MS Chef Raneisha is 'a fan-girl' of Chef Gordon Ramsay. Now she's on 'Hell's Kitchen'

Raneisha Conerly of Foxworth has always loved cooking, but never thought of doing it as a career until her brother suggested she go to culinary school to perfect her craft.

The 40-year-old studied biology at Alcorn State University and worked at a pharmacy. She cooked for family and friends until she shifted gears and careers. That move turned out to be a good one for Conerly, who is one of 18 featured chefs on Season 22 of "Hell's Kitchen," which debuted Sept. 28 on Fox.

The show, themed "The American Dream," features Chef Gordon Ramsay, who made his mark on the culinary world through his award-winning restaurants and tough-love TV shows.

Joining Ramsay with their American dreams this season are former boxer Oscar de la Hoya, country artist Martina McBride and entrepreneur Dia Sims, so all share their very own American dreams.

Competition is fierce on "Hell's Kitchen" as the chefs fight to stay in the game, doing what they can to make their dishes shine all while facing steep challenges and the harsh critiques of Chef Ramsay, who holds nothing back.

"I'm more so a fan-girl than I was on the intimidation side," Conerly said. "I was like, 'Oh my gosh, I'm right here in his face — like, this is him.' He's pretty close to an idol for me. I kept saying, 'I'm going to meet him one day.'

"I have watched all 21 seasons of 'Hell's Kitchen.'"

Conerly said she auditioned for the show in 2021 and has been waiting ever since to see it on TV.

"It was something," she said. "It was like pledging to a sorority all over again. But of course, we've got boys and we've all got to share this common space and get to know each other."

Along with the competitiveness of the show comes camaraderie, Conerly said. She continues to be friends with her fellow competitors.

"We still basically talk on a daily basis," she said. "We all basically became family."

While Conerly loves to cook seafood and has an extensive background in Italian cuisine, her ultimate goal is to serve Southern cuisine in a fine-dining setting.

"You don't have very fancy places like the Cotton Club or the Savoy was," she said. "It was really nice, and they served proper food so you could put your good clothes on.

"Southern food is comfort food."

Conerly has worked at upscale restaurants on the Coast, including White Pillars, where she was the inaugural head pastry chef, and Costa Cucina at IP Casino Resort.

Conerly is not the first Mississippi chef to compete on a TV cooking show hosted by Ramsay. Whitney Miller of Poplarville won Season 1 of "MasterChef" in 2010. In 2016, Hattiesburg chef Katie Dixon also competed on MasterChef, although she didn't win the top prize.

When to watch

"Hell's Kitchen" airs at 7 p.m. Thursdays on FOX stations. Missed episodes can be viewed on Hulu the day after they air on FOX.

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This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: Mississippi chef selected for 'Hell's Kitchen' with Gordon Ramsay