A Look Inside Giada De Laurentiis And Bobby Flay's Relationship
Celebrity chefs Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay aren't just the best at what they do, they're also the best of friends. With a love for food and TV hosting, the two already had a lot in common before they met at a foodie event around 2004 per People. Since then, the two have been inseparable on and off the camera.
When they're not sharing playful banter while co-hosting TV shows like Food Network Star, De Laurentiis and Flay enjoy each other's company out-of-the-office too. That's probably why they've been the target of romance rumors over the years, as reported by E! News, though the two have always denied being romantically involved. De Laurentiis, who's been married once before, has found love with her boyfriend, producer Shane Farley (via People); Flay, a notorious playboy per Delish, has been married and divorced three times.
Despite having a lot on both their plates, personally and professionally, De Laurentiis and Flay prioritize their friendship, especially if there's good food involved. In 2020, they even embarked on a trip to Italy to shoot the discovery+ travelogue series, Bobby and Giada in Italy. You think you know all the ingredients that make up Bobby Flay and Giada De Laurentiis' relationship? Think again.
Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay met at a food expo in Philly
Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay didn't meet in a TV studio as one might expect, though the reality isn't too far-fetched; the celebrity chefs were introduced at a food expo in Philadelphia around 2004, according to People. That was only a year after De Laurentiis got her start on the Food Network as the host of Everyday Italian. At the time, Flay had been a Food Network staple since the '90s thanks to his first show, Grillin' and Chillin', according to his Food Network bio.
After nearly two decades of friendship, and 14 seasons of co-hosting Food Network Star, Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay's relationship is solid. In an interview on the podcast Beyond the Plate, De Laurentiis shared the things she loves about her close friend. "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," she revealed. "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." Seems like these two were destined to be friends.
Bobby Flay knew Giada De Laurentiis had something special before she became famous
Before Bobby Flay and Giada De Laurentiis met at a food expo in Philadelphia, Flay already knew De Laurentiis was talented. He explained to The New York Times in a joint video interview with De Laurentiis that a producer had asked his opinion of her before Everyday Italian premiered on the Food Network in 2003.
When Flay saw a video of De Laurentiis hosting the show, his first observation was "man, she has a lot of teeth," which caused De Laurentiis to flash her award-winning smile. On a more serious note, however, Flay said he thought De Laurentiis was "really confident, very pretty," noting that the network didn't have many Italian chefs at that time, except for Mario Batali. Furthermore, when the producer asked Flay if he thought De Laurentiis was different enough, Flay said "absolutely." It's no wonder why the two became friends then. It looks like Flay helped play a role in securing De Laurentiis' career on the Food Network.
Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay co-hosted this Food Network show for years
It's not always easy working with close friends, but Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay make it look fun. After all, they co-hosted 14 seasons of Food Network Star and managed to stay friends. In the series, De Laurentiis and Flay were tasked with discovering the network's next star, according to Food Network. And from the outside, De Laurentiis and Flay seemed to have fun working together and traveling to fun destinations, like Universal Orlando Resort's Volcano Bay (via People).
Laughs were definitely never in short supply on Food Network Star, as seen in the teaser trailer for the 14th season, which aired in 2018. "We're always right," Flay told the camera before cracking up with De Laurentiis beside him.
Though the celebrity chefs have different cooking styles, they're both pretty humble when it comes to their skills, at least during their earlier years. In a joint interview with The New York Times, both chefs admitted that neither of them would have done well on the Food Network Star when they were younger. "I wouldn't have won Food Network Star," Flay said. De Laurentiis agreed, explaining, "Nobody's good in the beginning."
Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay don't agree on everything related to cooking
Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay are two of the greatest TV chefs of all time, but they have different views on what it takes to do what they do. In a joint interview with The New York Times, De Laurentiis and Flay disagreed on what makes a successful Food Network host. They are experts, after all, having hosted Food Network Star for 14 seasons, as well as a myriad of other successful cooking shows per People.
Flay explained that he believes someone's ability to cook takes precedence over star power. "My simple philosophy is... if you're a really good cook, then I can teach you to do television over time," he shared. However, De Laurentiis believes the exact opposite. "I don't think you can teach someone to be dynamic on television," she declared. "You can polish them to be better at their craft...I don't think you can teach it." Even so, De Laurentiis added that a future celebrity chef must have basic cooking skills under their belt. Even the greatest in their craft butt heads sometimes, but at the end of the day, they're still friends.
Giada De Laurentiis didn't speak to Bobby Flay for almost a year because of this reason
For as good friends as Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay are, even they have needed a break from each other sometimes. According to People, the chefs hit a rocky bump early on in their relationship and didn't speak to each other for eight months.
