Bobby Flay Once Threatened To Quit Food Network During A Live Taping

Robert William Flay, best known as Bobby Flay is a celebrity chef and restauranteur, known for his many shows on the Food Network, especially "Beat Bobby Flay" which featured Flay competing against renowned chefs and trying to win a tasting competition by recreating their signature dishes.

However, Flay's 27-year history with the Food Network has now come to an end. Flay, 56, parted ways with the network when they refused to give him the $100 million salary he was requesting.

This now makes "Guy's Grocery Games" host Guy Fieri the highest-paid culinary star on cable television with a salary of $80 million.

Although Flay has become known for his dramatic flair, a source close to the deal insisted that there was very little drama behind the scenes and the split was amicable.

"It became clear the two could not and would not be able to come to terms and so the network decided to move forward without him," the source revealed. "Regardless, it was really much more amicable than you'd think. It was strictly business."

Although the split may have come as a shock to some fans, Flay had been hinting at his departure for quite some time: including the time he quit the show during a live broadcast.

When discussing his role on "Iron Chef" in 2018, Flay took the time to comment on his exhausting schedule, explaining, "When I do a season, I do between 6 and 8 (battles] in a week and it crushes me because it's 60 minutes of pure energy, creativity, and execution."

That interview took place one year after a 2017 live taping of "Iron Chef America." At the end of the competition, Flay ripped off his chef coat and revealed a shirt that said "This is my last Iron Chef battle ever."

Producers were flabbergasted by the stunt, which took both the cast and crew by surprise. After the cameras stopped rolling, network executives warned that they might be unable to prevent his stunt from being aired due to the live taping.

"I know," Flay replied. "That's the point."

It was not clear what Flay sought to gain from the stunt. However, he seemed to express regret for his "joke" in a later interview, claiming, "In hindsight, it was probably not the best decision because it's just creating confusion."

In a later interview, he explained that the network executives were less than pleased as they tried to downplay the controversy and assure confused fans that the show would go on.

"The network was not thrilled," he later confessed. "I thought it would be good TV. They didn't

think of it that way, and that's obviously their prerogative."

He later put out a statement, saying, "Food Network has been part of my family for over 20 years and will absolutely continue to be. And though there is a talented bench of Iron Chefs to tap, if I were asked, I'd be excited to return to Kitchen Stadium, whenever my schedule allows."

It remains unclear what Flay plans to do now that his decades-long Food Network run has come to an end.

The busy chef has put out several cookbooks over the years, such as 2019’s “Bobby at Home: Fearless Flavors from My Kitchen: A Cookbook” and the recent 2021’s “Beat Bobby Flay: Conquer the Kitchen with 100+ Battle-Tested Recipes: A Cookbook.”

Flay has also faced a tumultuous divorce from actress Stephanie March, who ended their 10-year marriage due to allegations of Flay's infidelity. Although she sued to have herself removed from clips of his Food Network shows so he could not profit off her image, the case was thrown out.

"These videos at issue are the flank steak crostini, flank steak guacamole, and the grilled sweet potatoes?" judge Matthew Cooper joked. "Sounds like the kind of case that should be in small claims court."