The 15 Best Hot Ones Interviews Of All Time

It's rare that we see a celebrity completely disarmed, crying, and cursing at will for the public. But that is exactly what "Hot Ones," an interview series turned pop-culture phenomenon, achieves. Celebrity guests eat a series of 10 chicken wings while being asked incredibly detailed, cutthroat questions by host Sean Evans, all while trying to keep their composure against the heat.

Since its inception at Complex Networks under the umbrella of First We Feast in 2015, the show has amassed a cult-like following with over 350 episodes entering its 26th season. Now, celebrating 10 years of bewildering levels of spice, the show's simple format has not changed; instead, what has been solidified is the humanizing effects of hot sauce.

The show could have easily been written off as a gimmick, but with over 14 million subscribers on YouTube, the success doesn't appear to be slowing down. In 2024, Buzzfeed, who formerly purchased Complex for nearly $300 million before selling it shortly after, announced it would sell its last remaining asset, First We Feast, to a group of investors that included Evans for $82.5 million. With that sale comes brand expansion as "Hot Ones" embarks on collaborative initiatives such as a food truck in Nashville, following partnerships with Shake Shack, McDonald's, and Ragu.

Aside from masochism, what makes the show so good is how hilarious it is. So, we've listed the best episodes to watch if you're feeling fiery.

Pete Davidson has withstood much heat in his dating life, but when it comes to peppery hot sauce, the former "Saturday Night Live" star finally met his match. The comedian's episode, a 2020 hit with 18 million views on YouTube, is hailed by host Sean Evans on TikTok as one of the most memorable moments in "Hot Ones" history.

In between questions about his unique fashion sense, behind the scenes of SNL, and Adam Sandler's basketball skills, Pete Davidson starts crying even before he reaches Da' Bomb, proving the power of the spice. Though he does an impressive job cleaning the wing in its entirety, when he eventually reaches Da' Bomb, the "Bodies Bodies Bodies" star starts cursing almost immediately, almost unable to get his words out and choking from the heat. In his typical self-deprecating style, he chugs oat milk and dabs his eyes with a tissue as the heat kicks in. "I'm trying to be like my dad," he says to Evans. "This is my 9/11."

Despite his valiant effort, Pete Davidson struggles to keep it together as he faces The Last Dab. He questions whether he's the worst guest, but host Sean Evans reassures him he's not.

Conan O'Brien closes out season 23 of "Hot Ones" with arguably the most unhinged episode of the series. The late-night talk show prefaces the interview with growing up in an Irish Catholic household and never seeing spice until he was 52 years old, which didn't hold him back from an incredible performance.

The comedian stays committed to his bit until Da' Bomb, where he unravels after dousing the wing in sauce and licking it. "What's the point of being alive if we can't do this," he screams through the burn. However, the former "Simpsons" writer doesn't stop there; by the end of the episode, he's pouring hot sauce on his hands and rubbing it all over his face and nipples before taking shots of the pure pepper Last Dab like it's liquor.

Evans also mentions the 2024 episode with over 12 million views as one of the wildest moments in Hot Ones history, and it's clear why. Conan O'Brien's physical commitment to comedy earned him one of the most talked about episodes on social media and apparently burns on his skin.

Known for his incredibly tough demeanor, Gordon Ramsay's episode of "Hot Ones" brilliantly displays his humility in the face of hot sauce. The celebrity chef's 2019 episode starts strong in typical Ramsay fashion, critiquing the quality of the wings. "They're a bit f***ing overcooked. It's like eating a mouthful of f***ing sand," he says.

As the "Kitchen Nightmares" host shares his favorite recipes for burgers and scrambled eggs, the spice proves its unrelenting offense as he pours himself a glass of Pepto Bismol. "That's like sticking your tongue in a plate of acid," the chef says in between taking bites of a sugary donut and chugging lemon juice, a kitchen trick to break up the heat. With over 130,000 views and a nearly impossible count of swears, watching the spice completely dismantle the chef feels a little bit like karma.

Shaquille O'Neal is known for towering over his opponents on the hardwood. But his successful career in the NBA held little weight in the face of hot sauce. Equipped with his own gallon of milk, despite claiming he is lactose intolerant, the Emmy-winning sports commentator chronicles stories of shopping sprees at Walmart and his history with Kobe Bryant as he eats his way through the rounds in one of the most entertaining episodes.

