Food Network Stars: Then & Now

Sandra Lee didn’t have what we’d call your picture-perfect childhood. She was the daughter of an abusive mother and a criminal father. Throughout her youth, Lee was sent to live with different family members while her mother battled a prescription drug addiction. At age 27, she dropped out of university and utilized her gift for business and home decoration to create her big-time label, Kurtain Kraft, which grossed $6 million within the first nine months. Following other successful gigs, Lee was hired by The Food Network to host Semi-Homemade Cooking, which premiered in 2003.

A lot has happened since Sandra made her first debut on The Food Network. Following her first show, Semi-Homemade Cooking, she was invited to host another series, Sandra’s Money Saving Meals, which aired in May of 2009. She’s written a whopping 25 books and in 2005, she won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lifestyle/Culinary Host for Semi-Homemade Cooking. In 2012, Lee launched a new monthly lifestyle magazine in partnership with TV Guide and she’s currently starring in two new shows, Sandra’s Restaraunt Remakes and Sandra Lee’s Taverns, Lounges & Clubs. 

The Food Network has brought forth some of the most acclaimed names in the culinary business who provide some addictive cooking shows. Known for her love of things made quick and easy, Rachael Ray is the famed chef that taught herself how to cook. Her TV career took off with her show, 30 Minute Meals in 2001, which lasted a whole 27 seasons. She has also hosted other popular food programs such as Rachael Ray’s Tasty Travels and $40 a Day. 

Now living in a $1 million mansion in the woods next to Lake George, Rachael Ray is contemplating her next career step. After publishing 22 cookbooks, hosting thousands of episodes of cooking shows, and creating for herself a net worth of $75 million, Rachael is just about 50 years old and struggling to keep herself relevant to the millennial generation. Although her last cookbook was published almost four years ago, Rachael hasn’t yet lost culinary hope. She’s now pitching ideas for digitally streamed shows that have more to do with food, travel, and music than cooking.

Tyler Florence began his culinary journey at 15 years old, waiting on tables in a restaurant in Greenville, South Carolina. Surrounded by everything food, he was inspired by the chef lifestyle and decided to make it a career. He packed his bags for New York and worked at several restaurants until he opened up his own place, Cafeteria. The restaurant was a success and earned him recognition, especially by The Food Network, who later invited him to host the show Food 911. From here to there, he ended up hosting several other shows and in 2003 was named sexiest male chef alive.

At 47 years old, Tyler Florence has quite an impressive resume. He is the bestselling author of eight books including a children’s book called Tyler Makes Pancakes and has hosted various Food Network shows such as Food 911, How To Boil Water, The Great Food Truck Race, and Tyler’s Ultimate. He is the co-founder of an organic baby food line and owns a number of restaurants and kitchen supply stores in California. He currently lives in Mill Valley, California, with his wife and three kids. His net worth is said to be a staggering $15 million.

Amy Finley was initially famed for winning the third season of The Next Food Network Star, for which she was awarded the honor of hosting The Gourmet Next Door. The show premiered in 2007 and focused on gourmet recipes families could easily recreate at home. The show was, however, nixed after six episodes due to a serious family crisis. Following, Amy relocated with her family from San Diego to a rural farm in Burgandy, France, where she wrote a memoir entitled, How To Eat In A Small Country.

Amy and her family eventually returned from France back to their hometown, San Diego, and in 2012, she appeared on an episode of  The Food Network’s show Chopped. Unfortunately, she was eliminated after only the second round, however, she is still on a culinary role. Amy has written for magazines such as Bon Appetit and San Diego Magazine and made appearances on The View and Splendid Table. Her culinary inspirations root from her French grandmothers and her idol, Julia Child. Finley now holds a net worth of roughly $1 million.

Aaron McCargo is best recognized as the winner of The Next Food Network Star‘s fourth season. Following his victory, he was given the ultimate gift of his own show, Big Daddy’s House, which premiered in 2008. When the show ended in 2011, fans were disappointed, but Aaron didn’t pack his culinary bags just yet. He continued his journey by appearing in shows for other networks such as Spike TV‘s Bar Rescue. His culinary preference is for savory meats with bold and spicy flavors. He refers to his creations as tasty blends of “soul food” touched with dashes of cultural inspirations.

Since his hit show, Big Daddy’s Kitchen, closed its curtains, Aaron has made many public appearances and regularly gives motivational speeches to the youth at community schools and events, expressing that they too can succeed, even with the worst of odds. He recently served as the Executive Chef of Catering at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia and continues to make guest appearances on Spike TV’s Bar Rescue. McCargo is married with three children and lives with them in New Jersey.

