Even though there are some aspects of Hell’s Kitchen that fans are annoyed by, many people believe that getting to cook for Gordon Ramsay would be a dream. As a result, many fans think that the winners of Hell’s Kitchen will lead lives of luxury that are the opposite of what they go through while filming the show.
Unfortunately, things aren’t always as they seem, as evidenced by the fact Gordon almost lost his business empire. Similarly, Hell’s Kitchen’s first winner suffered horrible tragedies after winning the show which makes it fascinating to look at where he is now.
Michael Wray Turned His Life Around And Became A Story Of Hope
In May 2020, The BBC published an article that revealed the stunning story of what happened to Hell’s Kitchen’s first winner, Michael Wray. That article detailed Michael’s fall from grace and how he rebuilt his life.
After falling into the depths of despair, Michael Wray found the inner strength to seek help. Michael checked himself into rehab where he embraced his passion for cooking.
“All my days were spent cooking three meals a day for seven or eight people dealing with drug addiction. It was a really fulfilling time in my life.”
While in rehab, Michael met the woman who would become his wife, Sharlene Pualani Wray.
From all outward appearances, Michael has been able to rebuild his life since then. In fact, Michael decided to make things right after exiting rehab, so he turned himself in to the police. Sentenced to spend a month behind bars for robbing a pharmacy, Michael used his time in prison to cook for his fellow inmates.
Since his release, Michael has appeared to have been leading the kind of life that he only could have dreamed of when he was living beneath an underpass.
Michael consistently posts on Instagram about his life with his wife and the son they are bringing up together. On top of that, Michael’s Instagram account shows that he continues to love being a chef.
Hell’s Kitchen’s First Winner, Michael Wray, Lived On The Street After Suffering A Horrific Tragedy
The BBC’s aforementioned article also revealed what happened in the immediate aftermath of Michael winning Hell’s Kitchen. That article quoted Michael who told the outlet that after winning Hell’s Kitchen, he felt in control of his future for the first time.
“For the first time, I feel like I’m in control of my own future. I’ve proven myself to myself, and that’s important.”
At that time, Michael decided to become the executive chef of a restaurant that he named Tatou. While Michael called that a dream come true, LA Eater reported he gave up the role of executive chef within weeks. The BBC’s article revealed that Michael gave up his dream job after suffering a horrible tragedy.
According to the BBC’s article, Michael had high hopes for his future after he won Hell’s Kitchen. A major part of the reason for Michael’s excitement at that time was he was preparing to welcome a daughter into the world.
While speaking to the outlet, Michael revealed what happened that tore apart any hope he felt at the time. Right after his restaurant opened, Michael suffered the kind of loss that would tear most people apart.
“Within a few weeks of opening the restaurant my daughter passed away. We had some complications at birth where she lost her breath for seven or eight minutes. She lost too much oxygen to her brain and died.”
When Michael won the first season of Hell’s Kitchen, he was given the opportunity to work for Gordon Ramsay in his London, England restaurant. While talking to The BBC, Michael revealed that he’d tried to get a job in one of Gordon’s restaurants before he competed in Hell’s Kitchen.
A well-respected chef named Steve Allen told The Mirror what he loved about working for Gordon Ramsay . “He’s pushing and guiding you in the right direction. I loved working for him, I honestly think he’s fantastic.”
However, Michael turned down Gordon’s job offer. As Michael explained to the BBC, he was battling an addiction at the time and he didn’t want to bring that into Gordon’s restaurant.
“It was the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make. I regret it all the time. I was in Hell’s Kitchen with a drug problem. I was deathly afraid of going to London with this giant addiction.”
Despite feeling like he needed to turn down Gordon’s job offer, Michael was still building a life for himself. After all, he was set to become a father, and he took control of Tatou, as its executive chef.
However, six weeks after his daughter’s passing, Michael walked away from his dream job. Not long after, his relationship with his daughter’s mother fell apart. Michael told the BBC that losing his daughter was so devastating that he gave up everything he’d been working toward.
According to the BBC, he began living in his truck after his relationship broke down. After that, Michael wound up living beneath an underpass near Hollywood Boulevard.
At the time, Michael continued to find work as a chef but all the money he made was used to feed his addictions. As Michael explained to the BBC, he was leading a double life at the time.
“I was living this dual life where you had this persona of ‘Chef Michael from Hell’s Kitchen is going to teach you guys to cut onions today’ but then at the same time I had this raging drug addiction that I’m trying to hide from the world.”
