The jovial TV host we all know isn't always what Andrew ZImmern has been like.
Keep watching to find out how he went from chef to critic to host, battling addiction along the way.
Born in 1961, Zimmern was raised in New York City. As he told Artful Living,
"[It was] a privileged surrounding by most conventional standards. My
parents were divorced but were best friends."
But that changed very quickly when Zimmern was just 13 years old. An accident during surgery
left his mother, Caren, in a coma, for months. She survived, but suffered severe brain damage. The
shock and the intensity of her recovery affected Zimmern for years to come. He told the outlet,
"It was an extremely traumatic event in my life. One that has affected me greatly up until
even a couple of years ago, when I started doing some serious trauma-related work."
That emotional damage became the catalyst for his early addiction.
As a teen, he began using alcohol and drugs to cope. By the time he managed to
graduate from college, he was stealing to support his addiction. He told CNN,
"I lost an apartment. l became homeless for 11 months and squatted in a building. […] I
was crossing lines that I never thought I would cross before."
He once spent days trying to drink himself to death. Zimmern made a phone call to a friend
that he says saved his life. Zimmern immediately boarded a plane for the Betty Ford Center in
Minnesota. He now shares his story at speaking events and supports causes like Giving Kitchen, a
non-profit providing recovery resources for those struggling with addiction in the food industry.
"Now, my story is my greatest asset." While addiction initially prevented him
from achieving stability and success until he got sober, Zimmern had his heart set on a career in
the food industry for years. He can even point to a specific moment where he knew it was his dream.
It was a fateful meal that he ate during a ski trip with his father in the French Alps — at
Paul Bocuse. The renowned eatery maintained a three-star Michelin rating for over 55 years,
according to the BBC. And its French cuisine has enchanted patrons for decades. Of course,
Zimmern was no exception. According to First We Feast, he recalled that the meal
was so incredibly good that he became, quote, "overwhelmed with the possibilities of food."
While Zimmern has spoken of being an adventurous eater even as a kid,
he made it clear that this one meal has made the strongest impression. He told Food & Wine,
"That dinner, I knew for sure I was going to be in the food business for my life.
I always suspected, but at that moment, I knew there was no turning back."
Although we're now used to seeing Zimmern travel around the world with cameras catching his every
move, he actually spent the first several years of his career behind the scenes. According to
his website, after completing his rehab stint, Zimmern looked for work in the culinary field.
He started as a busboy at Minnesota's former Cafe Un Deux Trois, eventually rising through
the ranks over the course of six years to become executive chef. That beefed up his resume enough
to land him a gig as Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine's dining and restaurant critic.
"Food you're embarrassed to say you enjoy."
"Gas station pizza, although I'm not embarrassed, I say it all the time; it is my guilty pleasure."
Even though he's since moved on and become a high-profile TV host,
he hasn't lost that critical slant. He once told Forbes,
"There's a difference between popular and good. I don't believe in a lot
of the giant crowdsourcing apps, Yelp being the most famous one."
Instead, he recommends skipping the apps and tracking down well-respected local
food writers and influencers so you can check out their solid recommendations.
Successful as he may be today, Zimmern's professional journey was not without its
missteps. One past blunder rocked him so hard that he abandoned any dream of
becoming a full-time chef. He recalled an early memory when he helped open a local restaurant,
called Backstage at Bravo. And it didn't go well. He explained to Minneapolis Twin City Business,
"I realized I couldn't implement the partners' vision. I kept trying to change myself to get
along, but I eventually realized being in business for other people wasn't for me."
Zimmern not only walked away from the restaurant, but he took a different industry path altogether.
He soon pivoted to hosting food segments on local cable stations. And while he's enjoyed great
success at it ever since, Zimmern has remained unlucky when it comes to opening restaurants.
The Minneapolis eatery he debuted in 2018, Lucky Cricket, temporarily closed just a year after
opening. According to Eater Twin Cities, Lucky Cricket reopened under new management several
months later but then shuttered its doors again in 2020 during the pandemic. As of late 2021,
it's still closed for business. At the beginning of his hosting career,
Zimmern worked steadily in local media but just couldn't make the jump to the national level. But
things were about to change. Zimmern and a small team made a TV pilot for a show they dubbed "Food
Freaks" and it caught the attention of a local production company. Changing the name to "Bizarre
Foods," the company re-shot a new pilot that saw Zimmern devouring elk testicles on camera.
