'Hell' winner loses prize gig because of visa

Gordon Ramsay is in hot water again, but this time, it's not because of something he did -- it's something he couldn't do.

The foul-mouthed celebrity chef had to reneg on the prize offered to the winner of last season's "Hell's Kitchen" -- a six-month stint working alongside the head chef of the swanky, soon-to-reopen Savoy Grill in London's Savoy Hotel -- because Holli Ugalde can't get a visa to work in the UK.

Her visa application, submitted by series producers, was denied by the Home Office, the British government agency responsible for immigration control. No reason was given for declining the application.

Patrick Wymore/FOX

EX-BOSS: Gordon Ramsay had to reneg on winner Holli Ugalde’s prize of running his UK restaurant

The 25-year-old single mom told reporters that she was "incredibly excited when I won and felt crushed when I found out I wouldn't be going to London . . . It is deeply disappointing that I will not be working at the Savoy Grill."

She added that she had not spoken to Ramsay since August, when they appeared on a talk show together.

"In spite of our best efforts, we were unable to obtain a work visa for Holli to fulfill her prize at the Savoy Grill in London. Holli elected to receive the cash prize instead," an ITV spokesperson told The Post, declining to specify the amount of the cash prize.

"We were sorry to find out that Holli Ugalde can't join the team," a representative for Ramsay told reporters. "Holli is a great chef, and it's terrific that she's doing so well in the US." (Last week, Uglade announced that she was the signature chef of Fort Lauderdale's B Ocean, due to open next month.)

Ugalde's agent, Zlata Faerman, has said that the whole situation is merely a "smokescreen" and that the Savoy didn't want a reality show contestant working in its famed kitchen.

"Holli's face just didn't fit for the Savoy," Faerman said, likening banquet chef Ugalde's disappoint to that of " 'The X Factor' winner not getting a record deal."

But, sources familiar with the situation told The Post that that's not true.

"At no time has either Gordon Ramsay or the Savoy indicated to producers that they didn't want Holli to work at the restaurant," one source said. "In fact, Gordon expressed disappointment to the producers when he found out that she wasn't able to obtain the visa and work at the Savoy."

Fox had no comment about the situation.