Hell's Kitchen wows the US

Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen proved such a hit in the United States it has been signed up for a second series.

Despite low expectations, the outspoken chef regularly won top ratings and his culinary boot camp is expected to be amongst the top reality shows of the summer.

The show, in which 12 aspiring chefs compete for their own Los Angeles restaurant, saw Ramsay reduce several contestants to tears with his trademark expletives.

But his charms only attracted viewers, prompting the Fox network to immediately commit to a second run.

Fox executive, Mike Darnell, admitted he was surprised by the show’s success but said it was Ramsay’s acerbic style that made all the difference.

“I always loved Gordon as a commodity, but a lot of these Apprentice-like shows have failed, except for Hell’s Kitchen,” he told Variety magazine.

“He’s really in his element (on the show). He’s a very dynamic personality.”

Last week’s two hour finale easily beat off competition from other ntworks, winning almost nine million viewers.

The exact format of the second series has yet to be revealed although Darnell promised there would be some “twists and turns”.