Most people in Knoxville know Michael Galyean as “Blue Shirt Guy,” whose sideline dance moves turned him into a viral internet phenomenon. But the blue shirt is just the most visible piece of a much bigger Michael ecosystem: choreographer for local high school musicals, occasional business-development guy, private chef-for-hire, MC, and perennial “yes, and” performer with a knack for turning one opportunity into five more.
This Thursday, the Parkridge resident adds another line to the résumé: contestant on Next Level Chef, the Fox cooking competition hosted by Gordon Ramsay, alongside mentors Richard Blais and Nyesha Arrington. Filmed in Ireland, the show pits professional chefs, social media chefs, and home cooks against one another in a three-level kitchen where ingredients descend from above — and you cook with whatever you manage to grab.
Michael appears as a home chef: self-taught, Food Network-raised, and fueled by what he calls a love language of feeding people. But make no mistake, he’s a legit cook. He just also happens to be good at marketing it. In addition to private chef gigs, he regularly appears on WATE’s Living East Tennessee and shares the occasional culinary creation on social media…