The Food Network's Original Chefs: Where Are They Now?

Mar. 15, 2025

Ina Garten, Guy Fieri, Anne Burrell.Photo:Food Network; Johnny Nunez/WireImage; Food Network

Food Network; Johnny Nunez/WireImage; Food Network

The Food Network has been bringing audiences delicious recipes, kitchen tips and tricks and charismatic chefs for more than 30 years!

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Food Network; Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Fanatics

Flay shares his one daughter, Sophie, 28, with ex-wife Kate Connelly.

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Ina Garten

Ina Garten.Food Network; Michael Loccisano/Getty

Food Network; Michael Loccisano/Getty

Ina Gartenjoined the Food Network family in 2002 with herBarefoot Contessaseries three years after debuting her first cookbook of the same name in 1999.

She still lives in East Hampton and creates cookbooks, films her Food Network shows and even writes a column forFood Networkmagazine (andis fun to follow on Instagram).

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Guy Fieri

Guy Fieri.Johnny Nunez/WireImage; Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Tyler Robinson Foundation

Johnny Nunez/WireImage; Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Tyler Robinson Foundation

Guy Fieri’s career on the Food Network began in 2006 after winningThe Next Food Network Star.

And even longer than his relationship to the network is his marriage to his wife Lori, whom he wed in 1995. The two welcomed sons Hunter, 28, and Ryder, 19 as well as helped to raise their nephewJules, 22, following thedeath of Guy’s sisterMorgan in 2011.

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Ree Drummond

Ree Drummond.Shane Bevel/Food Network; Tyler Essary/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty

Shane Bevel/Food Network; Tyler Essary/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty

Ree Drummondbegan hostingThe Pioneer Womanon the Food Network in 2011. This year, the show is celebrating its 38th season.

In her personal life, Drummond and Ladd share five children together and in 2024 became grandparents for the first time when their eldest daughter, Alex,welcomed her first daughter.

05of 15Anne BurrellAnne Burrell.Food Network; Santiago Felipe/GettyAnne Burrell’s first Food Network show came in 2008 with the premiere ofSecrets of a Restaurant Chefwhich ran for 9 seasons. In 2012, she launched the showChef Wantedand since 2010 has been a host and mentor onWorst Cooks in Americasince 2010.Recently fans had some questions when the latest season ofWorst Cooks in America Celebrity Addition: Heroes vs. Villainspremiered in early January and Burrell was nowhere to be seen.“Chef-how come you are not doing Worst Cooks this season. That is your show,” one fan asked below a Jan. 10postto which Burrell responded: “Uuuuughhh…I know. And I don’t know. 🫤🤷🏼‍♀️❤️” In wake of the confusion, neither Burrell or Food Network had an official comment to share with PEOPLE.Burrell marriedStuart Claxtonin 2021, after meeting on the dating app Bumble in 2018,

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Anne Burrell

Anne Burrell.Food Network; Santiago Felipe/Getty

Food Network; Santiago Felipe/Getty

Anne Burrell’s first Food Network show came in 2008 with the premiere ofSecrets of a Restaurant Chefwhich ran for 9 seasons. In 2012, she launched the showChef Wantedand since 2010 has been a host and mentor onWorst Cooks in Americasince 2010.

Recently fans had some questions when the latest season ofWorst Cooks in America Celebrity Addition: Heroes vs. Villainspremiered in early January and Burrell was nowhere to be seen.

“Chef-how come you are not doing Worst Cooks this season. That is your show,” one fan asked below a Jan. 10postto which Burrell responded: “Uuuuughhh…I know. And I don’t know. 🫤🤷🏼‍♀️❤️” In wake of the confusion, neither Burrell or Food Network had an official comment to share with PEOPLE.

Burrell marriedStuart Claxtonin 2021, after meeting on the dating app Bumble in 2018,

06of 15Rachael RayRachael Ray.Food Network; Astrid Stawiarz/GettyRachael Rayfirst stepped on to the Food Network scene in 2001 with her show30 Minute Meals,and later with$40 a DayandWeek in a Day.Outside of the Food Network, Ray hosted her daytime talk show,The Rachael Ray Show, from 2006- 2023.These days, Ray is as busy as ever, telling PEOPLE she’s “not really good with downtime. Projects include her seriesRachael Ray in Tuscanyand podcastI’ll Sleep When I’m Dead.In addition to her shows, she also lines of all sorts of cookware, a pet food brand, Nutrish, and of course, cookbooks.In 2005Ray married John Cusimanoin Italy after meeting at a mutual friend’s party four years prior. 15 years later,the couple built a house in Tuscany, their favorite location.

