Who is Michelle Calcagni? Oradell native gets pregnancy news while filming Next Level Chef

Chef Michelle Calcagni is all set to compete in season 2 of Next Level Chef, which will premiere on February 12, 2023, at 10.30 pm ET. The series will see her compete against 17 other cheftestants who will create amazing dishes to stay in the running for the coveted title and the $250,000 grand cash prize.

30-year-old chef Michelle Calcagni will be seen competing in the home cook category of the show. It was during her stint on the cooking competition series that she received her pregnancy news.

The series will see the contestants divided into three teams, each mentored by a legendary chef. Three mentors, including chef Gordon Ramsay, chef Nyesha Arrington, and chef Richard Blais, are making their return to guide their team of competitors throughout the show.

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Michelle Calcagni said she was "stunned" upon receiving pregnancy news while shooting for Next Level Chef season 2

Michelle hails from Oradell, New Jersey, and will be seen competing in the home cook category. She will be mentored by chef Gordon Ramsay. While speaking to the Daily Voice, Michelle recalled her reaction upon receiving pregnancy news while she was competing on Next Level Chef season 2.

Michelle was trying to get pregnant for over a year but had received no luck. She and her husband, Anthony, eventually decided to stop trying after facing letdowns every single time. As a result, the Washington Township couple decided to relax and let God guide them.

Only when the Next Level Chef contestant competed on the show did the couple's lives change. According to the publication, Michelle stated that she felt emotional and was late on her period, after which she took two pregnancy tests, and both came out positive. She said:

"I was stunned. On the show, we’re in this wildly stressful situation and I was willingly putting myself there. But they tell you in beginning of a pregnancy to try to keep stress at bay, so that was something I wanted to know about so I could prepare myself mentally accordingly."

Michelle told the show's team about the same but decided to keep it as a surprise from the viewers and her followers while filming throughout October 2022. The chef noted that the surprise made her journey on the cooking series even more memorable, which is why she couldn't wait for fans to witness her journey.

The producers of Next Level Chef season 2 contacted Michelle after seeing her Instagram page, an account she didn't take seriously but posted pictures of food she made for her husband. She spoke to the team on the phone, and after an on-camera interview, she was filming a few months later.

Michelle called the experience "unbelievable" and that it made her a better chef. She also confessed that the pregnancy had made a big contribution to her experience:

"We went to Italy for a friend’s wedding at the end of August and by then we weren't trying to get pregnant. There was no stress, we were drinking lots of wine and eating our faces off, and of course that's where we ended up conceiving."

She has previously worked as a marketing agent for Food & Wine magazine and loves to cook for her family and friends. Moreover, Michelle said that her job helped her adjust to the culinary world:

"Finding my place within the culinary worlds been difficult, which is why my job is a nice alignment. I knew I didn’t want to work in a restaurant or own a catering company, but I have always known I’ve wanted to do something that fed my passion for food, and what that looks like continues to evolve."

The Next Level Chef contestant currently has over 2.5K followers on Instagram, which is expected to increase after her stint on the show.

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Michelle will put her best foot forward with fellow chefs in the home cook category. They will be competing against other teams, including social media chefs and professional chefs. Viewers will have to tuned in to Fox's Next Level Chef season 2 this Sunday at 10.30 pm ET to witness what the contestants create and how they perform.