Meg Sheley Addresses Her Shocking ‘Next Level Chef’ Departure

Fox's culinary competition, Next Level Chef, pushes chefs that already have somewhat of a social media following to think outside of the box with a series of unsettling challenges, including cooking in one of three kitchens stacked on top of each other. The competition isn't for the weak, as there can only be one crowned winner of the Gordan Ramsay-led competition.

In Season 4 of Next Level Chef, Megan "Meg" Sheley competed to be the season's winner and seemed to be on her way to bringing her dream into fruition. However, as she progressed on the show, she stunned her fellow contestants and fans at home by abruptly exiting the show. So, why did Meg leave Next Level Chef? Here's what to know.

Meg departed Next Level Chef in Season 4, Ep. 6, "Shoyu My Ramen." During the episode, Gordon shared ahead of the show's weekly challenge that she decided to go home to deal with a medical complication. The nature of the complication wasn't disclosed. Her exit resulted in the top three chefs, whom Gordon nicknamed the "Gen Z dream team," duking it out for the top prize, per Gold Derby.

After her decision to leave Next Level Chef aired, Meg discussed more details into why she decided to leave when she did. In an interview with The Minnesota Star Tribune, the self-proclaimed "dirty mouth" chef said she had to prioritize her health, noting the stress of the competition eventually took its toll.

"I had my autoimmune disease flare up because of the stress of the show," Meg said. "I was so debilitated, I couldn’t leave my hotel room. It was such a bummer."

Meg's decision to leave Next Level Chef didn't come easy. She explained to the Star Tribune that she and Gordon got along great on the show and he became her mentor. However, Meg confirmed she doesn't regret taking care of her health and long-term well-being in that moment. She also said she's not opposed to returning to the show to finish it out right.

"I’m physically fine now," I’m just dealing mentally with my departure. It’s one thing if I had gone home because I did my best and that wasn’t good enough. But in this case, I was performing well and I’ll never know how far I could have gone. Maybe they’ll do a redemption season and I’ll get another chance."

Meg is based in Minnesota and has a solid social media following, including 151,000 Instagram followers. Her recipes mostly include clean ingredients, which she displayed on the show.

Hopefully, Meg can return to Next Level Chef in some capacity. There's nothing reality TV lovers enjoy more than a good comeback story!

Catch new episodes of Next Level Chef on Thursdays at 7 p.m. EST on