Which Member of ‘N Sync Will Do Best on Hot Ones?

Photo: First We Feast/YouTube

One of the most appealing things about Hot Ones, the chat show where Sean Evans asks his guests spicy questions while sampling spicier sauces, is to see the famous laid low. There are some things that A-list status can’t protect you from, capsaicin being one of them. N’ Sync started their semi-reunion press tour at the 2023 VMAs, and is now taking it to Hot Ones. Chris Kirkpatrick, JC Chasez, Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass and Joey Fatone will all be sampling wings opposite, Evans. It’s a weird-looking setup, but it does offer a rare opportunity for Hot Ones aficianados. Namely, which boy bander will cope best with all that spice? Before the new ep drops on Thursday, Vulture is wildly conjecturing below.

I think JC may do the worst on the ten wings of death. Chasez has stayed out of the limelight more than any of his other fellow N’ Syncers, indicating a risk-averse personality. According to a somehow still extant Angelfire fansite, Chasez collects Hard Rock Cafe menus, which does not speak to an adventurous palate. Still, JC was one of the band’s most committed dancers. His esprit des corps is on full display in his TikTok fandom. He may bring that same commitment to Hot Ones.

In his 2022 episode of Cribs, Chris Kirkpatrick did not show his kitchen. This feels very telling. If you’re a hot sauce guy, you show that shit off. I also think, as a contra tenor, Kirkpatrick has to stay away from a lot of spicy foods lest he damage his vocal cords. Will Kirkpatrick be near the bottom of the wing-eating pile? This I promise you.

Lance Bass yearns for adventure, for extremes. He wanted to go to space soooo bad, which makes me think hot sauce is no problem. If you’re willing to take on hella G’s to get to the moon, Scovilles can’t rate very high. Bass’s West Hollywood bar, Rocco’s, serves wings with a special 911 hot sauce. Both these factors conspire to make me think Bass will hold it down in the sauce.

Timberlake has done Hot Ones before, and did not relish the experience. The “Mirror” singer started feeling the spice on wing 2, and was begging for a bathroom before the show even began. He did, however, add a lot of sauce on the final dab, and held his composure on the final question (though he did claim to be almost blinded with spice). He also vowed to return, and has made good on that promise.

Former hot dog magnate Joey Fatone has also done Hot Ones before. He chugged a lot of water to get through it, but he persevered. Fatone’s episode of Hot Ones also debuted the show’s official hot sauce. That speaks to First We Feast’s belief in the Fat One. FWF ranks Fatone alongside Coolio and Gunplay as the most unfazed wing slingers they’ve ever seen. Plus, he talked a lot of shit on DJ Khaled. That’s succeeding at both sides of the Hot Ones formula.