What You Don't See On Camera During Hot Ones

Consuming food is a powerful activity. Everyone's a little vulnerable when they're eating. Nowhere is this more evident than on "Hot Ones," the interview show where host Sean Evans and celebrity guests eat spicy chicken wings. The goal of the show is simple: gradually increase the heat over the course of 10 wings, and hopefully the guest lets their guard down. If you have any doubt about whether or not wolfing down some of the world's hottest hot sauces is enough to get some PR-trained stars to reveal surprise truths, just watch a few episodes of "Hot Ones." The wings of death, as Evans calls them, are practically a truth serum, especially when compared to relatively staid interview environments like late night talk shows.

At the time of this writing, September 2025, "Hot Ones" is launching its 28th season. The show has been in production since 2015, and the episode format is familiar to viewers at this point. What about what happens behind the scenes, though? Do they eat baked or fried chicken wings? Does Sean Evans even like wings? Are there unnerving liability failsafes, like waivers and on-site medics? What's going on with Keke Palmer? We have answers to all that and more.

It's not a stunt, and it's not a scare tactic, but liability waivers are a part of the "Hot Ones" package. Before each guest gets in front of the camera, they have to sign a document asserting that they are adding that last dab of Last Dab voluntarily. The reasoning behind this contract is pretty standard: everyone responds to spice differently, and, considering the show is about eating progressively hotter wings, guests need to agree that the "Hot Ones" team isn't liable for any reactions or side effects. Co-creator Chris Schonberger confirmed in an interview with The Takeout that there can be unpleasant after effects of consuming such spicy food. The waiver is likely part of the process of confirming that each guest is going through the challenge willingly. It's a document that helps the production team cover their legal bases.

Pop star Sabrina Carpenter even joked with Sean Evans about the waiver during her interview. Sweating through the spice of the sauce Da Bomb Beyond Insanity — maybe all guests' worst nemesis on "Hot Ones" — Carpenter playfully asked if anyone had ever sued the show, before expressing surprise that she signed a waiver. Let that be a lesson, readers, to carefully review anything asking for your signature. Even if you are promised delicious chicken wings after you sign.

Anyone who's eaten spicy food before knows how much you want to avoid getting the stuff in your eyes. Of course, guests on "Hot Ones" aren't always thinking rationally. Sean has to frequently remind guests not to touch their eyes. "Hot Ones" co-creater Chris Schonberger told The Takeout that "Hot Ones" keeps a medic on site in the event that anything goes too haywire.

Consuming too much capsaicin — the chemical that makes hot peppers hot — can definitely make you feel close to death. While it's true that Chrissy Teigen had to go to the hospital for a stripped tongue after her appearance, the show's medic has never needed to perform any on-air heroics. One guest, however, was especially interested in the medical side of things. Conan O'Brien invited Dr. Jose Arroyo on an episode of his podcast, Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend, for a medical follow-up after his "Hot Ones" appearance.

After taping an episode, plenty of wings are left over. What else is there to do with leftover food, but offer it to your coworkers? Well, that's the nice way of describing it. A more accurate description might be that leftover wings of death are often piled into a single roulette bowl. "Hot Ones" crew members then draw one wing each. Whether that's a kind offering or workplace terrorism depends on how you feel about spicy food.

Fortunately, it seems like playing wing roulette is strictly optional. In one TikTok video posted to the First We Feast channel in 2023, a crew member walking down a hall is shown refusing the wing roulette bowl with a humorous but firm "absolutely not." Who can blame anyone for opting out when Da Bomb Beyond Insanity or The Last Dab could be waiting on the other end? Even if you're the type of person who thinks spice tolerance says a lot about you, anyone who's tasted those two sauces before knows that they pack real heat. Production manager Domonique Burroughs told The Verge that she's never tasted anything beyond wing five, since she doesn't care for spicy food. Burroughs has also been saucing the wings since season two, so maybe she just understands the risk too precisely to attempt wing roulette.

How does an interview show decide who to book, and when? For viewers, a show like "Hot Ones" is not a bad way of keeping up with new releases. This is the purpose of press tours, of course: You tune in to a show, and then you learn that Zendaya has a new movie or Clipse has a new album. It makes sense, then, that "Hot Ones" usually pitches celebrities who have a movie, book, or other project releasing soon. As for the selection process? In a fan mailbag video on YouTube, Sean Evans said that three people have a vote for deciding guests on "Hot Ones." Sure, that means there's always a majority opinion, but Evans says that the three don't disagree often.

Once a guest is booked, few interview shows come as prepared as "Hot Ones." The crew does mountains of research before an episode is filmed. It's not uncommon for a guest, taken aback by either Sean's incisive question or the spiciness of the wings, to compliment the depth of the show's research.

Still, sometimes some improvisation is necessary. For example, the Jeff Goldblum episode was booked and shot within a few days, simply because the previously booked guest got sick. A guest like Goldblum is the kind of guest you want a lot of runway to prepare for, but timing is everything in show business. You interview Goldblum when you book Goldblum. 

The tagline for "Hot Ones" boasts about the show's hot questions, and it's not just a catchphrase. For a show that began on YouTube, "Hot Ones" has quickly outclassed the competition in terms of asking interesting questions of its guests. Apparently, Sean Evans' most reliable research partner is his brother, Gavin, who is the mastermind behind some of the most probing questions asked. Gavin's duties include reading everything he can about a guest, then writing up a usually 30-page prep doc. Gavin has a celebrity stamp of approval, too: Josh Brolin said that his interview included "literally the greatest questions I've ever been asked," and told Sean not to fire whomever was coming up with the questions.

