What Is Courtney Lapresi Doing After Winning MasterChef?

14 seasons into the show "MasterChef," and we're still learning so much from Gordon Ramsay. Just over a decade after Season 5 of "MasterChef" wrapped up, we've been wondering what the winner Courtney Lapresi has been up to. One thing is pretty clear, she is not professionally cooking anymore, in favor of finding herself through other creative avenues.

What made the audience remember Courtney was the way she would approach any task with all the confidence of a queen, complete with a full face of makeup and the attitude to match. Courtney stood out to viewers as someone who was almost cocky, a skill that she likely developed throughout her years spent dancing professionally. Courtney did release her own cookbook called "Everyday Fancy" shortly after winning "MasterChef" that featured 65 easy and elegant recipes that could be prepared by anyone. 

While Courtney did fulfill her contractual obligations to "MasterChef" all those years ago, a visit to her personal website will show you that cooking isn't at the top of her list these days. After sharing that she regrets the way her story was portrayed on "MasterChef," this bold woman has clearly decided to take control of the narrative. Self-love, healing, and making the most out of her true self are topics regularly visited as Courtney shares her innermost thoughts throughout multiple blog posts.

According to some of her recent Instagram posts, Courtney has jumped all the way into a world of entrepreneurship in a particular industry. Along with a book titled "My Best Stripper Self, The Power of Patterns: Identifying and Using What Works," Courtney has designed an accompanying planner that is meant specifically to aid women working within the exotic dance community. Choosing to be more open than she ever was on the show, Courtney approaches the still somewhat taboo topic with a professional air that most people outside of the industry are not used to seeing. One thing we know about Courtney is this: She is always going to make her bag, regardless of what "MasterChef" fans might think of her. 

Even though she didn't go on to become the professional chef that a lot of fans would have preferred, Courtney still posts the occasional food video with a recipe in the caption. With multiple streams of income flowing in as she continues dancing and adding more projects to her list, the Season 5 "MasterChef" winner seems to be living a life that is honest to who she is as a person, and we love that for her. Maybe 10 years from now, we will be talking about how she finally opened a restaurant. 

Regardless of which direction she decides to walk, we are looking forward to watching Courtney develop into something more than the winner of an old "MasterChef" season. Besides, being famous doesn't mean your restaurant will be a success.