'Top Chef Texas': Sarah Succumbs To The Heat, Is Taken To The Hospital (VIDEO)

One of the worst things that can happen on any reality competition show is a medical evacuation. Any time away from the competition is time that could cost the contestant their place in the contest, so it was understandable that Sarah was upset when she became overheated working over a hot grill on "Top Chef: Texas" (Wed., 10 p.m. EST on Bravo). Fortunately, she was surrounded by people who understood that her health was much more important than a cooking contest.

After working in pit in temperatures near one-hundred degrees and breathing in heavy smoke, Sarah began to feel light-headed and get hot and cold chills. Her teammates and the show's producers were supportive and got her the proper medical attention quickly, even if she was frustrated about how the health scare might affect her standing in the contest.

"I didn't come this far to not compete," she lamented. But the decision was out of her hands, and she was taken by ambulance to the hospital, to ensure everything was okay. With the contestants split into teams of three at this point, that left Ed and Ty to carry on one person short.

They scrambled without her, and ultimately came up short in the challenge to the Asian-inspired Blue Team of Grayson, Lindsay and Paul. But it was Chris' salty rub that made the White Team's meat unpalatable, and cost him his place in the competition.

See who gets eliminated next as "Top Chef: Texas" continues every Wednesday at 10 p.m. EST on Bravo.

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Comments

[kcwookie]

12:47 PM on 01/08/2012

So Top Chef admits to an unsafe working environment on nationwide TV. That show is running out of ideas and needs to be cancelled.

[ThinkCreeps]

08:29 PM on 01/06/2012

Top Chef Texas. Odd idea - a bit like Most Distant Cousin Kentucky.

[Kali03]

09:16 AM on 01/07/2012

Ok, this is by far the funniest comment I've read on Huff_Po in a while.

(No offense meant to folks in Kentucky; look at my micro-bio--we in Texas have our own burdens to shoulder...)

[PollyTics]

08:02 PM on 01/06/2012

Working in that kind of heat, pressure and time constraints, it's surprising more people don't fall prey to health problems. Of course when competing, you should make sure you are fit and at a good weight, otherwise that can be your downfall. Hope no one gets hurt during this seasons competition...tough one.

[Happy Kine]

03:53 PM on 01/06/2012

I will be tuning in when they cook long pig.

[Shauni Waterdragon]

10:09 AM on 01/07/2012

Ew

[Patrick Mould]

03:15 PM on 01/06/2012

Hey if you can't stand the heat....well you know the rest! But seriously sun stroke is serious stuff and if you get it once you are susceptible to getting it for the rest of your life.
With that said I have not been watching the show but having them BBQ or whatever they were cooking outdoors in Texas in the dead of summer is just stupid on the part of the producers. But boy does it make for titillating and dramatic TV....NOT!

[RationalCaliGirl]

04:30 PM on 01/06/2012

They started cooking at night and carried over to daytime. Yes, I think it was stupid to have them cook outdoors in the midst of summer in Texas. However, they did some cooking outdoors during the summer in Las Vegas as well.

[cyoohoos]

09:10 AM on 01/07/2012

I think the kicker was they were up all night. No one should have to be awake for > 24 hours and be cooking in that heat for the better part of the next day. I think it is a stupid challenge and really, there was no reason for it.

[Front Row Joe]

11:20 AM on 01/06/2012

The show was filmed during one of the hottest summer's Texas has had in years. I am not certain why these shows often push contestants way beyond a normal person's limits. They were awake for over 19 hours and she was probably not drinking enough fluids to stay hydrated.

The producers of these types of shows should realize the limits of a normal human being, let alone working in intense heat and not drinking enough.

[PollyTics]

08:04 PM on 01/06/2012

...and if you are not fit or are overweight...it spells trouble.

[Front Row Joe]

08:22 PM on 01/06/2012

Yeah....well....I didn't want to say it, 'cause I actually know her.

;)p
Hopefully she doesn't read Huff Po

[kcwookie]

12:54 PM on 01/08/2012

That is a stupid answer. The conditions were unsafe and the injury was 100% preventable.

[clearthinker16]

11:06 AM on 01/06/2012

I had a heat issue once many years ago, and she was not even close, just hot, dehydrated and tired from being up all night. She is not Top Chef material, as she repeatedly throws team mates under the bus for her problems. The other two did a good job trying to rescue a bad situation. Yes they should have cut the brisket to order, but 2 people serving 7 items on 150 dishes, they would have been in line forever.

[GraphicMatt]

12:46 PM on 01/06/2012

:......she was not even close....."

How do you know how close she was? The EMTs made the call the take her to the hospital. Now the woman a few seasons back that went to the hospital just for 2 stitches on her finger, that was lame. I've soldiered on and worked with far worse knife cuts in the past. Cut the tip of my thumb off once. Our chef wrapped it up in gauze and rolled a finger cot on it and sent me on my merry way, lol.

[Robyn Twango]

02:33 PM on 01/07/2012

she should have grabbed the super glue, that one was ridiculous.

