What MasterChef Winner Courtney Lapresi Is Doing Now
Former MasterChef winner Courtney Lapresi was quite unlike her peers. The winner of the show's fifth season, Lapresi displayed unbelievable confidence and authenticity as she chose to be herself on the show, turning up to cook in dressy outfits and lots of makeup (via Screen Rant.) Interestingly, before being a part of the competition, Lapresi worked as a dancer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as per Reality TV Revisited.
The judges on the show were extremely impressed with Lapresi when she came up with a magnificent three course meal and beat her competitor, Elizabeth Cauvel, emerging as the show's winner. After her win, Lapresi explained that being from an artistic background really helped her because she was used to stressful competitions and could deliver under pressure (via The Philadelphia Inquirer). She said, "I'm used to feeling nervous and jittery. In my performance past, I knew that if you're not nervous, it means you don't care. It reminded me that this is important to me and really put myself into what was on the plate."
Curious about what Lapresi has been up to after her stint on MasterChef? We decided to do a little digging.
Courtney Lapresi is no longer in the culinary industry
Despite winning the show and doing pretty well for herself as a participant, Lapresi didn't end up chasing a career as a chef. According to Reality TV Revisited, she switched to sales soon after the show ended and joined Tesla. However, she did write a book called Everyday Fancy: 65 Easy, Elegant Recipes for Meals, Snacks, Sweets, and Drinks before moving to the sales industry.
Viewers speculated about Lapresi's decision to quit the industry on Reddit. One user wrote that perhaps Lapresi wasn't too excited about the prospects, "It's possible she just didn't like working in a kitchen that serves customers or just got burnt out by the life." Another viewer mentioned that it's also possible that the relatively lower pay may have prompted the switch. Lapresi, by the way, is still at Tesla and is also active on Instagram, where she continues to share her love for food and the kitchen through regular posts.