It's been eight years since Hell's Kitchen Season 11 aired. Find out what the season’s contestants have been up to since the show's finale.
It's been several years since Hell's Kitchen season 11 aired some of the series' most memorable moments. Today, the chefs who competed during this season have moved on and created careers outside the show. From the ones who won it all to those who didn't quite rise to the top, the chefs who competed to win the crown back in 2013 have done a lot in the past 10 years.
Hell's Kitchen season 11 was the first one to bring 20 chefs on to compete in the first episode. Much like in other Hell's Kitchen seasons, the grand prize at stake was $250,000 and a head chef position. This time, the winner would become the head chef at Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill in Caesar's Palace.
The Hell's Kitchen Season 11 Contestants At The Bottom
Hell's Kitchen season 11 had plenty of passion, but some chefs stood out immediately as being less capable to win it all. Sebastian Royo, a 32-year-old from Brooklyn, was eliminated first. After he left Hell's Kitchen, he opened his own taco truck in New York called El Rudo. In nineteenth place, Gina Aloise also came from New York City. She also struggled to take the competition seriously, going so far as to bring her puppet, Alfredo Al Dente, onto the show. Gina resigned during Hell's Kitchen season 11, episode 2, and following her time on the show, owned and worked at Jalapeño Grill in Delaware.
The Earliest Eliminations On Hell's Kitchen Season 11
Coming in at eighteenth place is 38-year-old Christian Rosati was focused at first and showed great potential but soon crumbled under the pressure. Though there's not much information to be found about him online, it seems that he returned to his job as a line cook after competing. Danielle Boorn, who came from Atlanta, was inconsistent from the start and made many mistakes along the way. She placed seventeenth and returned to her previous position after she was eliminated. These days, she's serving as Executive Chef at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History in her home city of Atlanta. Though other Hell's Kitchen chefs were eliminated before him, according to the Hell's Kitchen season 11 Wiki, Jeremy Madden is considered "one of the worst chefs in the history of the show and of that season." After placing sixteenth, Jeremy bounced around a few positions, but for the last few years has been working as Area of Operations Manager for Dave & Buster's in Fresno, California. After Jeremy left, Jessica Lewis was next. The 25-year-old from New York eventually started her own restaurant, Carota Café, and now serves as Executive Chef at Spirits & Tales in Pittsburgh.
Hell's Season 11 Contestants Who Made It Halfway
Dan Ryan, who came from Westchester, New York, was known by his fellow Hell's Kitchen competitors as being passionate but not always the kindest. After being eliminated, Dan worked at Funky Monkey Bistro & Bar in Orlando, Florida, alongside Hell's Kitchen season 15's Ashley. The restaurant closed in 2018, and his social media has been quiet since then too. Jacqueline Baldassari came in thirtieth place after and worked in catering for the College of New Jersey. She now works as a chef at The Bedens Brook Club.
The Top Ten on Hell's Kitchen Season 11
Amanda Diblin was a strong competitor and got along with almost everyone on the show. She now works as a culinary instructor and offers demonstrations in Orange County, New York. Known for his legendary mohawk and unique tattoos, Barret Beyer took the competition seriously but didn't make the cut on Hell's Kitchen. Nowadays, he works as Executive Chef at Tiltz Sports Bar & Arcade. Barret has also devoted himself to giving back to his community and frequently does work with charities. Making it into the top 10 but no farther, Ray Alongi was the oldest chef of the season, at 51 years old. After being eliminated, he returned to work at his pizzeria, The Purple Eggplant, in Boston, Massachusetts. He now serves as Executive Chef for the Unidine Corporation. Next to go on the season was Michael Langdon, who was known for being a bit hot-headed. After serving as executive chef at several restaurants around Pennsylvania, he's now moved to Summit Alter House in Clarks Summit.
The Top Contenders From Hell's Kitchen Season 11
Nedra Harris, who hails from Detroit, was known for being outspoken on Hell's Kitchen season 11. Now, she works as a private celebrity chef and has developed her own spice mix called "Pootie Spice." Once Nedra went home, Anthony Rodriguez from New Orleans went next and placed seventh. He was a strong contender and a talented chef and now runs a private chef service called Epicurean Creations. Another contestant known for his sense of humor, Zach Womack, went next despite a strong start. After leaving Hell's Kitchen, Zach returned to Philadelphia, where he now works as a freelance chef and offers classes, demonstrations, and private service. Unlike nearly all of her fellow competitors, Susan Heaton, who placed sixth, returned to her role in HR after her time in the kitchen was up. She continued to move up the ladder in the world of human resources and eventually got married and relocated to Portland, Oregon. Vying for a spot in the top three during the Hell's Kitchen season was Cyndi Stanimirov, who just missed the cut. Cyndi is from Queens, New York, and her lack of leadership skills ended up being her downfall. She continued to move up in the culinary world after competing and now works as the General Manager of Red Hook Lobster Pound in Brooklyn.
The Hell's Kitchen Top Three
After a fierce competition and countless hours of giving it their all in the kitchen, only three chefs remained. Jon Scallion, who was 27 at the time of filming, was a consistent and strong chef who was known for being a team player. Unfortunately, his team was not an especially strong one, and Gordon himself said of Jon that he was the "only great chef in the worst team in HK history.” After leaving Hell's Kitchen in third place, Gordon took note of his talent and made him the sous chef at Gordon Ramsay Steak, where he worked under Hell's Kitchen season 10's winner, Christina Wilson. As of October 2020, he now works as an executive chef for Gordon Ramsay North America. The runner-up for the crown, Mary Poehnelt, was loved by all of her fellow competitors but also wasn't afraid to be strong or stand up for herself. After the show wrapped, Mary returned to Whole Foods, where she worked as a butcher. She got remarried, has two children, and is a vegan. Mary even has her own vegan cooking Instagram account.
Hell's Kitchen Season 11 Winner Ja'Nel Witt
After a hard-fought battle, Ja'Nel Witt, from Houston, Texas, emerged victorious. As part of her prize, Ja'Nel won during her season of Hell's Kitchen a Head Chef position at Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill in Caesar’s Palace. However, after allegedly failing a drug test, the offer was rescinded. Ja'Nel still received the $250,000 prize money, but she was no longer the head chef. However, Ja'Nel has been working as the chef for Sonoma, a restaurant and wine bar in Houston. She also has continued to work as a private chef during the height of COVID-19 for her roster of clients. Ja'Nel keeps her Instagram updated with mouth-watering content.
Many years have passed since all of these chefs endured Gordon's legendary wrath. These days, Hell's Kitchen has finished its most recent season with just as much talent and more surprises than ever before. Fans can now watch Hell's Kitchen: Battle of The Ages, the first season filmed since the COVID-19 pandemic.
More: Hell's Kitchen: What Happened to Season 1 Winner Michael Wray & Tatou
Source: Hell's Kitchen Wiki, Mary Makes It Vegan/Instagram, Ja'Nel Witt/Instagram