Why? The "point of contention" came, as De Laurentiis shared on the podcast Beyond the Plate, after she teamed up with Flay for the 2006 Iron Chef America against Rachael Ray and Mario Batali. "We lost and [Bobby] thought it was funny," De Laurentiis revealed. "He didn't think it was any big deal that we lost. I did not talk to him for eight months' eight months! I did not. Nothing. Silence."
What caused De Laurentiis to doubt their friendship was the fact that Flay didn't take the competition seriously and didn't even apologize to her. "He just like walked away and I thought, you're a jerk and I'm never — I never want to be around you again," De Laurentiis continued. Luckily the friends recovered from that epic loss.
Bobby Flay sometimes steals Giada De Laurentiis' cooking secrets
Celebrity chefs and friends Bobby Flay and Giada De Laurentiis know each other's cooking secrets well — so well that one time Flay shared a chef secret of his own that was really De Laurentiis' during a cooking segment on Today. The secret was about how to make sauce stick better to pasta, as De Laurentiis explained to the The New York Times during a joint interview with Flay. "[Bobby] and I do Rachael Ray together and I show a secret, a tip, that my grandfather taught me about making pasta," she recalled. De Laurentiis said that she normally tosses the pasta with parmesan cheese before adding the sauce to make it stick better.
Following the segment, De Laurentiis recalled watching Today and hearing her friend Flay share the same exact tip, but claiming it as his own. "That's his Italian little tip that he just learned from his Italian little buddy Giada last week, only he didn't say that," De Laurentiis continued. "It's a true story," Flay admitted. "But I'm just gonna start telling people I taught you it."
Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay have sparked romance rumors
Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay's on-camera chemistry is undeniable, which is probably why they've been a target of romance rumors over the years. It didn't help matters when the two were spotted back in 2014 enjoying a couple of drinks right before De Laurentiis announced she was splitting from her hubby, Todd Thompson. Per Page Six, De Laurentiis and Flay were seen eating and drinking together at Miami's exclusive eatery Cecconi's. At the time, Flay was married to actress Stephanie March, but they later split in 2015, according to People. Flay quickly denied a romance between him and his longtime friend by telling Page Six it was just a friendly meal between "two colleagues and old friends."
But the rumors persisted after De Laurentiis and Flay were spotted reportedly holding hands and looking cozy at another restaurant in 2015, per Radar Online. That year, De Laurentiis denied any romantic involvement on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. "Well, we're very good friends. We've worked for many years together, but I don't think that's ever going to happen," she said, adding that she'd never date another chef.
There's a connection between Giada De Laurentiis' boyfriend and Bobby Flay
Following the success of Food Network Star, Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay had plans to co-host a talk show together per The New York Times. Though those plans fell through, De Laurentiis found love in 2013 with what would've been her and Flay's producer, Shane Farley (via People). In an interview with the magazine in 2018, De Laurentiis couldn't stop saying enough great things about her man. "Shane's a lot of fun. He's very spontaneous and loves to laugh," she gushed. "It's one of my favorite things about our relationship."
De Laurentiis decided to pursue a relationship with Farley following her split from designer Todd Thompson in 2014. "After I got divorced, I spent about a year and a half alone, not dating, just figuring things out," De Laurentiis continued, adding that she'd been with Thompson for 25 years. "Once I got settled, [Shane and I] reconnected and I felt like a kid again," she added. Though fans were probably disappointed De Laurentiis and Flay didn't become an item, it looks like the two are happy just being friends.
Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay love working and traveling together in series
Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay clearly have a zest for life, food, and friendship. The celebrity chefs managed to combine all three in Bobby and Giada in Italy, a TV travelogue series that debuted on discovery+ in 2021. As the title suggests, the series follows the foodies as they eat and drink their way through Rome and Tuscany. De Laurentiis was born in Rome, and she served as Flay's guide (per the Food Network). As seen in the show's promo, fans can expect tons of close-ups of pasta dishes, lots of flowing wine, and, of course, fun commentary from Flay and De Laurentiis as they interact with the locals and enjoy farm-fresh ingredients.
Judging from De Laurentiis' Instagram, it's obvious the two had fun together in Italy; she shared some behind-the-scene photos with fans from the six weeks they were in Italy, including one of Flay enjoying "la dolce vita" (also known as "the sweet life") with a porchetta sandwich in one hand and an Italian soft drink in the other. De Laurentiis and Flay are clearly living the sweet life and their friendship makes it all that much sweeter.