Chef Jay (Medford, MA) is Season Seven’s runner up on HELL'S KITCHEN. ©2010 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Joe Viles/FOX

The dust has settled and more than a day has passed since Holli Uglade won Hell’s Kitchen. Jay Santos is headed home as runner up – and that’s all right with him.

“Sixteen people, the final two, to be in the finale, that many viewers on the most amazing show, it can get much better,” Santos acknowledges.

Still, Santos admits that when he ended the competition as runner up, he was caught off guard.

“I was pretty surprised, but at the same time I wasn’t surprised,” he says. “It’s Hell’s Kitchen, anything can happen.”

He’s happy for Uglade and wishes her the best. As for those sizzling moments between them, well, Uglade may insist it was innocent flirting, but Santos isn’t quite ready to admit nothing happened.

“It she says it didn’t happen then it absolutely couldn’t have happened,” he says with a sly laugh.

He also has good advice for anyone trying out for the show…don’t have blue hair. It’s an attention getter.

“Me having blue hair was like a beacon for crazies,” he points out. “I didn’t think it would be this severe. It’s a reality show, it’s great, but I still can’t believe it. From packages in the mail to pictures of Blue Jays, you name it. People follow me in stores. It’s a little weird.”

Yeah, but can’t you just imagine Santos and that blue hair hosting a show on the Food Network? So can he…sort of.

“I would love a show. Not a show, show, but I want to be able to do what I love and I love to be social and I love to cook and unless there’s a show drinking vodka, I’m going to stick with the cooking part.”