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Rachael Ray

Rachael Ray.Food Network; Astrid Stawiarz/Getty

Food Network; Astrid Stawiarz/Getty

Rachael Rayfirst stepped on to the Food Network scene in 2001 with her show30 Minute Meals,and later with$40 a DayandWeek in a Day.Outside of the Food Network, Ray hosted her daytime talk show,The Rachael Ray Show, from 2006- 2023.

These days, Ray is as busy as ever, telling PEOPLE she’s “not really good with downtime. Projects include her seriesRachael Ray in Tuscanyand podcastI’ll Sleep When I’m Dead.In addition to her shows, she also lines of all sorts of cookware, a pet food brand, Nutrish, and of course, cookbooks.

In 2005Ray married John Cusimanoin Italy after meeting at a mutual friend’s party four years prior. 15 years later,the couple built a house in Tuscany, their favorite location.

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Giada De Laurentiis

Giada De Laurentiis.Food Network; JC Olivera/FilmMagic

Food Network; JC Olivera/FilmMagic

Her showEveryday Italianthen premiered in 2005, and she later launchedGiada’s Weekend Getaways,Giada at Homeand jumped intoFood Network Staras a judge. Around the same time as her television career was taking off she also began authoring cookbooks, her first aptly titledEveryday Italian, and in the years since had added several more to the collection. In March, her newest title,Super Italian, will hit shelves. Her name is currently on three different restaurants — two in Las Vegas and one in Scottsdale, Arizona — and her lifestyle website,Giadzy, offers her lines of pastas, spices and more.

Outside of food, De Laurentiis is mom to daughter Jade whom she shares with exTodd Thompson. The mom-of-one has been dating boyfriendShane Farleysince 2015.

08of 15David RosengartenDavid Rosengarten.Food Network; Jonathan Ziegler/Patrick McMullan via GettyDavid Rosengarten starred on one of the network’s debut shows,Taste(left) back in the late 1990s. After writing the James-Beard winning newsletterThe Rosengarten Reportfor several years in the 2000s,The New York Postreported in 2014 that he was bringing it back as a both a print and digital product that published four times a year (though it seems as though it is no longer being produced).He was formerly a contributor to Forbes,last writing a piece for the publication in 2019.

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David Rosengarten

David Rosengarten.Food Network; Jonathan Ziegler/Patrick McMullan via Getty

Food Network; Jonathan Ziegler/Patrick McMullan via Getty

David Rosengarten starred on one of the network’s debut shows,Taste(left) back in the late 1990s. After writing the James-Beard winning newsletterThe Rosengarten Reportfor several years in the 2000s,The New York Postreported in 2014 that he was bringing it back as a both a print and digital product that published four times a year (though it seems as though it is no longer being produced).

He was formerly a contributor to Forbes,last writing a piece for the publication in 2019.

09of 15Alton BrownAlton Brown.Food Network; Mike Coppola/WireImageAlton Brownfirst launchedGood Eatson the network in 1999 — a gig he kept until 2012. He later hostedCutthroat Kitchen,Iron Chef Americaand evenbrought back a reboot ofGood Eatsin 2019. Though in 2022 he left the Food Network to lead Netflix’s newIron Chefseries.“I don’t really think of myself as having left a place as much as I simply crossed the street to join one of my first loves,“he toldEWof his departure at the time. “I had 20 pretty spectacular years at Food Network. I built a brand there. I became part ofIron Chef Americathere. But to be honest, if Netflix had taken a shot atIron Chefwithout me, that would have broken my heart.“Looking ahead into 2025, Brown is hitting the road in February for theAlton Brown Live: Last Bitetour — a tour he says will be his last. Also in February, Brown is releasing his tenth bookFood for Thoughtthough says after the tour wraps in May, he’ll probably step away from the spotlight for a bit: “After the tour, I’ll take a break maybe and disappear for a little while and see if the world misses me. If it doesn’t, oh, well, I had a good run,“he told PEOPLE.Brown shares an adult daughter, Zoey, with his ex wife, DeAnna Brown and currently lives in Atlanta with his wife,interior designer Elizabeth Ingram, and their three dogs.

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Alton Brown

Alton Brown.Food Network; Mike Coppola/WireImage

Food Network; Mike Coppola/WireImage

Alton Brownfirst launchedGood Eatson the network in 1999 — a gig he kept until 2012. He later hostedCutthroat Kitchen,Iron Chef Americaand evenbrought back a reboot ofGood Eatsin 2019. Though in 2022 he left the Food Network to lead Netflix’s newIron Chefseries.

