Bobby Flay has been a mainstay on TV since his 1995 Food Network debut. And while fellow celeb chefs Giada De Laurentiis and Rachael Ray have announced the departures of their own as of late, Flay isn’t about to follow suit.
Earlier this week at the annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, the Beat Bobby Flay star opened up about his nearly 30-year career with the network and what’s next.
“That place has been my family for a long time,” Flay told PEOPLE. “I love having my Food Network family because it’s my shorthand of life. They’ve let me basically bring to life my culinary dreams on TV.”
So what exactly does that mean for his fate with the network?
“I’m here to stay,” he said, while remaining somewhat ambiguous about the long term future. “I mean for now, yeah, for sure.”
“I’ve been on television for close to 30 years,” Flay added. “I love what I do for a living. I love that I can inspire people to cook better at home and open their eyes to what’s available for them to cook and eat in their household.”
Back in 2021, rumors began circulating over Flay’s future at the Food Network after his three-year contract expired. And while the restaurant ultimately signed a multi-year deal to stay on, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. “There were a couple of moments of shakiness, but that’s business. It’s just business,” he said.
While Flay might be sticking around, both Giada De Laurentiis and Rachael Ray are taking their talents elsewhere. De Laurentiis announced her departure from the network after signing a multi-year deal with Amazon Studios, and Ray is launching several new food series on A&E.
“Giada De Laurentiis is culinary royalty, someone who has taught audiences how to properly pronounce every cut of imaginable pasta for nearly two decades,” a spokesperson for the company announced. “Food Network will always be proud of the beautiful content we have created together, and our table will always have an open seat for Giada.”
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