“I’m going for another bite,” said American singer Ariana Grande during the interview show Hot Ones as she went for seconds on the last meal, a chicken wing with a sauce so hot it left previous guests in tears, gasping for air, and even outright leaving the studio.
The YouTube show pits stars from different backgrounds against 10 hot sauces, each one spicier than the last, until either the interview is completed or they can’t continue anymore.
Highlights
- Ariana Grande went for seconds on the spiciest wings on 'Hot Ones' that left other guests in tears.
- Grande’s calm reaction to the spiciest wings, including the 2,693,000 SHU 'The Last Dab Xperience,' shocked the internet.
- During the 23-minute interview, Grande discussed her latest album 'Eternal Sunshine' and her role in the upcoming 'Wicked' adaptation.
Measured in Scoville heat units (SHU), each bottle is assigned a score that represents its level of pungency.
Hot Ones starts slowly, with their first sauce measuring at only 1.700 units and steadily upping the heat until number eight at 135,600 units. It’s at this point that most guests start desperately reaching for their milk bottles to counteract the spice.
Celebrities that prove to be too tough for that stage are given a taste of their ninth bottle, the High River Sauces Peppers Up Hot Sauce, at a massive 700,000 units, which is sure to leave even the most experienced enjoyers of peppers in flames.
But not Ariana Grande.
Ariana Grande’s calm reaction to the spiciest wings on Hot Ones is taking the internet by storm
Image credits: arianagrande
The internet went crazy as they witnessed the star go through not only the ninth bottle unfazed but also enjoy their tenth offering, the dreaded “The Last Dab Xperience.” It’s a dangerously hot mix that’s 2.5 times stronger than the infamous Indian ghost pepper, and it is measured at an astonishing 2,693,000 units.
“I wasn’t expecting this,” Grande said after taking a bite, disappointed at the apparent lack of intensity of a sauce that had the likes of Shaquille O'Neal and Idris Elba in tears.
“It’s weird because my tongue feels it, but I’m fine.”
Image credits: firstwefeast
The topic of the 23-minute interview was the singer's latest studio album, Eternal Sunshine, as well as her upcoming film adaptation of the 2005 Broadway musical Wicked, which tells the story of the eponymous “Wicked Witch of the West” of The Wizard of Oz fame.
Before they began, Grande asked her host, Sean Evans, about where he thought she’d fall on a scale of previous participants, using former guests DJ Khaled and Lorde as examples.
Image credits: firstwefeast
Khaled ranks as the worst “Hot Contender” of all time after he gave up on the third wing, one of the mildest, and even got angry with Evans after the latter called him out.
Lorde, on the other hand, crushed all 10 wings with no issues and remained positive throughout the program, endearing her to the fans of Hot Ones.
“I think you’ll be ‘Lorde-leaning,’” replied Evans.
“That’s generous… That’s so nice. That’s a lie, and it’s nice. Thank you,” joked Grande, unaware that in only a few minutes, Evans' prediction would turn out to be true.
The singer went through each and every wing effortlessly as she talked enthusiastically about her participation in the Wicked adaptation
Image credits: firstwefeast
Speaking of her upcoming film, the songwriter praised her co-star Cynthia Erivo, who plays the wicked witch Elphaba, a foil to Grande’s own character Glinda, the good witch.
“Nothing compares to Cynthia — this is my favorite thing in the entire world. Watching Cynthia in her harness with a broom, a hat, wig, corset, dress, the whole thing,” Grande explained.
“Flipping upside down, flying around the set, defying gravity, every take like it’s nothing, just the most phenomenal thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”
“We had to do some really insane, beautiful things for this film, and it was just so much fun.”
After completely dominating each and every bottle of hot sauce, the actress found herself shocked at her own immunity to the heat.
“Something’s off. Something’s turned off. It shouldn’t feel like this,” she stated before grabbing another bite.
“I’m going back. Are you going back? I don’t want to hurt you. I’m good,” she said, lightly taunting Evans, who, at that point, was already choking and holding back tears.
Shortly after the interview, the official Instagram account of Hot Ones posted a compilation of various celebrities suffering at the hands of the show’s spicy wings and contrasted them with shots of Ariana completely unfazed and dignified.
“Still not over it @arianagrande,” the caption reads.