Where Are They Now?
With the completion of season 17 of Hell's Kitchen, Gordon Ramsay has a new executive chef to add to the HK wall of fame.
Michelle Tribble, 24, edged out Benjamin Knack to win Hell' s Kitchen All Stars.
She becomes the brand new executive chef of the Hell’s Kitchen restaurant at the Caesars Palace casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. That job also comes with a jaw-dropping salary of $250,000. At such a young age, Michelle has an amazing future ahead of her.
With 17 seasons of Hell's Kitchen in the books, let's take a look at the past winners and find out what they're up to these days. Some of them are still working for Ramsay while others are now running their own restaurants or catering companies. All have achieved great success after being crowned Hell's Kitchen champion by chef Gordon Ramsay.
Season 1: Michael Wray
This Fort Collins, Colorado resident was 27 when he won the first season of “Hell’s Kitchen” on Aug. 1, 2005. He opted to work with Ramsay in London but later declined to become head chef at the exclusive Standard hotel in Los Angeles. He subsequently moved to Arizona where he runs Skull and Cleavers, a knife company, and teaches cooking.
Season 2: Heather West
This Port Jefferson, New York resident was 25 when she won the second season of “Hell’s Kitchen” on Aug. 14, 2006. For her prize, she chose to be the senior chef at the Terra Rossa restaurant at the Red Rock Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. She has since returned to Long Island, working as the head chef at three restaurants: Monteray, Jellyfish and, most recently, Schafers in her hometown.
Season 3: Rock Harper
This Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia resident was 30 when he won the third season of “Hell’s Kitchen” on Aug. 13, 2007. He chose to work at the Terra Verde restaurant in the Green Valley Ranch casino in Henderson, Nevada for one year. Since leaving there, he has worked as an executive chef at Ben’s Next Door in the nation’s capital, taught a course at Stanford and written the bestselling “44 Things Parents Should Know about Healthy Cooking for Kids”.
Season 4: Christina Machamer
This St. Louis, Missouri resident was 25 when won the fourth season of “Hell’s Kitchen” on July 8, 2008. As the first student to win, her prize was downgraded from executive to senior chef. For the past decade, she has worked in California first at London in West Hollywood and then at Bouchon Bistro in Yountville. After training to be sommelier at the Culinary Institute in Greystone, she worked at B Cellars Vineyards & Winery and currently manages the Caldwell Vineyard in Napa.
Season 5: Danny Veltri
This Edgewater, Florida resident was only 23 when he won the fifth season of “Hell’s Kitchen” on May 14, 2009. As with Machamer, he prize was downgraded and he took up a position as a sous chef at the Fornelletto in the Borgata Hotel Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. After leaving there, he began his own company, Back From Hell Catering, and worked at the Gnarly Surf Bar & Grill in the Sunshine state.
Season 6: Dave Levey
This San Diego, California resident was 32 when he won the sixth season of “Hell’s Kitchen” on October 13, 2009. He worked at Araxi Restaurant in Whistler, British Columbia for several months. Since then, he has had worked at restaurants in his home state of New Jersey.
Season 7: Holli Ugalde
This San Bernardino, California resident was 24 when she won the seventh season of “Hell’s Kitchen” on August 10, 2010. When it was not possible for her to work in London’s Savoy Grill, she moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida where she was the executive chef at B Ocean’s. She now runs the SENS Wellness lifestyle program.
Season 8: Nona Sivley
This Atlanta, Georgia resident was 29 when she won the eighth season of “Hell’s Kitchen” on December 15, 2010. She worked as the head Chef position at LA Market in Los Angeles, California for three year. Since then she has opened her own restaurant, Pork and Beans, in Las Vegas, Nevada and launched the Fizzy Peach catering company.
Season 9: Paul Niedermann
This Davie, Florida resident was 27 when he won the ninth season of “Hell’s Kitchen” on September 19, 2011. After working for the BLT Group, including a stint at BLT Steak in New York City, New York, he returned to the Sunshine State, working first at Hudson at Waterway East and then SALT7 in Delray Beach, Florida.
Season 10: Christina Wilson
This Philadelphia, Pennsylvania resident was 32 when she won the tenth season of “Hell’s Kitchen” on September 10, 2012. She worked in Las Vegas, first as the head chef at Gordon Ramsay Steak in the Paris Casino and then as executive at Gordon Ramsay BurGR in the Planet Hollywood Casino.
Season 11: Ja'Nel Witt
This Houston, Texas resident was 31 when she won the eleventh season of “Hell’s Kitchen” on July 25, 2013. However, the very next month in August she failed a preliminary drug screening, testing positive for cocaine. She never was granted the executive chef position at Caesars Palace, and she returned to Texas, working at Corner Table in Houston and Sammy’s Steakhouse in Richmond.
Season 12: Scott Commings
This Woodstock, Illinois resident was 36 when he won the twelfth season of “Hell’s Kitchen” on July 24, 2014. He works as head chef at the Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Season 13: La Tasha McCutchen
This Winter Haven, Florida resident was 33 when she won the thirteenth season of “Hell’s Kitchen” on December 17, 2014. She worked as head chef at the Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill at Caesars Palace in Atlantic City, New Jersey for one year and is now a private chef.
Season 14: Meghan Gill
This Roanoke, Virginia resident was 28 when she won the fourteenth season of “Hell’s Kitchen” on June 9, 2015. She took over as head chef at the Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill at Caesars Palace in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Season 15: Ariel Malone
This Hackensack, New Jersey resident was 26 when she won the fifteenth season of “Hell’s Kitchen” on April 29, 2016. She worked as head chef at BLT Steak in Bally’s Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada until the beginning of 2017 and is now pursuing other opportunities.
Season 16: Kimberly Ann Ryan
This Traverse City, Michigan resident was 29 when she won the sixteenth season of “Hell’s Kitchen” on February 2, 2017. She works as head chef at Yardbird Southern Table & Bar in The Venetian Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Season 17: Michelle Tribble
Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Michelle won numerous challenges throughout the competition to win season 17 All Stars on February 2, 2018. She moved to Nevada to become the executive chef of the Hell’s Kitchen restaurant at the Caesars Palace casino in Las Vegas.