This Kentucky-born Belle is known as the queen of Southern cuisine and that’s the reason she won the ninth season of The Next Food Network Star in 2013. As compensation for her triumph, Food Network gave her the honor of hosting her own cooking show, Southern At Heart, which aired from 2013-2016. Damaris’ career initially took off after she earned a degree in culinary arts. She claims to have pursued the field because she didn’t know what to do with her life. It turned out to be a good decision!

Although only five years have passed since her big victory, Damaris is still conquering the world of cuisine. In October 2017, she co-hosted Southern and Hungry on the Cooking Channel and she currently co-hosts The Bobby and Damaris Show on Food Network. Phillips is fairly active on social media and has collected over 66,000 followers on Instagram and Facebook. Although she refuses to reveal her salary, she is believed to have an estimated net worth of $4 million.

While she only made it to the final four on The Next Food Network Star, Kelsey’s sweet and endearing personality is what made her so memorable and loved by viewers. In light of this, she received her own show on the Food Network channel,  Kelsey’s Essentials. Before becoming an internationally adored TV personality, Kelsey attended college, and there she created and hosted her own cooking Youtube channel, Kelsey’s Kitchen, which focused on fast, fun, and affordable recipes for college students.

Airing from 2010-2016, Kelsey’s Essentials was the signature show that won her a Daytime Emmy nomination. Kelsey makes regular appearances on the Today Show as well as on Rachael Ray. Aside from being in show-biz, she owns a product line with HSN, which features a rotating cast of innovative kitchen tools and miniature appliances that help optimize cooking. She is the proud author of Kitchen Confidence and lives with her two children and her partner, Roby, in Portland, OR.

While Gertler didn’t take home The Food Network Star 4th season title, it didn’t take long before he scored his own gig in 2009. Titled, Will Work for Food, Adam’s show allows viewers to watch hilarious episodes that feature behind the scenes screenings of random food gigs Gertler takes. In the show, we witnessed him learning cool and crazy things such as ice sculpting, competitive eating, and truffle foraging. From 2010-2011 he hosted Kid In A Candy Store, which is also a behind-the-scenes show, where the hilarious chef hunts the country for cool sweets and desserts.

Over the years, Adam has channeled his passion for food and acting into volunteer work, teaching theater to elementary school students, and catering for non-profit organizations like the Philadelphia Red Cross. He is now the “Wurstmacher” (sausage maker) for the famous Dog Haus restaurant concept and has hosted Man Vs. Child and Fx Movie Download. When he’s not chilling in the kitchen or on working stage, Gertler enjoys playing the harmonica, singing karaoke, and reading comic books.

Jeffrey Saad first hit the screens when he was named runner-up of the 5th season of The Next Food Network Star. His passion for the culinary business, however, began at the ripe age of 13 when he started working at a diner behind his junior high school. Upon graduation, he enrolled in the Hotel Restaurant Management Program at Iowa State and, a few years down the line, he flew to Mexico to explore and learn the local cuisine, which eventually led him to open Sweet Heat, a Mexican-style restaurant.

After his appearance on The Next Food Network Star, Saad was given the opportunity to host his own web series called Spice Smuggler, which ran for a year. Later, the Cooking Channel invited him to host United Tastes Of America. Aside from being the executive chef of The Grove restaurants in San Fransisco, Saad also has written cookbooks and even started his own line of spices. Nowadays, he’s mostly busy with real-estate and when he’s not in the kitchen or showing houses, he’s either surfing, traveling, or spending time with his wife and two children.

Tom’s curiosity for food started at an early age when his mother worked long hours and he would prepare dinner for his siblings. With a “big chef personality” and 15 long years of experience in the food industry, Tom Pizzica undoubtedly gives outrageous a new meaning. The talented chef officially began his show-biz journey by participating in the sixth season of The Next Food Network Star. Not long after the end of the season, Tom’s dreams came true and he was given his own show. Titled Outrageous Foods, Tom explores the country to uncover amazing, jaw-dropping foods.

Although Tom’s show, Outrageous Foods lasted only two seasons, he still went on to bigger and better things. Tom started a burger concept that serves 100 percent pork belly patties, called Big Chef Tom’s Belly Burgers. His business started out as a pop-up (a temporary restaurant) and eventually became a brick-and-mortar location in the lovely city of San Fransisco. Now, people from all over the country are making their way to the city to taste Tom’s mouth-watering patties.

