YouTube icon MrBeast finally made his debut on Hot Ones, successfully completing the sauce gauntlet… but not without warning future guests that the spicy challenge “isn’t worth it.”
Jimmy ‘MrBeast‘ Donaldson and Hot Ones host Sean Evans have rubbed elbows at quite a few industry conferences and events over the years, but despite reigning as YouTube’s most-subscribed creator since 2022, he hadn’t appeared as a guest on the interview show.
That changed on February 5, 2026, when Donaldson finally sat down across from Evans to try his hand at the famous lineup of increasingly spicy hot wings while answering the host’s notoriously specific questions.
At first, MrBeast admitted he was “terrified” of the hot wings, saying this was part of the reason why he’d put off appearing as a Hot Ones guest for so long.
MrBeast admits he was “terrified” of Hot Ones challenge
Despite his general aversion to spicy food due to his low tolerance for the heat, Donaldson managed to make it through all the sauces, though he had some help along the way.
Throughout the challenge, the YouTube star guzzled chocolate milk, ice water, and even vanilla ice cream, remarking that his tongue felt like it was “burning” and saying he felt like he was going to “throw up.”
At the end of the gauntlet, Evans congratulated MrBeast and asked if he had any final thoughts about his experience, specifically wondering what he’d tell his future self about appearing on the show again.
“Don’t!” he joked. “It’s not worth it. It’s literally not worth it. Sean’s cool, [but] it’s not worth it. I’m never eating spicy food again.”
MrBeast’s victory over the Hot Ones challenge puts him above a few other major celebrities who’ve appeared on the show in the past. For example, rapper Ice Spice pulled out of the gauntlet at the very end, while DJ Khaled infamously dropped out at sauce number three, calling the spicy wings “dangerous” and saying he wasn’t “vibing with” the premise.
MrBeast had also considered purchasing Hot Ones back in early 2025, but didn’t end up taking the plunge, saying Evans hadn’t “reached out” to him about it… but that’s probably for the best, given that Evans bought the show himself from Buzzfeed for an eye-watering $82.5 million.
