On this week's episode of Hell's Kitchen, Drew Tingley had to leave the competition unexpectedly due to health issues. The 30-year-old line cook from Pennsylvania was competing on season 19 as a member of the blue team. Here's what happened to Drew while filming, and what he's been up to since his time cooking for Gordon Ramsay in Vegas.
Season 19 of Hell's Kitchen has been a fiery one so far, with lots of twists and turns. Unlike the 18 seasons preceding it, which were filmed in Hollywood, this season takes place in Las Vegas. Out of the eighteen chefs that were set to compete when the competition started, only fifteen remained at the start of episode 4. Partway through the episode though, Drew began to express discomfort, saying that he had full body cramps. Shortly thereafter, after speaking to a medic, he was taken to the hospital. By the end of the episode, it was announced that he wouldn't be returning.
In a recent Instagram Live with Tobias Eats, a New Jersey-based food blogger and critic, Drew shared the full story of what occurred. Before Drew really knew something was up, his fellow teammate, Peter, pointed out the color of Drew's urine seemed unhealthy. Peter used the bathroom right after Drew had gone and noticed right away. In a previous episode, Ramsay had yelled at Drew for needing a belt when his pants were repeatedly slipping down during dinner service. Drew explains that the reason for this was because, over his first seven days as a chef in Hell's Kitchen, he lost a whopping 22 pounds. "The pressure is unreal...you’re not sleeping, you’re not eating properly,” he explained to Tobias.
After he began to notice his symptoms worsen and began to worry, Drew talked to a medic on the show, who recommended he go to the hospital. He then had to spend ten days in the ICU in Las Vegas. It turned out that the issues he was experiencing were due to rhabdomyolysis. Rhabdomyolysis is a syndrome that occurs due to muscle injury. Muscle fibers die and subsequently release their contents into the bloodstream. Serious complications can occur, including kidney failure. Drew was very lucky to catch the problem early enough for it to be treated. He has permanent kidney damage but has mostly recovered. In a post, shared after episode 4 aired, he explained the reason for his departure.
The health scare meant that Drew had to leave the competition suddenly. He didn't even get a chance to say goodbye to his fellow cast-mates. Speaking to Tobias, Drew said, “the part that hurt me the most was not getting the opportunity to go back and say goodbye.” He's been showing lots of love for Hell's Kitchen chefs past and present on his Instagram account as the show airs. He's working again, too, at Ard's Farm in Lewisburg, Pa.
Source: Tobias Eats, Drew Tingley