It’s Bobby Flay‘s birthday! The popular Food Network star turns 61 on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, and to mark the occasion, we’re taking a look at his past year, while also sprinkling in some photos from the start of his celebrity status … decades ago.
For instance, check out Flay wearing a dark blue suit at the Grand Tasting: After Dark which he co-hosted during the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival in New York City on October 18.
Getty
Getty
Bobby Flay and his girlfriend, Brooke Williamson, made a red carpet (or rather, blue carpet) appearance at The FanDuel Party at the Kentucky Derby in Louisville, Kentucky, on May 2.
GettyOn February 14, Flay popped up at the SNL50: The Homecoming Concert event at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Wearing a black, long-sleeved shirt, he paired that with a pair of simple gray pants.
GettyBobby’s Interest in Cooking Started as a Child
Flay’s love of preparing food started early in life. That’s why, in October 2024, Today noted, “You infamously received an Easy-Bake Oven as a child.” They then asked, “What is your earliest memory of cooking?”
“I think I was like 5 or 6,” he answered. “I was watching the commercials during cartoons and after school specials and stuff like that. And I could not believe that you could actually bake a cake from a light bulb. I needed to see it for myself. I asked for an Easy-Bake Oven and my parents got it for me.”
“[It was] pure intrigue,” he added. “I don’t know when I started watching, but I started watching some cooking shows, like Julia Child and ‘The Galloping Gourmet.'”
He continued, “I was interested in them. I still don’t know why, but I was. And there was something definitely there…”
Bobby Has Advice for Those Following in His Footsteps
GettyFlay has established himself as one of the most famous celebrity chefs in the business. That’s why Today asked the culinary star, “What would you tell someone who’s thinking about a career in the restaurant industry?”
“Well, it depends how old they are and where they are in their life,” he noted. “Let’s just say somebody who’s in high school, because that’s when I started. Take summer jobs. Don’t drop out of high school, like I did. Stay in school, but take summer jobs in restaurants that you think are good, that you like, in your community, and see if you like the business of the restaurant business.”
“It’s a very, very specific kind of business,” he explained. “I think it’s a great place to learn how to work alongside other people. It gives you discipline. It allows you to be creative. It allows you to make people really happy who you’re serving or cooking for. But I think having practical experience in a restaurant is really important for you to make your next decision because it’s not for everybody. But if it is, it’s a good thing to know.”
