22 Moments When Reality Show Judges Decided That Honesty Really Is The Best Policy

    Whoever named it Hell's Kitchen really meant it.

    1. When a Top Chef contestant's pasta reminded Anthony Bourdain of literal roadkill.

    Bourdain harshly critiques a contestant's pasta dish

    2. When this chef-testant did such a bad job of butchering that Tom Colicchio kicked him out of the competition before he had the chance to actually cook anything.

    After he badly butchers a piece of meat, Tom kicks a contestant out of the competition in the middle of a challenge

    3. When Toby Young tried out some political humor.

    Toby compares a soup to weapons of mass destruction

    4. When Heidi Klum said that this Project Runway design looked like child's play.

    Heidi compares one designer's work that that of her 8-year-old

    5. When Michael Kors thought this dress (constructed from licorice for an unconventional materials challenge) was apocalyptically bad.

    Michael Kors calls a look made from candy "rigatoni Mad Max"

    6. When Nina Garcia (and resident nice guy/contestant mentor Tim Gunn) struggled with this barely-there look.

    Tim and the judges are horrified by a skimpy design made out of a neck scarf

    7. And when Nina felt the kind of disappointment that can only be expressed via pun.

    Nina makes a pun about a fantasy-inspired look, saying it's more Tinkerhell than Tinkerbell

    8. And who could forget her summing up her thoughts about this experimental gown with some...vivid imagery?

    Nina says a gown makes a model look like she has a "foaming vagina"

    9. When Gordon Ramsey used his trademark TLC to assess this culinary instructor's enchiladas on Hell's Kitchen.

    Gordon tries an enchilada dish, after comparing it to diapers, then spits it out

    10. And when he kept it simple (and I started to wonder if this show offers post-competition counseling).

    In Hell's Kitchen, Gordon tells a chef he sucks

    11. When RuPaul lost her patience on RuPaul's Drag Race.

    RuPaul chastises a contestant for being overly sensitive to criticism.

    12. When RuPaul lost her patience, Part Two: The Shequel.

    Valentina refuses to take her mask off for a lip sync for your life

    13. When she had only this to say to a queen who committed one of the cardinal sins of Drag Race: Trying (and failing) to impersonate Beyoncé.

    RuPaul tells a contestant that impersonating Beyonce is not their destiny, child.

    14. And, following another disastrous pop diva impersonation, when she forced a contestant — who had immunity and could not be eliminated — to tweet an apology to Katy Perry.

    Alyssa's disastrous Katy Perry impersonation

    15. When Paul Hollywood added insult to collapsed cake injury by comparing the texture of a bake to rubber on The Great British Baking Show.

    Paul Hollywood compares the texture of a cake to that of a car tire

    16. When this bake brought Paul to Hell and back again.

    Paul compares a cake designed to look like a tennis court to something from hell

    17. When a baker mixed up salt and sugar in the semifinal and disappointed Prue.

    Prue chides a baker for making basic mistakes

    18. When Tyra lost her temper on America's Next Top Model and secured her place in the reality TV hall of fame.

    Tyra's iconic "We were all rooting for you!" speech

    19. We now interrupt your regularly scheduled programming for your daily dose of Simon Cowell crushing dreams.

    Simon tells a wedding singer he sucks so badly people must've gotten divorced because of him

    20. ...and another one...

    Simon insults a singer at his first audition

    21. ...and one more for luck!

    Simon compares a singer's chances of making it to his of going to the moon for breakfast

    22. JK, I had to include this one.

    Simon compares a performance to someone stepping on two cats

    What's a judges' panel line that makes you cringe and/or run for cover? Drop it in the comments below!