Even 10 years in, "Hot Ones" has a relatively bare bones crew. If you're going to have a close-knit workplace, why not include someone you're actually close to in real life? Plus, as "Hot Ones" co-creator Chris Schonberger said in a Reddit AMA, Gavin is hilarious. Good research abilities and a good sense of humor seem like part of the fundamentals to creating a successful YouTube show.

If you want to interview celebrities, particularly actors and pop stars, you probably want to be in either New York or Los Angeles. Luckily, "Hot Ones" is able to film in either city. Filming location and start time often determine where the wings come from. Because start times are always changing, "Hot Ones" relies on 24-hour wing spots in both major cities. The show always orders 50 wings. Maybe Sean and the guest are only eating 10 apiece, but it's best to have backup.

The standing order number might be 50, but the type of wing can vary greatly. For example, vegans and vegetarians can always request meatless wings. Evans even started the interview with Natalie Portman off by giving the actor a chance to talk about veganism. Of course, Portman's appearance was to promote her documentary, "Eating Animals." Still, it's a worthwhile discussion to have on a show predicated on eating meat. It's good to know, too, that so many wing spots are able to accommodate vegans and vegetarians. Even KFC has added vegan menu options in recent years. Dietary restrictions should not mean spicy sauce restrictions.

The day of shooting is always going to be an adventure. Saying that the mornings of "Hot Ones" filmings are incredibly busy is an understatement. Wings are delivered about 20 minutes before the guest arrives, hanging out in mini warming ovens until it's time to sauce. The crew has saucing down to a science, too. Sauce is poured into a plastic bowl, the wings are added, and then another plastic bowl is placed on top to prevent splatter. Shake the wings vigorously, plate to a board, and it's showtime. In case you're still worried about Sean and the guest eating cold food, the boards that Sean and the guest eat off of are warmed, too.

Anyone who's ever worked in the food service industry knows that success is all about timing. We have to imagine anyone who's ever been a production assistant on a TV show would say the same. Combine the pressures of food delivery, in-house saucing of wings, and then the usual complications that come from making a TV show? The day of filming "Hot Ones" sounds like complete, if controlled, chaos.

Famously, the sauce lineup on "Hot Ones" changes each season. There are a few standbys, such as the Hot Ones-branded sauces. Da Bomb Beyond Insanity has been a mainstay since season two. A few sauces have had extended runs: Mad Dog 357 appeared in seasons one, three, and seven, and Blair's Mega Death sauce appeared in seasons two, three, and four. The overall lineup, however, changes. It helps to keep things fresh. Plus, the success of the show and the partnership with hot sauce maker Heatonist has led to "Hot Ones" sauces in grocery stores. It's easy to see how the show could be a good vehicle for selling sauce, but how are sauces chosen?

The process, perhaps mercifully, does not include Sean Evans. "Hot Ones" co-creator Chris Schonberger and Heatonist owner Noah Chaimberg spend hours reviewing sauces before settling on a lineup. Oh, and when we say reviewing sauces, we mean they eat hot sauces with spoons. It frankly sounds torturous, but someone's got to do it. The goal is twofold: bring in interesting sauces, and don't make Sean Evans want to quit.

Sean Evans has said that his personal Mount Rushmore of guests is Paul Rudd, Viola Davis, Gordon Ramsey, and Conan O'Brien. Hard to beat that top four. In particular, Gordon Ramsey had some tactics worth remembering, should you ever attempt the wings of death yourself. Of course, the interview where Sean proclaimed his Mount Rushmore was before the 2025 episode where Sean and actor Keke Palmer locked lips. After years of speculation that the two had been flirting during interviews — plus Sean admitting that Palmer was his celebrity crush — the "Nope" star suggested that the two kiss, to see if sparks flew. On screen, there was an animated heart and fireworks. Only time will tell how long that fire burns.

When asked who he would never have back on, Sean was diplomatic. "Jackass" alum Steve-O's name was on Sean's lips almost as soon as the question was asked. Not surprisingly, Steve-O is unconcerned with warnings on waivers and engages in risky behavior that would surely raise the blood pressure of the on-site medic. Sean did qualify the answer by saying that Steve-O had an open invite to return whenever he wanted.

If there are 50 wings ordered, but only 10 wings eaten on camera, what happens to the other wings? Executive supervising producer Domonique Burroughs says that wings and sauces are shared amongst the guest's team and the show's crew. Guests inevitably want to share wings with whatever members of the entourage they brought to the filming. Burroughs told IndieWire that the "experience really brings people together," which is exactly what eating chicken wings should do.

At the end of the day, "Hot Ones" is not, say, "Meet The Press" or "60 Minutes." The show is supposed to be a fun way to learn surprising facts about your favorite singers, athletes, and movie stars. It's nice to know that there are fun moments behind the scenes, or at least some camaraderie around tasting the wings of death. Wings are a communal experience, and what's the fun in trying hot sauce if you can't make your friends eat some, too? At "Hot Ones," there's a wing party to be had both on and off camera.

Disclaimer: Static Media owns and operates Daily Meal and The Takeout.