Who is Kwame Onwuachi on 'Selena + Chef' Season 3? Former 'Top Chef' contestant is in coveted Forbes list

Selena + Chef will soon return with a new exciting season on HBO Max. The unscripted series is led by fan-favorite popstar Selena Gomez, who prepares delicious dishes with the help of world-famous chefs.

The concept of Selena + Chef is innovative and unique because the chefs join Gomez via video call. All set to help the singer this season, chef Kwame Onwuachi is one such culinary artist who can be an incredible example of rags-to-riches. From being expelled from school and college to judging Top Chef, Onwuachi’s life journey is inspirational.

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Who is Kwame Onwuachi?

Born in the Bronx, New York, Kwame Onwuachi was sent to Nigeria at the age of 10 because he kept misbehaving in school. After two years, Onwuachi returned to New York, but eventually went down the path of selling drugs. This led to him being expelled from the University of Bridgeport later on.

It was in his early 20s when he began to transform himself. He started living with his mother in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where Onwuachi worked on a boat as a cook. In 2010, he turned waiter at New York’s Craft, which is Top Chef's Tom Colicchio's restaurant. As he turned 21, the chef left the job at the restaurant and began selling candy on the New York subway.

After saving money from his past jobs, the 'Selena + Chef' cast member became the owner of a catering business. He even graduated from the Culinary Institute of America that helped him land jobs in fine dining restaurants.

With sheer dedication and hard work, Onwuachi opened his restaurant 'The Shaw Bijou' and later bagged the executive chef job at 'Kith and Kin'.

The Selena + Chef cast member gained recognition when he won a James Beard Award for his restaurant. He then participated in the cooking competition series Top Chef. His achievements and success led him to the 2017 Forbes "30 Under 30 Food and Drink" list.

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Onwuachi’s biopic is in the making

The possibilities seem endless for this Selena + Chef cast member. Onwuachi, who cooked for the Obamas at the White House, returned as a judge on Top Chef, where he was once the contestant. Apart from being a chef, Onwuachi has other interests as well.

He loves black nail paint and is planning to open a nail polish line. He has even written his memoir, titled Notes From A Young Black Chef. According to reports, Onwuachi’s next venture is a biopic about him, based on his memoir.

The film is in the making and his character will be played by Oscar nominee Lakeith Stanfield (Judas and the Black Messiah). The chef might also have a cameo role in the movie.

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About 'Selena + Chef' Season 3

Coming back to Selena + Chef, Gomez started the show during the COVID-19 pandemic. As she had to cook by herself at the time, she thought, who better to learn the art of cooking from, than experienced chefs.

The official synopsis of Selena + Chef Season 3 provides an insight to the show:

“This season also embraces fun (Covid-safe) group recipes for game nights, brunches, birthdays, holidays and more. Like in its first two seasons, each chef will highlight a different charity each episode. To date, the series has raised $360,000 for 23 nonprofit organizations.”

Selena + Chef’s new season welcomes multiple featured chefs, including Onwuachi, Fabio Viviani, Esther Choi, Aarón Sánchez, Gabe Kennedy, Sophia Roe, Padma Lakshmi, Richard Blais, Ayesha Curry and Jamie Oliver.

Selena + Chef Season 3 is all set to premiere Thursday, October 28, on HBO Max.