“I don’t really think of myself as having left a place as much as I simply crossed the street to join one of my first loves,“he toldEWof his departure at the time. “I had 20 pretty spectacular years at Food Network. I built a brand there. I became part ofIron Chef Americathere. But to be honest, if Netflix had taken a shot atIron Chefwithout me, that would have broken my heart.”

Looking ahead into 2025, Brown is hitting the road in February for theAlton Brown Live: Last Bitetour — a tour he says will be his last. Also in February, Brown is releasing his tenth bookFood for Thoughtthough says after the tour wraps in May, he’ll probably step away from the spotlight for a bit: “After the tour, I’ll take a break maybe and disappear for a little while and see if the world misses me. If it doesn’t, oh, well, I had a good run,“he told PEOPLE.

Brown shares an adult daughter, Zoey, with his ex wife, DeAnna Brown and currently lives in Atlanta with his wife,interior designer Elizabeth Ingram, and their three dogs.

10of 15Emeril LagasseEmeril Lagasse.Najlah Feanny/Corbis via Getty; Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for The Roku ChannelEmeril Lagassewas one of the first ones to venture into celebrity chef territory, gaining enormous popularity through his showsThe Essence of EmerilandEmeril Liveand his use of “Bam!” while cooking. Since then he’s appeared on several other shows includingEmeril Green, Emeril’s Floridaand as a guest judge onTop Chef.More recently, he has appeared on two Roku original showsEmeril CooksandEmeril Tailgates —both premiering in 2022.Over the years he has opened more than 20 restaurants around the United States, a culinary journey that began with him landing a job as the executive chef at the famous Commander’s Palace in New Orleans in 1982.Lagasse shares two daughters Jessica and Jillian with his first wife, Elizabeth Kief. He later welcomed two more children, E.J. and Meril, with his third wifeAlden Lovelace, whom he married in 2000.Three of his four childrenhave followed in dad’s footsteps with E.J. working as the chef patron at Lagasse’s flagship restaurant, Emeril’s, and Jillian and Jessica writing two cookbooks together.

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Emeril Lagasse

Emeril Lagasse.Najlah Feanny/Corbis via Getty; Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for The Roku Channel

Najlah Feanny/Corbis via Getty; Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for The Roku Channel

Emeril Lagassewas one of the first ones to venture into celebrity chef territory, gaining enormous popularity through his showsThe Essence of EmerilandEmeril Liveand his use of “Bam!” while cooking. Since then he’s appeared on several other shows includingEmeril Green, Emeril’s Floridaand as a guest judge onTop Chef.More recently, he has appeared on two Roku original showsEmeril CooksandEmeril Tailgates —both premiering in 2022.

Over the years he has opened more than 20 restaurants around the United States, a culinary journey that began with him landing a job as the executive chef at the famous Commander’s Palace in New Orleans in 1982.

Lagasse shares two daughters Jessica and Jillian with his first wife, Elizabeth Kief. He later welcomed two more children, E.J. and Meril, with his third wifeAlden Lovelace, whom he married in 2000.Three of his four childrenhave followed in dad’s footsteps with E.J. working as the chef patron at Lagasse’s flagship restaurant, Emeril’s, and Jillian and Jessica writing two cookbooks together.

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Paula Deen

Paula Deen.Food Network; Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for Unbridled Eve

Food Network; Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for Unbridled Eve

Not long after, a federal judge in Georgia dismissed the lawsuitafter a settlement was reached.She lost a slew of partnerships in the wake of the initial news, though later appeared as a contestant onDancing with the Starsandreturned to the world of cooking television.

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Mario Batali

Mario Batali.Food Network; Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Fast Company

Food Network; Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Fast Company

Mario Batali’sMolto Mariofirst aired in 1997, perVariety, and continued on through the early 2000s. He was also a longtime co-host ofThe Chewon ABC before stepping away from the show in 2017 following accusations of sexual assault and harassment from multiple women.

Eaterreported in 2017 that he had groped four different women and engaged in inappropriate touching over the course of two decades.Another accuser later claimedon an episode of60 Minutesthat Batali drugged and assaulted her while she was unconscious in 2005.

While Batali denied the woman’s allegations in a statement, he apologized for being “deeply inappropriate” in the past.

In 2019, NYPD officialsclosed three sexual assault investigations involving Batali, as “the charges in two of the case were beyond the New York State statute of limitations, which was lifted in 2006, but not made retroactive,” the department toldThe New York Times. The third, the outlet explained, was dropped because of a lack of criminal evidence.

