Hell's Kitchen/Ensemble Darkhorse

Each season seems to have at least one or two contestants that fans love, really like, or rally behind for various reasons.

Jean-Phillipe is hugely popular for being a gentleman, supportive of struggling chefs, and generally being very funny. Plus, he's Belgian!
Sous Chef Scott remains highly popular even after leaving the show, mostly for being just as terrifyingly badass as Chef Ramsay, if not more so.
Sous Chef Andi also has her fans for being even more badass in some ways than Scott was, and being rather good looking definitely helps.
Gordon Ramsay. For his sharp wit, cutting insults, and no nonsense leadership. His softer side also got him quite a few fans.

Heather's determination to lead her team after suffering a nasty burn earned her a large fanbase. Accentuated further when she put Garrett on full blast when the latter made a sexist comment about women cooking for men when they come home from work in her presence, earning herself even more fans. Many were very happy to see her again when she came back in Season 6 as the Red Team's sous chef.

Julia; the only experience she had before Hell's Kitchen was in a Waffle House, but she proved to be far more capable than most of the other contestants that season; she remains one of the show's most popular contestants.

You will never find anyone who has anything bad to say about Petrozza; this man was a real team player, helping Louross get his beef past Sous Chef Scott, nominating himself to keep his teammates from being eliminated for one lousy service, never blaming his teammates for losing challenges (even if they deserve it), and was a genuinely nice guy overall. Oh, and him going off on Jen when she started kicking ass to avoid elimination towards the end of the competition, also earned him a few extra fans. So one can imagine how hard his fans were hit when they learned of his passing in November 2019.
This season's eventual winner, Christina, was also fairly popular due to being the more level headed of the women, even in the face of being picked on for often petty reasons.

Ji was a solid competitor, leaving a strong first impression with her signature dish, which Chef Ramsay gave high praise, believing she had been cooking for 15 years and suggesting she cook it for her dad some time. She managed to amass a small fanbase in spite of her shockingly early exit due to an ankle injury.

Notice how often Dave gets mentioned? There's good reason for it; he was an extremely committed contestant to where he fought excruciating pain just to prove he could win the competition after fracturing his arm. Even with this handicap, he very rarely complained about his arm, is seen working multiple stations at once, passionate, and determined to do well. Chef Ramsay even cited Ability as his reason for naming Dave that season's winner because of this. Having a few quirks about him also helps.
Van certainly had his fair share of fans for his boisterous personality, and leaving a strong first impression with his signature dish consisting of foire gras of all things. He is a shining example of how looks be deceiving, making something that fancy in spite of his background as a "padded out country boy" from Texas. Many fans were pleased to see him again when he came back for the All Stars season.
While not as popular as Dave, Kevin was still quite popular for his technical skills, finesse, and his emphasis on teamwork. He also demonstrated excellent leadership skills in the season finale, only losing because of Amanda screwing up. Like Dave, Kevin also fought through an injury to make the final (in his case, twisting both of his ankles), earning him respect from fans, and the title of Handicapped Badass.

Salvatore was also very popular amongst fans, even if his cooking skills weren't up to par. An Italian man who no doubt had a big heart, as well as charm, and for being one of the few contestants in the show's history to get along with the other contestants.

Though his performances weren't always great, Tommy was well liked for being the funny guy of Season 9. Also being part of that season's power trio along with Will and Paul, certainly helps him out. Some fans even follow him on social media after his season aired.

Christina remains to this day the most popular Hell's Kitchen winner, with many fans admiring her talent and passion. Even after she won Season 10, she amassed quite fanbase when she was appointed the Red Team's new Sous Chef starting in Season 15, showing that she has not gone soft since then.

Though the final four as a whole were well received, Jon in particular stood out to fans. Despite being a part of what many consider to be the worst Blue Team in the show's history, Jon almost never put a foot wrong during challenges or services, and kept his cool for the majority of the competition, even after facing punishment after punishment, earning the respect of the show's fans, and Ramsay himself. Some argue that Jon should have been in the finale with Ja'Nel, but others were happy that he at least got to keep his jacket.

Rochelle is often considered one of the show most popular contestants due to being adorable, positive, bubbly, while still being a highly competent chef in spite her lack of experience in a restaurant environment (since her profession lies in catering). Many fans of hers were disappointed that she only got fourth place, and was denied her black jacket as a result (that honour would go to Melanie). In fact, some even go as far as to say that she deserved to be a finalist more than Jason.
Scott got himself quite the following when he became Season 12's residential Butt Monkey, as he was constantly picked on, scapegoated, and blamed for the mistakes of others. Even more people came out in support of him when Joy started throwing him under the bus to keep her friend Kashia from being eliminated, and they were stoked when he eventually emerged victorious. Through it all, he never let any of the nonsense get him down, and got better as the competition progressed.

Sterling was massively adored by fans for his goofy persona, optimistic outlook, and his fun-loving nature. Like Petrozza, it's hard to find anyone with anything bad to say about him. Even the editors of the show loved him, even throwing together a mock music video for him at one point. He was probably one of the funniest contestants the show has ever had, and the fact that he got no respect from his comrades only strengthened support for him even more. However, he still proved time and time again that he was a competent cook in spite of his happy go lucky attitude.
La Tasha also had her fans for being an all-around Nice Girl, and for being a very skilled chef.

Back to Hell's Kitchen