[PollyTics]

08:07 PM on 01/06/2012

I don't particularly like her style either, but just because she had a tough time with heat stroke is no reason to discredit her abilities. She's overweight and not as fit as she could be, yes...but to say she's not Top Chef material is really simply not true. She is renown n her field, executive chef is a really great Chicago restaurant.

Don't get your personal feelings about a chef get mixed in with their abilities.

[OhForPetesSake]

06:39 AM on 01/06/2012

If these chefs were such good cooks how come the are serving such slop. The other seasons were better than this one.

Must be the slop is just getting to predictable. Tom is just to wishy washy and Padma needs someone to get her out of the rags she is wearing.

[PollyTics]

08:10 PM on 01/06/2012

Slop? I don't look at what they are doing as slop. You sure you're watching the same show?

Also, perhaps one problem is that they have taken this season to Texas which is not known (overall) as fine cuisine. Not that they don't have fine cuisine...it's just that part of the Texas schtick is their bigger is better, we are the best kind of thing.

[Kali03]

09:23 AM on 01/07/2012

Our barbecue is the best--have you ever had brisket in Texas? And the chicken-fried steak is phenomenal. Also, the fusion undercurrent of just about everything--not just Tex-Mex makes for amazing food.

Texas and New Mexico have the best food in the country, in my opinion. There's nothing like brisket, peach cobbler, or chicken-fried steak (Texas) or green chile stew, sopaipillas, or virtually anything with red chile sauce on it (New Mexico). We also have red velvet cake here in the South, which is hard to find in other regions. Don't get me going on pan de los muertos and bizchochitos.

:)

[Feesister]

07:11 PM on 01/05/2012

Was anyone else a little freaked out by Grayson and her campfire song?

[lexigram]

05:03 AM on 01/06/2012

Yup. It was one of the stupidest things I've ever seen. I guess it was supposed to be funny?
Like this whole season so far, it made no sense.

[GraphicMatt]

12:47 PM on 01/06/2012

Um, not to be critical, but how much sense do you make when you've been awake that long. Fatigue does funny things to a person.

[knott wrench]

06:26 PM on 01/05/2012

Heat Exhaustion is no fun at all.

Hope Sarah gets well soon.

[niceguy71653]

05:28 PM on 01/05/2012

Leave it to the networks to take a good premise and run it in to the ground. They think they can slap "Texas" on anything and people will flock to it.

I live in Texas and I'm not even interested in the show.

[GraphicMatt]

12:48 PM on 01/06/2012

What are you talking about? They do the show in a different city each season. This year it just happened to be three cities in Texas.

[PollyTics]

08:11 PM on 01/06/2012

...and this years seasons seems to be sub par...at least to me.

[PollyTics]

08:49 PM on 01/07/2012

I think that niceguy (as well as myself) is just not so keen on the show being in Texas this year. Perhaps its the talent, maybe it's the challenges or it could also be that he (or myself) are just not a big fan of the area. I'm not sure what the answer it for niceguy, but for me I think it may be a combination of all three as I just am not loving it this season.

[Jasonperkins]

04:09 PM on 01/05/2012

can't stand the heat ....................

[antiteabagerj]

03:50 PM on 01/05/2012

Ummm Tasty food full of chef sweat

[mlaiuppa]

02:53 PM on 01/05/2012

Bottom line: It's not worth dying over.

[Rick3]

07:03 PM on 01/05/2012

It was dramatic effect. I watched the show and she first complained of too much smoke and the paramedics gave her O2 then all of a sudden she had heat exhaustion and yet had no obvious signs (i.e. shock look, cramping, etc - not heat stroke - heat exhaustion). She was fine when they rolled her away in the unit. (Former Paramedic). This was "reality" TV making a little drama since the show suqs so bad. Those people could not cook their way out of a prison cafeteria. Typical faked & scripted reality TV. Stupid.

[rose301]

07:14 PM on 01/05/2012

that wasn't typical fake and scripted...how would you know anyhow.... get a grip Rick3. If it's faked and scripted why do you watch it. I'm sure some of the reality shows are scripted like Big Brother for one but not this one.

[Beth Grierson]

03:58 PM on 01/06/2012

No, she complained about the heat, too - and said she was dizzy, and that she'd gotten hot and cold chills. And I trust you understand that this happened over a longer period of time than what we saw on TV, yes?

I have no delusions about how scripted and contrived these shows can be, but I saw nothing to suggest there wasn't s genuine problem here.

[Scott Stevenson]

02:41 PM on 01/05/2012

When will Americans get over their obsession with food pron?

[niceguy71653]

05:28 PM on 01/05/2012

What is food pron?

[Scott Stevenson]

05:42 PM on 01/05/2012

Think about it... :)

[PollyTics]

08:15 PM on 01/06/2012

Pssst, pron = P o r n...

[Happy Kine]

03:42 PM on 01/06/2012

Probably once they dump their silly religious hang ups methinks