”
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While Sean Evans denies altering the spice levels for certain celebrities, these vastly different reactions continue to fuel the debate among fans online. However, in reality, people simply have different spice tolerances that cause them to react differently. Spice tolerance varies from person to person due to genetics, diet, and desensitization to capsaicin (the compound that makes chili peppers hot). Some people naturally have fewer capsaicin receptors or build up spice tolerance over time, causing milder reactions. Others who are less accustomed to the heat experience intense discomfort.
He’s Committed To The Integrity Of Hot Ones
Based on his comments, Sean Evans seems committed to protecting the integrity of Hot Ones. He claims they have never “nerfed” the wings for any guest, and he’s run the gauntlet of hot wings himself nearly 300 times, even though he doesn’t have to and could easily nerf his own wings with no one ever knowing. His refusal to water down the experience, for himself and even for A-listers, shows a deep commitment to the authenticity that has made Hot Ones a phenomenon.
Source: The Town with Matthew Belloni
Hot Ones
- Release Date
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March 12, 2015
- Network
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YouTube