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What Happened to Elise Wims After Season 17

The villain from Hell's Kitchen seasons 9 and 17 Elise Wims owned her notoriety and turned it into a fitness and cooking empire. What's she up to now?

Fox’s cooking competition series, Hell’s Kitchen, has delivered unto us Gordon Ramsay at his most insulting for eighteen solid seasons, each one ripe with some talented and some wildly entertaining chefs. And at the end of every season there stands one winner of $250k and a position in one of Gordon’s many, many restaurants. But there is something else that remains at the end of each season, the question: Where are they now? Today we’re taking a look at the notorious Elise Wims from season 17.

Elise came to Hell’s Kitchen after casting approached her for season 9. At the time she was a grillardin and saucier at Donatos Restaurant in Fox Chapel. On season 9, Elise showed she could cook, but couldn’t consistently deliver during dinner service. Consequently, she was nominated for elimination time and time again. What’s worse was the way she handled the stress. She blamed everyone on her team for her mistakes and never took ownership for any wrongdoing. Not surprisingly, she didn’t make many friends. But her cooking skills were enough to carry all the way through the competition, eventually placing third. 

But one season of Hell’s Kitchen wasn’t nearly enough for Elise. She returned for Hell’s Kitchen All Stars season 17. While she initially seemed to be a changed woman, owning her mistakes and getting along with the team, all that quickly went out the window and OG Elise made a villainous comeback more aggressive and arrogant than ever before. She feuded with all of her teammates, particularly Michelle and Dana. She accused them of forming an alliance against her, and referred to them collectively as “Dachelle.” Her attempt to form an alliance with her once-enemy, Jennifer and take Dachelle down didn’t work and Elise went home in 7th place. 

Despite being quite a talented cook and possessing the necessary leadership skills to run a kitchen, Elise has been labeled the most hated chef in Hell’s Kitchen history. Claiming her role as the villain, she branded herself “The DIVA (Deliciousness in Various Assortments) Chef,” and has said, “I'm still the same Elise who really doesn't care what people think. It's okay, You can hate me.” 

Today Elise runs her own business, The Diva Chef, that blend her fitness interests and cooking chops. A fitness nutrition specialist, Elise offers prepackaged “Muscle Meals,” private chef services, cooking demos, and nutritional coaching. Elise married Chris Wims in 2017 at Potomac Pinot Winery. She and her husband live in Stafford, Virginia, and seem to be very happy. Elise may not have made any friends in Hell’s Kitchen, but she sure made the most of the experience. She’s not afraid to be who she is, and that’s a recipe we should all have on hand.  

Next: Hell's Kitchen: Why Gordon Ramsey Took Over Two Years To Do Season 19

Hell's Kitchen airs Tuesdays at 8pm EST on Fox.

Sources: Fandom, The Diva Chef, Potomac Pinot Winery

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Arica Deslauriers

Update: 2024-05-22