His confidence is quickly shattered when he reaches Da' Bomb, a hot sauce from Kansas with a Scoville level of over 135,000 that he initially disses. "Kansas don't know how to do no hot wings," he fronts before delivering one of the most memeable faces in internet history. Coughing and gargling milk, the 7'1", four-time NBA champion is broken down, desperately seeking refuge, and even pours milk onto the wing. "You got ice cube chapstick?" he asks Evans.

Jennifer Lawrence fought for her life as a tribute in "The Hunger Games," but her survival skills on screen could not translate to real life. In one of the series' most iconic episodes, the Academy-Award-winning actress humbly admits at the start that she doesn't have a high pain tolerance, and by the end, she's questioning everything. "What do you mean!?"

The down-to-earth starlet tries to keep her calm, answering questions about acting and technique while blotting dripping snot from her nose. Having been warned of the dangers of Da' Bomb, Lawrence coats her throat with a glass of milk that provides little armor for what is to come. After taking a bite, the "Silver Linings Playbook" star immediately starts panicking and weeping as she tries to dilute the spice with water. "I'm drooling so much. Is my face okay," she cries in agony. Unsurprisingly, her remarkable performance became one of the biggest memes in 2023.

Pedro Pascal is a multidimensional talent who has starred in some of the biggest hits on screen, such as "Game of Thrones" and "The Last of Us." But it's his appearance on "Hot Ones" that the actor tributes to "finally being taken seriously," although he's unsure from the start if his internal organs can handle what's about to unfold.

Conversation flows in this episode as the "Mandalorian" star talks about working with Yoda and, coincidentally, on-screen deaths. Despite thinking the wings are initially tasty, the heat creeps up, taking a chokehold at Da' Bomb. "This is a story structure to your interview," he asserts. "You tell me I'm doing well, and then you try to kill me." Blubbering and gargling milk, Pascal's confidence is obliterated as he questions if he even has a tongue. Icing his head and thinking fondly of Cap'n Crunch, this 2023 episode with over 17 million views is a top contender for good reason.

In this underrated episode of "Hot Ones," Grammy-award-winning singer Ariana Grande keeps an unbelievable poker face as she and Evans talk about music and the art of vocal warm-ups. The "Wicked" actress who "begged" to appear on the show maintains an unusually calm aura as she nibbles through the rounds, calling the fermented kimchi wing "romantic," even as her insides "know something is afoot."

Evans' well-researched questions immediately made an impression on the pint-sized star, but their discussion couldn't delay the inevitable. However, Grande is no match for the wings, barely raising an eyebrow at the rising Scoville levels, even when she arrives at Da' Bomb. The contrast between the intense spiciness of the wings and Grande's unbreakable composure is striking. Her calm demeanor persisted until the end when she admitted she "did not feel confident at all." This performance is an absolute mic drop.

Referred to as a "GOAT" episode on Reddit, Paul Rudd's 2019 episode with over 25 million views is truly a spectacle. The actor, writer, and producer breaks down some of Hollywood's secrets, like the alternate script to "Anchorman," and even improvises a hilarious scene with Evans that made for one of the most viral memes.

The episode is an example of what makes this show so great, encompassing great questions, answers, and overall great moments as one of the nicest guys in Hollywood battles it out over the spiciest hot sauces. When Rudd reaches The Last Dab, he courageously combines a little bit of each sauce into his own "hot sauce puddle," a self-inflicted concoction of hell, before cheers-ing his cauliflower vegan wing with Evans. "Hey, look at us," he says.

In this memorable episode, Margot Robbie is already shuttering at the start of the episode. "I have the pallet of a 4-year-old and grew up eating mashed potatoes," she confessed of her limited ability to handle spice. And while swearing usually begins in the later rounds, the Australian actress is already sweating by the second wing. Perhaps it's the Tonya Harding in her from when she played her in "I,Tonya," but the star refuses to admit defeat.

Taking off her jacket, chugging milk, and fanning herself frantically to keep it together, the "Barbie" star contemplates death as the heat overwhelms her. Though she says she once won a spaghetti bolognese eating contest, she's left numb when it comes to the wing gauntlet. "I think I might die," she says as her eyes tear up. "I don't know how it can get more spicy than that."

Elizabeth Olsen is not just a great actress but also a great interviewee. In this season 15 episode, the "WandaVision" star maintains an incredibly chill vibe as she and host Sean Evans discuss her rise to stardom and spill the tea on some of her favorite memories with best friend and "Hot Ones" legend Aubrey Plaza.