They took the eye-popping segment to the Travel Channel, which promptly ordered six episodes.
"Nice, isn't it?" "It's not nice. That's year-old rotted fish."
From the moment "Bizarre Foods" hit the air in 2006, Zimmern's life was transformed.
According to the Star Tribune, his star-making break happened shortly after an episode where
Zimmern received an exorcism by an Ecuadorian man who stripped him down, spit moonshine and
fire at him, and rubbed him with a guinea pig. Jay Leno then picked up the phone and tapped
Zimmern for the "Tonight Show." And as Zimmern recalled, quote, "We were off to the races."
Fame came quickly for Zimmern, but more prestigious recognition took
a little longer to achieve. In 2010, however, he finally received one of the food industry's
highest honors: a James Beard Award for "TV Food Personality." And he has since received
three more of the awards. "Bizarre Foods" won "Best Television Program on Location," in 2012,
and in 2013 and 2017 he won again for "TV Food Personality."
"The Foundation is food. The Foundation is
the change in all of us that we can make in this world."
Not only does Zimmern clearly deserve the high honors, he's also been known to get emotional at
the ceremony. While delivering his 2017 acceptance speech, he was reportedly moved to tears, stating,
"What I really wanted to do was make a show about people […] and [tell] stories
about the things that brought us together rather than the things that divided us."
Other accolades included two CableFax awards for "Bizarre Foods," and a 2020
Daytime Emmy Award for "The Zimmern List." People who eat for a living undoubtedly have
a tougher time watching their weight. But even when he's off-duty, Zimmern has copped to some
poor eating habits. In 2017, he told People that it wouldn't be unusual for him to eat
last night's leftovers — like a pot roast with white bread — for breakfast. Another way he often
started his day was with a far less nutritious meal; a double espresso and a few cigarettes.
"This morning for breakfast,
I had two slices of brisket with a little bit of gravy on a piece of sourdough toast."
He not only vowed to kick bad eating to the curb, but he also warned against regularly chowing down
on typical American breakfasts like pancakes, bacon and eggs. Zimmern explained that indulging
like that for a period of several years was so bad for his health that it nearly cost him his life.
Taking the health scare seriously, it appears that he has since turned things around. A year later,
he was showing off a healthy vegetarian plate from a local Mediterranean restaurant on Instagram.
In 2018, Zimmern stirred up some major controversy. Prior to opening his Asian
restaurant Lucky Cricket in a suburb of St. Paul, Zimmern readily put his
own foot in his mouth. While slamming chain staple P.F. Chang's, he told Fast Company,
"I think I'm saving the souls of all the people from having to dine at these
horses--- restaurants masquerading as Chinese food that are in the Midwest."
The backlash from the Chinese American community was swift. And Deadline reported
that Zimmern was handily torn apart by both the media and the general public.
He apologized, posting in a lengthy statement to Facebook:
"The upset that is felt in the Chinese American community is […] understandable,
and I regret that I have been the one to cause it. [...] I feel terrible that
in my remarks I came across as arrogant and patronizing because it's simply not who I am."
Zimmern has since gone on to note the changes he's
made in regard to public comments. As he told Minneapolis St. Paul:
"The rules for me are: Is it true? Does it need to be said? And if it's true and
needs to be said, is it up to me to say it?" In 2018, Zimmern revealed a major transition in
his personal life. He and his wife Rishia — who share a teenage son, Noah — would be divorcing.
Zimmern took full responsibility for his part in their split, saying that he paid too much
attention to his work and not enough to his family. He explained to the New York Times,
"I wasn't there for my wife and I wasn't there for my son.
My wife gave me a thousand chances to make it right."
As he told it, the strain that his travel schedule put on his relationships
was a problem he had in common with the late Anthony Bourdain,
who had been a close friend. Although it was too late to save his marriage,
Zimmern vowed to make improvements to his relationship with his ex-wife and their son.
But it appears Zimmern has since found happiness in a new relationship. In 2021,
Artful Living noted his new partner, Lissa Visser. And it looks like Zimmern has indeed
stepped up his role as a father. On National Sons Day, he posted several photos of Noah, writing,
"No one has taught me more about patience, tolerance and understanding than this kid."
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues,
help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).