This spunky chef may not have beaten Cat Cora in the Farmers’ Market Battle on Iron Chef America in 2007, but she has most definitely made her way around reality TV since.  Following Iron Chef America, she went on to host The Cooking Loft With Alex Guarnaschelli, where she teaches a small group of students how to recreate and spice up classic dishes. In 2011, she competed in The Next Iron Chef and was third runner-up. Since then, she has become a judge on the Food Network Challenge and has made frequent appearances on Best Thing I Ever Ate.  

Alex’s journey has been long and rewarding considering that she now has an estimated net worth of $2 million. In 2013 she published her first cookbook, Old-School Comfort Food: The Way I Learned To Cook in 2013, which blends autobiographical details with her favorite recipes. Alex starred in her own show, Alex’s Day Off, on from 2009-2011 and is now the executive chef at NYC’s Butter restaurant and owner of the Darby, an NYC supper club. In addition to restaurant work, Alex also spent a few years instructing budding professional chefs at the NYC Institute of Culinary Education.

In 2007 Michael Symon won his first battle on Iron Chef and, since then, he’s become a true Food Network sensation. The Greek/Sicilian chef cooks with soul, focusing on boldly flavored and deeply satisfying dishes. Long before getting into reality TV, Symon owned several restaurants in various cities within the US. In 2008 he participated in a temporary gig as the host of Dinner: Impossible for ten episodes and in 2009, he promoted The Food Network’s video game Cook Or Be Cooked and was the rotating host of the hit show Melting Pot.

Since Iron Chef, culinary genius Symon has ventured after his hunger for new food experiences and he’s unstoppable. His passion for food has become a rewarding career, as Symon currently runs several restaurants around the US. Although Michael is a die-hard meat lover (he even wrote a cookbook for fellow carnivores), he still opts for two vegetarian meals a week, mainly because of his vegan wife. Despite his super developed food pallet, Michael still stays true to his Greek roots by keeping his food creations as authentic as possible.

With spiky bleach-blond hair and a dominant personality, there’s no missing the amazing Anne Burrell. In 2005 the bold chef received the opportunity of a lifetime when she was asked by Mario Batali to be one of his sous chefs on the Iron Chef America series. Since her debut on the show, she has gone on to host Secrets of a Restaurant and has also co-hosted the shows Worst Cooks in America and The Best Thing I Ever Ate.  

If you google Anne Burrell, you’ll find she’s come a long way since her appearance on Iron Chef America 2005. By 2011, she published her first cookbook, Cook Like a Rockstar, which encourages cooks to be rock stars in their own kitchen. Anne eventually earned a place on The New York Times Best Seller List and in 2017, she opened a restaurant with her partner and friend, Phil Casceli,  called Phil & Anne’s Good Time Lounge. Unfortunately, the business closed down shortly after opening due to non-resolvable conflicts between the two.

We got our first glimpse of Sunny Anderson when she made her TV appearance on the Food Network’s Emeril Live in 2005. What you may not have known is that she was a radio personality for several channels before hitting our screens. Following, we saw her star in other Food Network shows such as Cooking for Real and Gotta Get It. She extended her cooking horizons in 2006-2007 when she served as editor for Food and Lifestyle’s Hip Hop Weekly magazine. 

Although she’s aged a bit and switched up her hair-do, Sunny is still the same sweet food-maker we adored in 2005. The bright chef (pun intended), has accomplished appearing on Good Morning America, The Early Show, and other big TV talk shows of the kind. She’s recently shared with her fans some not-so-great news about an ulcerative colitis condition which she kept secret for 20 years. Although her food limitations can be frustrating, Sunny is optimistic, constantly scouting for new, interesting food substitutes and recipes.

Marc Summers, without a doubt, is one of the most memorable personalities from any millennial’s childhood. Although he held various TV production jobs prior, Marc’s career really got started in 1986 when Nickelodeon hired him to be the host of the famous Double Dare. The show’s success led Summers to host Couch Potatoes and What Would You Do? In 2001, he was offered to host Food Network’s Unwrapped, a program that reveals the real origins of sponsored foods. The show takes viewers on a wild tour of different factories and other food-related locations around the world.

After 30 years of trademarking himself, Marc managed to deeply impact the lives of that generation, earning a devoted audience that followed him from one show to the next. Unfortunately, things weren’t always bright for Summer, as over the years he was diagnosed with OCD and cancer, for which he underwent chemotherapy for two painful years. If that’s not bad enough, in 2012 he broke every bone in his face following a nasty car crash. Aside from the physical pain, Summers experienced significant memory loss, which took him almost a year to recover from.

Born in El Paso, Texas, Aaron Sanchez knew that food was his passion early on in life. As a teenager, the young chef helped his mother cook Mexican cuisine for her catering business. He first appeared on TV when he participated in Iron Chef America and from there continued to The Next Iron Chef. He later co-hosted Heat Seekers with Roger Mooking and has been a frequent guest judge on Food Network’s famous cooking competition series, Chopped.

