On July 8, 2025, Cutthroat Kitchen: Knives Out aired its finale episode, titled Sabotage at Sea, where Chef Kelvin Fernandez emerged as the winner. Fernandez claimed victory after navigating through layered sabotages, mid-round kitchen swaps, and intense bidding wars. His path to victory was anything but smooth, but his approach stayed consistent.“It was one of the hardest things I've ever done. But no problems, only solutions. I came and I conquered Cutthroat Kitchen,” Kelvin stated after his win of $8,250.Kelvin Fernandez secures victory on Cutthroat Kitchen: Knives OutItalian round pushes Kelvin to the edgeThe Cutthroat Kitchen: Knives Out's first challenge required the chefs, Kelvin, Lana, Brit, and Julia, to prepare a refined Italian dish using only one cooking vessel and a fully unlabeled pantry. Jet Tila, serving as guest judge, commended Lana’s risotto for capturing the essence of Italy and highlighted that her dish "really sank."She earned a $1,000 bank bonus for her top performance, while Brit was eliminated after presenting ramen bolognese. Jet explained,“The ramen noodles just took me straight to my childhood, which was not in Italy.”He also added that it was the “least Italian” among the entries. This left Kelvin, Julia, and Lana to continue, with Kelvin barely advancing.“I barely made it to round two. I just want to cook with equipment,” he admitted.Kelvin spends big to stay afloatIn the Cutthroat Kitchen: Knives Out final round, the chefs were challenged to create an elevated entrée suitable for the captain’s table of a luxury cruise. With $23,750 remaining in his bank, Kelvin opted to take control early. During the first auction, he spent $4,000 to steal Julia’s lobster and shrimp, declaring,“I’m going to take the lobster and the shrimp ‘cause it sounds more luxurious.” View this post on Instagram Instagram PostThe second sabotage was introduced in Exile Kitchen aboard the S.S. Malarkey, a makeshift kitchen on a lifeboat with limited supplies. Kelvin bid $11,000 to exile Lana, explaining he wanted to give the "sabotage" to her just to even the playing field.But in a later auction, Julia outbid him and forced Kelvin to switch stations with Lana, sending him to the same lifeboat setup. He questioned the outcome, expressing frustration over spending a large amount only to end up on the SS Malarkey. He emphasized the phrase "all that money."Still, Kelvin adapted and shared during a quick pantry trip allowed late in the round, saying,“I'm keeping the scallops because they cook fast. So, I grabbed butter, tomatoes, and parmesan cheese for my rice. No problems, only solutions. I got to get through it."Final dishes and the winning plate View this post on Instagram Instagram PostWorking with what he had, Kelvin prepared a seared scallop with creamy crab rice and a lime brown butter sauce.“I can't believe I have a dish that I'm proud of. Can I win Cutthroat Kitchen? I don't know,” he said after completing the challenge under limited conditions.Jet evaluated the plate and highlighted the scallop as the standout component, noting that the brown butter sauce contributed a distinct smokiness to the dish. He added,"There is enough crab in the rice that this makes this feel like a very luxury dish. Rice is cooked properly."Host Brian Malarkey then confirmed the result, announcing Kelvin as the Cutthroat Kitchen: Knives Out finale episode’s winner and stating he would take home "$8,250 cold cash."Stream Cutthroat Kitchen: Knives Out anytime on HBO Max.