Bobby Flay Explains Why He Announced ‘Iron Chef’ Departure During Filming Process
William Shakespeare had the perfect quote regarding exits: "Parting is such sweet sorrow." However, what happens when the farewell is bold and bitter?
Bobby Flay Exits 'Iron Chef'
On Saturday, Feb. 24, celebrity chef Bobby Flay revealed the reason why he burned his latest bridge with the Iron Chef franchise. Flay was sitting down for a conversation with fellow television personality Michael Symon at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival in Miami, Florida when they talked about the Throwdown With Bobby Flay's star decision to leave Kitchen Stadium.
"I've done over 100 Iron Chef competitions, and frankly they are exhausting. They are exhausting physically, but even more so, they are exhausting emotionally," Flay told Symon in a conversation transcribed by Entertainment Weekly.
Flay told the audience that when he is filming Iron Chef, he faces off between anywhere between six and eight chefs a week. Chef Flay said that the culinary battles between him and the challenger last 60 minutes and after countless battles, the chef decided to make a bold move.
The 'I Quit' Moment
Around 20 minutes before the Iron Chef battle was over, Flay removed his chef jacket to reveal a provocative t-shirt. On the shirt was a compelling message that sent shockwaves among the culinary community and the Food Network family.
"This is my last Iron Chef battle ever," reads the message.
Flay revealed that he thought wanted to share his objective but he stated that the audience might not see the message.
"The network was not thrilled. I thought that it would be good TV. They didn't think of it that way, and that's obviously their prerogative," said Flay to E! News.
Despite the network blacking out his bold message, Flay believes that it is time for the next generation of chefs to take over the culinary showdown show. He also added that Iron Chef is the perfect place to for younger cooks to master their craft and inspire audiences to cook.
Celebrity Chefs Update
Flay is not the only celebrity chef that caused controversy during their departures. ABC Broadcasting Company terminated Mario Batali from The Chew on Dec. 14, 2017. Batali was terminated from the ABC culinary talk show following an investigation that surrounded sexual misconduct allegations.
One day before ABC revealed Batali's fate, reports broke out that Batali and Spotted Pig co-owner Ken Friedman had an alleged rape room inside the New York restaurant that was used to allegedly groping women.
However, Batali was not the only employee that ABC ex-communicated from its organization. ABC also terminated The Great American Baking Show judge Johnny Iuzzini after sexual misconduct allegations surrounded the culinary personality. Four former employees accused Iuzzini of sexual harassment between 2009 and 2011.
