The First Hell's Kitchen Winners Didn't Get What They Were Promised

"Hell's Kitchen" contestants are put through the wringer emotionally and physically over the course of the show in the hopes of walking away with the top prize. Why else would anyone subject themselves to Gordon Ramsay's infamous verbal abuse, grueling team punishments that often involve one's gag reflexes, and working seemingly endless shifts on almost zero sleep? While some may crave Ramsay's tutelage and others may simply look at it as a once-in-a-lifetime experience, most are there to win.

According to Parade, the winner of "Hell's Kitchen" receives two fabulous prizes — a head chef position at a famed (or soon-to-be famed) Gordon Ramsay restaurant and $250,000 in cold, hard cash. Most people would be willing to endure a stint on even the most hellish "Hell's Kitchen" season for that sort of payout. But how would you feel if you cooked your heart out, won the finale, and received a prize that was nothing like what you were promised? Showbiz Cheat Sheet explains that the promise of a "head chef" position rarely comes to fruition and that it would be more accurate to promise "the chance to work in a high-end restaurant." This, in itself, is a great prize, but when you're promised something much more prestigious, it seems like a let-down. Unfortunately, the winners of both season 1 and season 2 came away with less than they bargained for.

Michael Wray was part of the very 1st season and became the original "Hell's Kitchen" winner. Only 27 years old, the Colorado native said, "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" (via BBC). Initially, Wray thought he'd won $250,000 to start his very own eatery, but when Ramsay presented him with a different option, he had a serious decision to make. He had been invited to accompany the culinary genius to London to be mentored by him (per GoldDerby). 

Wray initially agreed to study under Ramsay, but later backed out. As he told BBC, "It was the hardest decision I've ever had to make. I regret it all the time." According to ScreenRant, he was suffering from a painkiller addiction that stemmed from a back surgery that had gone wrong. He was in no state to travel abroad and train under one of the world's greatest chefs.

When Heather West joined her fellow competitors in "Hell's Kitchen's" 2nd season, the show overtly stated that the top prize was "the coveted title of Executive Chef of a luxurious fine-dining restaurant at the brand-new Red Rock Casino Resort Spa in Las Vegas" (via Suggest). It sounded like a dream job that would make the trials and tribulations of this grueling reality TV competition worth it. Needless to say, when West was declared the winner of Hell's Kitchen season 2, she couldn't wait to step into her Executive Chef position. Unfortunately, that's not what happened. Heather, instead, received the title of "senior chef" at the same location (per ScreenRant). After just one short year, she decided to move on and left Las Vegas completely.  

Whether it was due to life circumstances or the show promising more than it could deliver, it seems that not all Hell's Kitchen winners enjoy the boon to their careers that they had come to expect. Once the confetti is cleaned up and the champagne bottles emptied, some wind up with little to celebrate.