Kevin Gillespie Talks Divorce; Beard

In a recent interview with E! Online's Marc Malkin, Kevin Gillespie fields the usual set of questions that Top Cheffers are asked once the season ends. While a lot of his responses might come as no surprise to anyone (sure, he'd love his own show on Bravo!), there are a few interesting reveals from the chat. For one thing, Kevin notes that his fame has certainly brought a new kind of customer to his Atlanta restaurant, Woodfire Grill:

I had a woman last night who broke being kosher for the first time in her life to eat at my restaurant

Any close follower of Season 6 knows that in addition to the demands of the odd Quickfire Challenge, Kevin was dealing with a pretty big personal issue during the show: splitting up with his wife. How'd he hold up?

It was extremely difficult. Those last two challenges were almost impossible. And then my mom showed up! It made it even more complicated because the last thing I wanted to do was think about Top Chef. I wanted to talk to her about what was happening in my life.

And of course, the questions that's on everyone's mind: what does the future hold for Kevin's signature red beard?

I actually shave my beard three or four times a year. I always get peculiar reactions, even before I was ever on TV. So nowadays, I might just have to keep it trimmed.

It's good-natured stuff like this that surely must have helped Kevin nab the coveted Fan Favorite Award last week. [E!Online]