‘Next Level Chef' Season 5: Who Went Home Tonight? (Night 8 Elimination)
The stakes were higher than ever on tonight's Next Level Chef, because for the first time this season, the chefs were no longer competing in teams. Rather, it's now each person for themselves as they fought for their place on the top level. If they failed to cook the best dish in the top kitchen, they competed again in the middle kitchen. Fail there and it's down to the basement to cook one last meal that will make or break their place in the competition. Without a team to save them, who will make it through?
Both Gordon Ramsay and Richard Blais each had three remaining cooks, while Nyesha Arrington was down to two.
In a twist, all eight chefs started in the top level in a "pan-to-pan" combat 30-minute challenge. The chefs who created the top two dishes are done cooking for the day, and next week, they will start in the top-level kitchen. Those who dropped to the middle level faced another cookoff, but were only given 25 minutes. Then, the final three were in the bottom kitchen for the elimination challenge, with only 20 minutes to produce a dish that would save them.
Here's our spoiler-filled recap of who went home on Next Level Chef tonight.
Who went home on Next Level Chef tonight?
Jared Veldheer, 38
Grand Rapids, MI
Home Cook
Team Blais
Advancing contestants tonight on Next Level Chef Season 5 Night 8
Andy Allo, 37
Malibu, CA
Social Media Chef
Team Gordon
Christian Alquiza, 35
Austin, TX
Social Media Chef
Team Blais
Cole Lawson, 31
Los Angeles, CA
Professional Chef
Team Gordon
Connor Caine, 30
Manhattan Beach, CA
Professional Chef
Team Nyesha
Danielle Kartes, 43
Puyallup, WA
Home Cook
Team Nyesha
Darian Bryan, 34
Buffalo, NY
Professional Chef
Team Blais
Gabrielle Coniglio, 34
Palm Beach, FL
Professional Chef
Team Gordon
What was the first challenge on tonight's episode of Next Level Chef, and who won it?
The first challenge was 30 minutes to make the best possible dish with the primo ingredients that were on the platform drop.
The first winning dish was a toro dish cooked by Gabrielle, the second was the duck dish by Andy, both of whom were originally Gordon's girls.
The remaining chefs then moved down to the middle kitchen for the second part of the competition: 25 minutes to take average grocery store ingredients and turn them into something amazing.
The first winning dish for the middle-level kitchen next week was Christian, the next dish that earned safety was Darian, the third and final dish that earned its spot in the middle-level was Connor.
What was the elimination challenge this episode of Next Level Chef, and who lost it?
That meant that Danielle, Jared and Cole headed to the basement for the elimination challenge. They were given 20 minutes to create a dish using not-great proteins like frog legs, chicken carcass, and cod head.
The chef that cooked his final dish in the Next Level Kitchen was Jared.
"It was a joy," Jared said. "I am filled with gratitude to be standing here. It's an honor to be a part of this competition. I've done some things that feel like the opportunity of a lifetime but this really feels like it is one of those opportunities of a lifetime. I loved every second of it. I came into this as a former NFL player, a former lunch lady, and I'm leaving it a chef."
Next Level Chef airs Thursday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT on FOX. Streams next day on Hulu.
Related: Here's What Gordon Ramsay's Next Level Chef is Serving Up for Season 5
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This story was originally published April 16, 2026 at 9:00 PM.