PETA reportedly asks Sean Evans to have 'vegan wings' as the default option on Hot Ones

Animal advocacy organization PETA has sent a letter to the Hot Ones host Sean Evans to make vegan wings the default options for his celebrity talk show instead of chicken ones. Evans, who hosts celebrities and challenges them to progressively spicy wings while interviewing them, has spent close to a decade hosting the popular talk show.

In a press release posted to its website, PETA revealed that it sent a proposal to Evans to offer vegan wings to his guests in lieu of the current meat-based option.

The organisation claimed that it would name two of its rescue chickens ‘Sean’ and ‘Evan’ in his honor if he would take up their offer. PETA’s president Tracy Reiman remarked,

“The searing pain from eating the hottest wing in the world is nothing compared to the agony many chickens feel when they’re dunked into scalding de-feathering tanks at slaughterhouses. PETA encourages Sean Evans to make Hot Ones as kind as it is spicy by serving only vegan wings that leave chickens in peace.”

PETA is calling on Hot Ones host Sean Evans to make vegan wings the default option on the show. pic.twitter.com/Wlu0s3BTiJ

— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) September 11, 2025

PETA shared the letter it sent to Hot Ones’ host Sean Evans

In its press release which revealed that PETA had approached Sean Evans to make the default wings vegan on his show Hot Ones, the organization also shared the letter it sent to the host.

Celebrity Relations senior officer Nicole Cummins addressed Evans and wrote,

“Dear Sean, You’ve sat across from some of the biggest names in the world as their eyes watered and their voices cracked from the heat. But nothing on Hot Ones comes close to what chickens endure before ending up on a plate, so we’ve got a hot tip for you: make vegan wings the default.”

Emphasizing that the move would serve to protect animals, the letter added,

“We promise neither your guests nor your viewers will notice the change. But you know who would? Chickens. After all, the only ones who should be suffering for the sake of the show are the guests braving your sauces, not the birds. Hot Ones is famous for its scalding wings, but that heat is nothing compared to the scalding tanks many chickens are dropped into at slaughter – often while still conscious.”

Our fave @F1 racer @LewisHamilton devoured some vegan wings on @firstwefeast's Hot Ones, sharing an important vegan message with host @seanseaevans 🤩🐥 pic.twitter.com/EtZyvOJdmS

— PETA (@peta) May 30, 2024

The organization also highlighted the inhumane treatment that the chickens are subjected to, and remarked,

“They’re crammed into windowless sheds packed with tens of thousands of other birds, forced to stand in their own waste as ammonia burns their lungs and eyes. Many suffer broken legs under the unnatural weight of their genetically manipulated bodies.”

Hot Ones already supports celebrities who are vegan. Back in 2016, rapper RZA became the first vegan personality to opt out of eating meat wings on the show, as per Live Kindly.

After his appearance, numerous celebrities such as Natalie Portman, Billie Eilish, Maisie Williams and Kristen Bells have chosen to eat vegan wings while on the talk-show, noted the media outlet.

PETA’s letter to Evans also made note of this fact, and added,

“Your show has already shown the way; guests from Billie Eilish to Lewis Hamilton have gone meat-free on Hot Ones, and the interviews didn’t lose an ounce of spice. If someone insists on eating the decomposing corpse of a small, tortured bird, let them ask for it. Kindness should be automatic.”

While Evans has not reacted to the proposal sent to him by PETA, it remains to be seen whether the talk show host will opt to change the default wing available to guests on his show.