Following Iron Chef,  Aaron Sanchez was on a roll – and we’re not talking about bread. Up until now, he has participated in many TV series including Melting Pot, Boy Meets Grill, and Throwdown! Aside from publishing his own cookbook titled, Comida del Barrio: Latin American Cooking in the U.S.A., Sanchez is also part-owner of a Mexican restaurant, Mestizo, in Kansas. Rumor has it, the Mexican chef is single, despite his good looks and net worth of $4 million.

If you ever hear the phrases “Bam!” or “Kick it up a notch!,” then you’ve simply got Emeril Lagasse to thank for that. The man from Massachusetts has been in and out of The Food Network for the good part of 25 years. His first show, Essence of Emeril, was a huge hit and literally alludes to the “Essence,” a spice concoction that Emeril made himself and is actually available. And let’s face it, Lagasse has been pretty busy ever since…

With tons of merchandise, restaurants, cookbooks, and TV shows still coming out every year, it should come as no surprise that Emeril Lagasse is raking in an estimated US$150 million every year. In the last decade, since the dawn of reality TV, Emeril Lagasse has switched his focus from personalized cook shows to cooking competitions. In 2009, he became a judge on Bravo’s Top Chef and has also competed in other shows such as Iron Chef America.

Usually, it is a piece of literature that inspires other forms of media such as film and TV. This is exactly what made Ina Garten famous in the first place. After releasing The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook in 1999, it would only take a couple of years before The Food Network picked her up and turned her cookbook into a show (also called Barefoot Contessa). This begs the question: what is Ina Garten doing now with her life?

Amazingly, Barefoot Contessa has been going since it first aired in 2002, making it one of the longest running shows in The Food Network’s history. Not only does Garten make a living from her TV endeavors, but she also has a number of magazine columns. These include “Entertaining” in O, The Oprah Magazine and “Ask the Barefoot Contessa” in House Beautiful. Garten’s personal life has also remained completely stable, having been married to the same man for the last 50 years.

If there is one world-famous chef who started off at an extremely young age, then it’s Jamie Oliver. In his early 20s, the young British man would take the world by storm with his TV persona – The Naked Chef. Many have credited Oliver for revolutionizing the world of cooking, inspiring many other young men to cook due to his laidback approach. It was only a matter of time before Jamie Oliver became a household name and began hosting many other shows…

Since The Naked Chef catapulted him into superstardom, Jamie Oliver’s reputation has only got bigger and bigger with time. An advocate for cooking seemingly “naughty” dishes that are actually very healthy, Oliver has added many more shows to his resume over the years. These include the likes of Jamie’s School Dinners, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, Jamie and Jimmy’s Friday Night Feast, and Jamie’s Super Food. The list goes on and on…and on. His most recent show provides recipes with just five ingredients each.

Truth be told – this particular photo was taken a long time before Paula Deen became one of the most iconic promoters of Southern Hospitality on The Food Network. It’s safe to say that the woman from Albany, Georgia was something of a late bloomer when it came to TV presenting. Her first big break on TV came back in 2002 when Paula’s Home Cooking first took off. For Paula, it has always been about giving clear insights into her home cooking and giving viewers a taste of the South.

To be fair, Paula’s message hasn’t changed too much over the years. Ever since Paula’s Home Cooking first put her on the map, the charming lady has added many more shows to her resume, such as Paula’s Party and Paula’s Best Dishes. Most recently, shows such as Positively Paula and Paula Deen’s Sweet Home Savannah have kept her in the public eye more now than ever. Of course, her sons Jamie and Bobby Deen are also famous TV personalities in their own right.

To say that Bobby Flay blew up early is the understatement of the century. By the time he was 25, Flay was already a well-respected chef in New York and had already become a partner at Miracle Grill. Some of the early shows that Flay hosted included Hot Off the Grill with Bobby Flay, Grillin & Chillin, Food Nation and 3 Days to Open with Bobby Flay. None of these particular shows are airing anymore. However, those shows would soon be replaced by many others…

Of course, many casual fans know Bobby Flay for his achievements on Iron Chef America. However, this is only scratching the surface of the New York-based chef’s TV credentials. In the last 15 years alone, Flay has added numerous other shows to his name including Boy Meets Grill, BBQ with Bobby Flay, and The Best Thing I Ever Ate. Most recently, Flay has hosted Beat Bobby Flay, which puts him up against up-and-coming chefs who believe they have what it takes to beat him in a cooking contest.

