Jessica Vogel, ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ Contestant, Dead At 34

Jessica Vogel, one of the many contestants who competed on Fox’s Hell’s Kitchen, died on Monday morning. She was 34 years old.

JESSICA VOGEL, HELL’S KITCHEN CONTESTANT, DEAD AT 34

John Michael Keyser, Vogel’s fiancé, told NorthJersey that she was in a southern New Jersey hospital because of her colitis. Sadly, her heart gave out while she was being treated.

In a Medium post that has since been deleted, the chef confessed that she had a drinking problem, writing, “I’m weeks away from 34 years old and got told I drink too much and have cirrhosis. Did it stop me from pouring shots of alcohol? Nope. Did my lifestyle of sex, drugs and foie gras come to a born again Christian revelation? F**k that noise…  I don’t know if you want an adventure tale, but I’m here and ready to tell. My name is Jess and I’ve lived to tell about it. To be continued…”

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Vogel attended Johnson & Wales’ culinary program, later competing on the hit show in 2014. Her career started by working in the now-defunct Kevin’s Thyme in Ho-Ho-Kus, N.J. She thought of herself as a “Jersey girl,” having lived and worked in the Westwood borough until recently.

Keyser and Vogel had planned to open a new restaurant together. “My heart is breaking,” Keyser said. Christine Nunn, one of Vogel’s former bosses, and fellow Hell’s Kitchen alumni Beth Taylor-Murray are both grieving the loss of their friend. “She knew more about the Bergen County dining scene than just about anyone,” Nunn confessed. “She was really a talented chef who never reached her potential. It’s a shame.”