And in 2022, Batali was found not guilty in a Boston court for the assault trial surrounding claims from the accuser, Natali Tene, who said the chef was “grabbing me in a way that I was never touched before” while posing for a selfie.

After divesting from the Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group and selling his minority stake in Eataly in 2019, Batali has kept a low profile. In 2023, hebriefly launched an at-home cooking demo video series from his home in Northport, Michigan (saying he was done with the “a——-” in New York), but recently has mostly posed travel and food photos to his Instagram.

13of 15Duff GoldmanDuff Goldman.Food Network; Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Critics Choice AssociationDuff Goldmanstepped on to the scene as baking master in 2006 with the premiere of his showAce of Cakesout of his shop Charm City Cakes. The show aired for 10 seasons and has since appeared on shows likeHoliday Baking Championship, Spring Baking ChampionshipandKids Baking Championship.In 2022, Goldman showed off his talents outside of the kitchen when he competedas McTerrier onThe Masked Singer.Goldman married his wife, Johnna, in 2019 after meeting online in 2016. They welcomed their daughter,Josephine, in 2021.

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Duff Goldman

Duff Goldman.Food Network; Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Critics Choice Association

Food Network; Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Critics Choice Association

Duff Goldmanstepped on to the scene as baking master in 2006 with the premiere of his showAce of Cakesout of his shop Charm City Cakes. The show aired for 10 seasons and has since appeared on shows likeHoliday Baking Championship, Spring Baking ChampionshipandKids Baking Championship.

In 2022, Goldman showed off his talents outside of the kitchen when he competedas McTerrier onThe Masked Singer.

Goldman married his wife, Johnna, in 2019 after meeting online in 2016. They welcomed their daughter,Josephine, in 2021.

14of 15Buddy VelastroBuddy Valastro.Amy Sussman/WireImage; Unique Nicole/GettyBuddy Velastro’s iconicCake Bosstelevision series debuted on TLC in 2009 after he appeared onFood Network Challengein 2007. He has since launched several more shows includingNext Great Baker ,Food Network’sBake You Richand more recently,Legends of the ForkandBuddy Valastro’s Cake Dynastyon A&E.His family’sbakery, Carlo’s Bakery, has grown from its original shop in Hoboken — which is still in business — and now has locations in New York City, Las Vegas, San Antonio and in the Mall of America.In 2023, Velastro ventured outside of his comfort zone andmade his acting debut inYes, Chef.Velastro married his wife Lisa in 2001 and the twonow share four kids: Sofia, Buddy Jr., Marco and Carlo.

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Buddy Velastro

Buddy Valastro.Amy Sussman/WireImage; Unique Nicole/Getty

Amy Sussman/WireImage; Unique Nicole/Getty

Buddy Velastro’s iconicCake Bosstelevision series debuted on TLC in 2009 after he appeared onFood Network Challengein 2007. He has since launched several more shows includingNext Great Baker ,Food Network’sBake You Richand more recently,Legends of the ForkandBuddy Valastro’s Cake Dynastyon A&E.

His family’sbakery, Carlo’s Bakery, has grown from its original shop in Hoboken — which is still in business — and now has locations in New York City, Las Vegas, San Antonio and in the Mall of America.

In 2023, Velastro ventured outside of his comfort zone andmade his acting debut inYes, Chef.

Velastro married his wife Lisa in 2001 and the twonow share four kids: Sofia, Buddy Jr., Marco and Carlo.

15of 15Alex GuarnaschelliAlex Guarnaschelli.Kevin Lynch/Food Network; Michael Loccisano/GettyLike Velastro, Alex Guarnaschelli first landed on the Food Network on 2006 when she competed inFood Network Challenge. She has since appeared on dozens of episodes ofChopped,secured the title ofIron Chefin 2012 and recently hostedAlex vs. America.Guarnaschelli sharesone daughter, Ava, with her ex-husband Brandon Clark and in 2023 the mother-daughter duo released a cookbook together titledCook It Up.

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Alex Guarnaschelli

Alex Guarnaschelli.Kevin Lynch/Food Network; Michael Loccisano/Getty

Kevin Lynch/Food Network; Michael Loccisano/Getty

Like Velastro, Alex Guarnaschelli first landed on the Food Network on 2006 when she competed inFood Network Challenge. She has since appeared on dozens of episodes ofChopped,secured the title ofIron Chefin 2012 and recently hostedAlex vs. America.

Guarnaschelli sharesone daughter, Ava, with her ex-husband Brandon Clark and in 2023 the mother-daughter duo released a cookbook together titledCook It Up.

source: people.com