"I don't want to be too bold about how spicy I like my food, but I think I'm okay," she says in the opening. The Marvel actress is so relaxed that she is actually enjoying the wings — compliments to the chef! With over 8 million views and several honorable mentions on Reddit, Olsen ends the episode on a high with a personal reflection that maybe in life, she will be open to more spice in the future.

When Millie Bobby Brown arrives for her episode, she already feels the heat just from smelling the wings. "My nostrils, I have no more hairs left," she says. Though the "Stranger Things" actress is known to add sriracha to her food and says that being born in Spain made her familiar with spicy foods, she is undeniably nervous.

Things go downhill as expected when she reaches Da' Bomb. And while her nose doesn't bleed like Eleven, the "Enola Holmes" star is overcome with fits of coughing. "That made me want to stop breathing," she says before chugging a chocolate milkshake and begging to be asked a question to distract her from the pain. Fighting back tears and pulling stray strands of hair, this episode is delightful and hilarious, especially when she flips off host Sean Evans in retaliation.

Known for her deadpan facade and odd interviews, Aubrey Plaza's appearance on "Hot Ones" is truly iconic. For a show known to disarm guests' composure, the "White Lotus" star proves she is unflappable, admitting to her secret of pinching herself during scenes to maintain her dry sense of calm.

As she takes on some of the world's hottest wings, the actress fights back tears, searching for solace in a glass of milk, which she sips through her nose in what would become one of the show's most viral moments. "Anything I can get up my nose," she jokes between sniffles before dropping a series of F-bombs. With no shortage of profanities, this hilarious episode will hook you into the lore of Aubrey Plaza and make you a fan if you weren't already one.

Florence Pugh is an Academy Award-nominated actress who, aside from her incredible roles in films like "Midsommar" and "We Live in Time," is quite the foodie. From her social media series "Cooking with Flo" to her recent appearance on National Geographic's "No Taste Like Home," Pugh arrives for her "Hot Ones" episode nervous despite having worked with spice in the kitchen.

Thankful for the chilly air conditioning, the Brit might have been mentally prepared for the challenge, but physically is another question. As the "Little Women" star shares her favorite pub in Oxford for a perfect cup of tea, her worst fears come true when she starts sweating from her eyebrows. "It's like eating battery acid," and lets out a scream after taking a huge bite of chicken slathered in Da' Bomb. Pugh is banging on the table and shouting into a napkin as she fights back tears and slurs her words. "It's like a deceitful, manipulative person," she says, comparing the Scoville to a bad relationship. The sheer drama of this episode cannot be missed.

Idris Elba has been gracing us on the screen for over 20 years. An exceptional actor and DJ, "The Wire" star arrives steadfast and collected for his "Hot Ones" episode. Discussing everything from his come-up in acting to UK hip-hop legends, Elba appears unbothered by the rising heat as he cheekily compliments the sauces.

But all of that changes when he meets Da' Bomb. After taking a mouthful of chicken loaded with ghost and habanero-infused hot sauce, the actor struggles to swallow. He is immediately taken by a fit of coughing and wipes sweat from his forehead. Cursing and chugging water, Elba can hardly get a word out. "I can't even speak; my mouth is actually numb."

With glazed eyeballs, the former Met-gala host slams a chicken wing to the ground before boasting that he is not scared of anything! Keeping the jokes coming, Elba questions Evans on who's idea the show was and challenges the show's producer to a fight. "You got any other bright ideas coming up in your little brain box over there," he says. "Jesus Christ, I'm about to pass out." Da' Bomb wins once again.

As one of the most requested "Hot Ones" guests of all time, Dave Grohl's episode does not disappoint. The Nirvana alum and Foo Fighters frontman keeps things hilarious with his upbeat energy and funny voices.

The Rock n' Roll Hall of Famer chats with Evans about recognizing a great drummer through feeling, what makes a good cover song, and how Saturday Night Live influenced his music. Grohl seems unfazed by the heat, joking, "It's not about the mouth; it's about your a**h***." He even pokes fun at Evans for the fact that this is his job.

When the Grammy Award winner arrives at The Last Dab, he's still making quips as he takes shots of the pepper sauce and uses the wings as a chaser. "I've got a confession to make," he sings of his eponymous song. "Sometimes I come home from rehearsal, I drink a couple beers, and eat a teaspoon of this s***." Grohl is definitely the Hot Ones champion.