Did they ever secretly date? Have they recovered from a falling out over "Iron Chef"?
Keep watching to learn what Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay's relationship is like today.
Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay have always served up a sizzling on-screen chemistry.
So it is no wonder that fans of the two celebrity chefs have wondered about a romantic
connection between them. But despite all the buzzy gossip over the years,
both stars have denied that there's ever been anything romantic. They say they're just friends.
Rumors of something more began to set fire after both chefs announced divorces from their spouses,
in 2015. And it appears that the speculation returned once again
after their latest collab, "Bobby and Giada in Italy," hit the air in early 2021.
Filming the stunning culinary travel series took a full month,
allowing the chefs and crew to fully explore the rich culture, breathtaking surroundings,
and authentic cuisine of Rome and Tuscany. But — hold up. A month in Italy? Of course, fans would
be hopeful that a romantic setting like that could bring their two favorite chefs together!
"He's a huge fan of Italy. Huge. And I think that's where our friendship sort of connected."
The duo first met at a Philly food expo in 2004, shortly after De Laurentiis got her start on Food
Network the year before. And on the season 2 premiere of the "Beyond the Plate" podcast,
De Laurentiis reflected on the time she partnered with Flay for "Iron Chef America," in 2006.
The competition led to a feud between De Laurentiis and Flay after they lost
against chefs Rachael Ray and Mario Batali. De Laurentiis explained,
"We lost and [Bobby] thought it was funny. 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 and I was really disappointed."
The disappointment definitely damaged their budding friendship.
Reportedly still nursing her wounds, De Laurentiis didn't speak to Flay for a full eight months.
But once they moved past this little hiccup, the chefs became great friends,
producing various projects for Food Network and sharing their passion for cooking.
This was when those romantic rumors first gained some steam.
When Star magazine suggested De Laurentiis had affairs with her co-worker and even John Mayer,
a then-married De Laurentiis was quick to set the record straight. As she told E! News:
"My long-time friendships with my co-workers are exactly that — long-time friendships.
There has never been a romantic relationship with these two men."
But as we know, De Laurentiis and Flay did spend that month in Italy together.
Still, despite any fan's long-time hope for their favorite celebrity chefs to become something more
than best buds, even Italy was no match for their solid friendship. As it goes,
it appears that the love-life speculation is nothing more than a bit of internet fun.
And that's especially true, considering that De Laurentiis has been in a serious
relationship with TV producer Shane Farley, ever since 2015.
"I felt like a kid again. I have to say. He's a lot of fun."
When Flay first developed the idea for the Italian adventure,
he immediately thought of De Laurentiis. After all,
she was born in Rome and is a notorious Italian cuisine specialist. As Flay shared with People,
"We're friends, we obviously both love Italy and we're both on the same network,
so it made perfect sense. So that's what we did. And I have to say,
I think it's probably the most beautiful thing that I've ever shot, for sure."
"I think this is where we should get an apartment. You use it half the year,
I'll use it half the year."
"I'm game!"
As for the extra shot of easy chemistry and
apparent unbridled joy and bliss on the show, Flay explained,
"You know when you go to a place that you really love being, your whole demeanor is different.
We were just so much more relaxed and just smiling a lot and just enjoying our surroundings."
Perhaps it's time for all of us to accept the fact that there is such a thing as a great
friendship. And while there were whispers of Flay leaving Food Network in late 2021,
Variety confirmed that he agreed to a new contract. Well,
since these two are sticking around, there might just be a few more collaborations on the way.
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