Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay are two of the Food Network's most recognizable faces.
The two don't just appear on-camera together, but often interact on social media and have
even toured Italy together. Not surprisingly, this has led to romantic rumors. Is there
more to this than just friendship?
Bobby Flay was already a well-established Food Network star and restauranteur when Giada
De Laurentiis came around to make her debut. According to People, the pair's first encounter
was not on a set, but at a food expo in Philadelphia in 2004. She was drawn to Flay immediately,
stating:
"I think that Bobby is one of those people that if you are his friend, he has your back
forever and he will stand up for you. He's one of those guys you can call in a pinch
and he will get you out of it. He's special in that sense."
Their friendship was instantaneous and they would eventually work together on the smash
hit Iron Chef America. Their on-camera chemistry would lead to the first of many collaborations
together at the network.
In 2006, while Bobby Flay was already an established television personality, Giada De Laurentiis
was perfecting her skills both on and off the camera. Flay and De Laurentiis were paired
up to compete against superstar duo Rachael Ray and Mario Batali on Iron Chef America.
Flay and De Laurentiis lost the battle and while Flay brushed it off as a good laugh,
De Laurentiis was taking things very seriously.
"We do this and then when we're done, they take out the one that's been made by…"
"Yup there we go there's the one that's been made don't touch."
"Oh you switched it!"
She had something to prove to not only herself, but the network as well. Because of Bobby's
attitude, the two didn't speak for almost a year.
On the podcast Beyond The Plate, De Laurentiis explained:
"I thought, you know, I took this very seriously. It was a very big show, especially at that
time, and I've cooked, I've gone to culinary school, I worked on my own dish all by myself
and I felt like he sort of half-assed it. It was just TV to him. I took it very seriously."
They've since patched things up but it's still a sore subject for the Italian-born chef,
who isn't afraid to bring it up.
It's clear that Bobby Flay and Giada De Laurentiis have spent a fair amount of their lives in
the headlines thanks to their careers. It has also been suggested many times that the
two are romantically linked. When photos surfaced of De Laurentiis partying gleefully with Flay
just days before her divorce announcement, the internet went into a frenzy accusing her
of having an affair with Bobby. She denied all rumors and set the record straight on
an appearance of Watch What Happens Live. She told host Andy Cohen:
"We do get together on Food Network Star. Well, we're really good friends. We've worked
for many years together, but I don't think that's ever going to happen because I'm smarter
than that."
What sounded like a dig at Flay is only her own personal romance philosophy of never dating
a fellow chef. While we're certainly rooting for Bobby and Giada, we may never see our
hopes come to fruition.
The star powers of Bobby Flay and Giada De Laurentiis know no bounds. Their Food Network
careers include their own programming, the role of judges on competition series, network
specials, and even co-hosting together 14 seasons of Food Network Star. De Laurentiis
debuted on the Food Network in 2003 with her cooking show, Everyday Italian and has expanded
with shows Behind The Bash, Giada's Weekend Getaways, and Giada in Paradise. Her series,
Giada Entertains, earned the chef some serious street cred in the form of two Daytime Emmy
Awards, one for Outstanding Culinary Series and Outstanding Culinary Host.
Flay has hosted a record 16 cooking shows for the Food Network and Cooking Channel,
including his first taste of fame in his own show, Hot Off The Grill with Bobby Flay. He's
gone on to host the fan favorite Throwdown! With Bobby Flay, Beat Bobby Flay, and has
been a judge and occasional competitor on The Next Iron Chef. While they certainly each
hold their own in the hosting department, their chemistry comes together in perfect
harmony on Food Network Star.
Bobby Flay and Giada De Laurentiis serve as hosts and mentors for 14 seasons of Food Network's
smash competition series, Food Network Star. The grueling 11 weeks of competition is a
once in a lifetime shot to become part of the network's selective catalog of personalities.
The show has produced budding stars Jeff Mauro who went on to host $24 in 24, Adam Gertler
of Will Work For Food, and mega personality, Guy Fieri, who has since built a restaurant
and television empire of his own with Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and his fast casual chicken
concept, Chicken Guy.
Bobby Flay explained to People just what it takes and what they are looking for, stating:
"The next Food Network Star has to be super dynamic. They have to blend education and
entertainment. Likeability is 99 percent of this."
But don't put a label on what makes a chef a success. Flay has said he doesn't like the
term celebrity chef and stays away from the title. He told Today:
"When people feel like they've somehow garnered the moniker of 'celebrity chef,' they forget
how they got there, which is cooking."
Italy vacations
We can't think of anything better than the opportunity to travel and indulge in a vacation
with your BFF. Fans were abuzz last fall when Bobby Flay and Giada De Laurentiis were filling
up social media timelines with photos of them traveling together in her native Italy. Potential
romantic rendezvous for the long-rumored lovers? No scandals here!
According to People, the pair were spotted scarfing down ice cream and Porchetta sandwiches
all in the name of research. It turned out this was actually a work trip for an upcoming
project the two were collaborating on together. They also dined on a whole roasted fish and
some tagliolini from Nonna Betta, a Kosher Italian eatery. We're still waiting on an
official announcement of the yet to be revealed project but we're ready to gobble it down
quicker than a slice of Roman style pizza.
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