Born in LA to an Italian family, Giada De Laurentiis decided to follow in her family’s footsteps by attending a cooking school in Paris. After graduating, she returned home and worked for two restaurants in LA. After gaining experience, Giada finally opened up her own catering company, landing famous clients and developing significant culinary connections. A friend at Food & Wine asked her to write about her family’s Sunday meal traditions and the article was such a big hit that she was invited by the Food Network to host her own show, Everyday Italian. 

Famous for her current hit show, Giada At Home, the Italian-born chef is the woman who went from cook to major TV host, author, restauranteur, and mother. Giada appears frequently on NBC’s Today and famous talk shows such as The Ellen DeGeneres Show. She has three thriving restaurants and has published a cookbook every 18 months for the past 10 years. When she’s not working, she’s spending quality time with her 10-year-old daughter, Jade, in their LA home. Between a net worth of $15 million and an incredible boyfriend, Shane Farley, Giada is quite content these days.  

There’s no chef quite like Duff Goldman, as he started cooking before learning to write. Duff got his first food job at 16, working for a bagel shop, where he was almost fired for making the sandwiches too big! Duff was hungry to implement his own wacky spin on food and that’s when he decided to open his own unique bakery, Charm City Cakes. The place was such a success, it later became a household name on the Food Network series Ace of Cakes.

From here to there, Duff Goldman made his way to become a judge on the Food Network’s Holiday Baking Championship and Spring Baking Championship. Aside from that, he also hosts and judges together with Valerie Bertinelli on The Kids Baking Championship. Putting the screen-shtick aside, Duff has published cookbooks Ace of Cakes and Duff Bakes and currently stars in several new Food Network shows including Cake Maters and The Baking Championship Series. Duff’s hard work earned him a personal line of cake mixes, ice cream, bakeware, and ultimately, major culinary respect.

Born of Italian roots, Buddy Valastro started off working at his family’s bakery, Carlo’s Bakery, when he was 11, and there, he discovered his passion for everything dough. In later years, Buddy collaborated with his father to jointly run the family bakery and, following his father’s death, the bakery became the big boss. Buddy eventually became famous for his spectacular wedding cakes and was summoned to participate in the Food Network Challenge in 2007. He later pursued his own show, Cake Boss, which was a big hit and ultimately earned him great fame.

Following the popularity of the show, Buddy established Carlo’s Bakery in various locations, mostly in New Jersey. In 2010, he embarked on the live interactive show Baking With the Boss Tour, where he created stunning cakes and shared stories about his Italian family. In 2014, he launched Buddy V’s Events, an event planning and catering business that focuses on catering family gatherings, galas, and weddings. Two years down the road, the American-Italian chef was in such high demand that he was invited to collaborate with Whole Earth Sweetener Company for a cool campaign.

Indian chef and food sensation, Aarti Sequeira, is the mother of unexpected flavors and the 6th season winner of The Next Food Network Star. Born in Bombay and raised in Dubai, Aartis’s lifelong devotion to food began when she was very young. However, it only became a career choice later on. After high school, the chef moved to Chicago, where she received her BA in journalism. Involved deeply with media and entertainment, Aarti became a CNN producer but eventually felt like something was missing. When she turned to the kitchen, she understood why.

Following her heart seemed to work out pretty well for Aarti, as she is now a very aspired culinary artist. Since her victory on The Next Food Network Star, the Indian chef created her own own blog and online cooking-variety show which is still viewed by many. On the show, Aarti impresses her viewers, creating delicious spins on all-American classics by using new and unexpected flavors. She has authored cookbooks and is now a mother to two daughters and a frequent judge on Guy’s Grocery Games.

Cat Cora’s culinary inspirations began early on and, by age 15, she had already developed a business plan for her own restaurant. In 2005, she auditioned for Iron Chef America and won, ultimately becoming the first female Iron Chef ever. Raised in a small Greek community by a family who lives and breathes everything food, Cat’s life always revolved around the kitchen table. Before becoming a chef, the talented chef attained a BA in the sciences, but eventually changed directions when she enrolled in The Cookery Institute of America.

Cat has been all over the place since her Iron Chef victory, appearing and hosting countless cooking shows such as Modify Your Life, Accomplished, Melting Pot, and My Country My Kitchen. Over the years, Cat has opened over 18 restaurants across the US and globally. In addition, she’s also published several cookbooks and is the current executive chef for Bon Appetite magazine. She belongs to Macy’s Culinary Counsels and has worked as an entertainer for a travel company. She was the first female inducted into the American Academy of Chefs Culinary Hall of Fame.