Chef Holli (San Bernardino, CA) became HELL’S KITCHEN newest winner Tuesday night. ©2010 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Joe Viles/FOX

Didn’t see that one coming… Holli Uglade is Hell’s Kitchen’s season seven winner and will begin her journey as Chef of the Hotel Savoy’s new restaurant beginning in October.

We at Hollywood Outbreak fully expected Jay Santos to nab the prize, not because he was more deserving, but because the wind seemed to be at his back.

It kind of took Uglade by surprise, too, as she turned the door handle to her future.

“I honestly thought they forgot to lock it,” she says. “I thought they would say, ‘Oops, you guys go back.’ ”

Uglade isn’t really speculating on whether she should have won or not, but rather concentrating on the future.

“Tons of doors are opening that I never thought possible. I have no idea of how great this is going to impact my life, but I just know it’s going to be big.”

As for that romance that seemed to be brewing between Uglade and Santos…well, Uglade tells us they did a lot of flirting, but nothing ever really happened. In fact, she was shocked to see Santos commenting on his secret plan to hook up with her before the competition was through.

“We got along great while we were there,” she begins. “He’s an awesome guy. When I was watching this, this was all news to me. When I first heard him say that [he wanted to hook up with me] a couple of shows ago, I called him up and said, ‘Jay! Seriously!’ and he was like, ‘Oops!’ ”

Ulglade is also uprooting her son to head for London, but hasn’t worked out all the details yet with her soon to be ex-husband. The former couple is still good friends and she’s confident they’ll manage the transition well.

“I get along so well with his dad,” she acknowledges. “It’s going to be tough to see how we’re going to work this out. If he’s going to come, get a house and try to find a job over there. It’s going to be a brand new thing for me and we’ll just work it out really quickly. The Grand Opening is in October, so we’ll figure it out fast.”

As for her time in Hell’s Kitchen, Uglade is taking the satisfaction of impressing Chef Gordon Ramsay with her to London. Ramsay gave her mega props for the growth she showed as a cook and leader – a complement that meant a lot to her – especially now that he’s her boss.

“He told me that I was the person who grew the most,” she recalls adding, “Through all of Hell’s Kitchen he has never seen somebody start in one spot and progress so quickly. He said that I shocked him and he said he’s just scared to know where I’ll be in one year. To get a real complement from Chef Ramsay, that’s like a lifelong goal. I’m on cloud nine.”

Posted by Mari Cartel