Chicken wings, hot sauce and tequila – what more can you want?
Hot Ones is a YouTube sensation with a cult following. On the show, hundreds of celebrity guests tackling intimate questions while eating increasingly spicy chicken wings. But did you know you can take on the very same challenge, right here in Leeds? The sell-out Hot Ones Challenge event takes place at Cult Wing on the last Wednesday of every month, and we just had to give it a go.

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When Hot Ones first burst onto the scene back in 2015, no one could have predicted it would become such a hit. Fast forward nine years and it has millions of viewers around the globe, spin-offs and its very own range of hot sauces, while the guest list reads like a who’s who of A-List stars, with huge names like Gordon Ramsay, Lizzo and Halle Berry all taking on the famous wings of death.
The Leeds event is hosted by Chilli Shop owner Frank Jay. His store is a shrine to all things hot, selling everything from spice rubs to jams, alongside the biggest collection of sauces featured on the Hot Ones show. Frank’s been running the challenges for around six years, and in 2023, the event found its forever home at tequila and chicken restaurant Cult Wing.

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The event follows exactly the same format as the show. Choose your wings, chicken or cauliflower, and they’ll be doused with ten increasingly hot sauces, from the Classic Hot Sauce all the way up to the Last Dab, while you answer burning questions between wings. It costs £25 to take part in the challenge and it takes around three hours to complete, with the night split into two halves.
We had to sign a waiver on arrival – an intimidating way to kick things off! After spending all day furiously Googling ‘how to prepare for a hot wing challenge’, ‘best foods to eat before hot wing challenge’ (it’s bananas, FYI) and ‘how hot is Da Bomb’, it was enough to send our hearts racing. Luckily, a few beers calmed those pre-sauce nerves, and we settled in for the night ahead.

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After a quick intro from Frank, the first half of the event began. Five wings were delivered to each contender, and the lovely Mandy came around and loaded the first wing up with sauce one, and so on. The first five sauces ranged from 1,800 up to 36,000 scovilles, each with their own unique taste and tingle. As hot sauce lovers, we were in heaven, but nothing left a lasting burn – yet!
After a quick drink break, it was time for the business end of the night. When we returned to our seats we were met with blue latex gloves to wear – a must when it comes to manhandling super-hot sauce without any painful accidents. We were advised it was going to get a lot hotter from here on out, and Frank also told us that Leeds is the only city to have had no failures to date – no pressure!

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After completing wing six and seven, it was time to take on the biggie – Da Bomb. Sitting at a terrifying 135,600 scovilles, it’s notorious for being the toughest part of the challenge, often separating the strong from the weak. We had a couple of drops each and it was enough to get our tongues tingling, our mouths watering and the sweat pouring. It was the hottest so far by a long stretch.
With two sauces to go, the end was in sight. By this point we’d pulled out our secret weapon – tequila. High-proof alcohol helps break down the capsaicin found in chillies, so sipping it can lessen the burn. We plowed through sauce nine and onto the final hurdle – The Last Dab. Made from the world’s newest and hottest pepper, Pepper X, it’s serious stuff, peaking at over 2,000,000 scovilles.

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As everyone finished their final bite, the vibe in the room was euphoric – we’d made it. Sure, we were red-faced, bleary-eyed and a whole lot sweatier than before, but we’d completed the famous Hot Ones Challenge, and it felt so good. If you’re a fan of hot sauce, chicken wings or you just want a great night out, it’s a must-try experience – just don’t forget your bananas.
The Hot Ones Challenge takes place on the last Wednesday of every month at Cult Wing, Merrion Centre, 19 Merrion Way, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS2 8BT. Visit The Chilli Shop’s Instagram for the latest event details.
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Kirsty Allen Senior Writer
Kirsty joined the Leeds-List team in 2022, bringing eight years of writing experience with her. She lives in Normanton, which is the perfect base for exploring, and as a self-confessed foodie, she’s steadily working her way through every restaurant, street food stall and pop-up in Leeds.
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