Hell’s Kitchen Chef From Montana Abruptly Exits Competition

It wasn't that long ago when we shared the news of Montana being represented on the popular competitive cooking show Hell's Kitchen hosted (and seemingly judged) by Chef Gordon Ramsay.

Well, we have an update and if you're not caught up with the show yet, but be aware - spoilers are coming.

Chef Represents Montana On FOX's Hell's Kitchen: Battle of the States

In case you missed the news, Chef Chase Cardoza of Red Lodge, Montana was selected as a contestant for this season's Hell's Kitchen which went with the theme "Battle of the States."

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All chefs are divided into two teams with the red team consisting of women and the blue team made up of the men.

Representing Montana, Chef Cardoza showed a lot of promise right out of the gate with the "Signature Dish Challenge" in the first episode, earning a solid score of 4 for the blue team but that's about the only highlight we got to see on the show.

Both the red and blue team struggled with the first few dinner services and unfortunately, Chef Cardoza also got exposed during a scallop challenge. Chef Cardoza explained to the viewer (during those reality show style interviews) that he didn't have a lot of experiences with scallops in Montana.

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By episode three, the competition proved to be too much for Chef Cardoza and he arranged a meeting with Gordon Ramsay to explain why he would be leaving the competition.

What Happened To Chef Cardoza On Hell's Kitchen?

In his meeting with Gordon Ramsay, Chef Cardoza revealed he was still mentally recovering from a divorce and he realized during the competition that he needed to focus on his mental health before competing.

Ramsay agreed that Cardoza's mental health should be a priority and without hesitation, accepted his chef's jacket before we, the viewer, see Chef Cardoza's photo go up in flames as part of the show's signature style of saying goodbye to an eliminated contestant.

It's a sad ending to what should've been a promising run for the Montana chef. It would have been nice to see Montana make some noise in the competition but we'll have to wait until another chef from Montana steps up to the challenge.

Best of luck to Chef Cardoza on his career and mental health.