Bobby Flay Says Katie Lee Biegel Was His 'First Lunch' After Divorce and Reveals the Advice She Gave
- - Bobby Flay Says Katie Lee Biegel Was His 'First Lunch' After Divorce and Reveals the Advice She Gave
Erin ClementsFebruary 10, 2026 at 1:16 AM
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Bobby Flay and Katie Lee Biegel
Bobby on the Beat/YouTube
When Katie Lee Biegel visited Bobby Flay's podcast, the pair reminisced about their longtime friendship
Flay said Biegel gave him "soothing" advice after his third marriage ended in divorce
The 'Beat Bobby Flay' star praised Biegel for how she navigated her own relationship with ex-husband Billy Joel
Bobby Flay is remembering how Katie Lee Biegel helped him through a challenging time.
The two food personalities reminisced about their two-decade friendship during the latest episode of Flay’s podcast, Bobby on the Beat, released on Monday, Feb. 9.
“You know, I remember the last time I got divorced, which was probably, I don't know, 12 years ago or something like that, you were my first lunch,” Flay, 61, recalled.
The Beat Bobby Flay star, who’s currently dating fellow Food Network star Brooke Williamson, was married to Debra Ponzek from 1991 until 1993, Kate Connelly (with whom he shares daughter Sophie) from 1995 until 1998, and Stephanie March from 2005 until 2015.
“I remember we went to lunch at Marea in New York City and it was like, it was so soothing … I was kind of getting beaten up in the press and stuff like that. You're like, ‘Nobody cares. Like, it doesn't matter and just like, don't worry about that and just move on with your life.’ And it was great advice.”
Biegel, 44, said she knew the meal he was referring to and enjoyed the conversation.
“We had a really good time, didn't we? We used to go out for long, fancy lunches,” she recalled.
“I mean, you and I have a lot in common, obviously,” Flay observed. We love food. We live in New York. We like long, boozy lunches. And so, yeah, we have to do that more.”
Later in the episode, the Bobby's Triple Threat star reflected on the end of one of Biegel’s own relationships.
Bobby Flay and Stephanie March in 2013
Andrew H. Walker/Getty
The cookbook author, who’s been married to TV producer Ryan Biegel since 2018, was the third wife of Billy Joel. She and the music legend met in 2002 and married in 2004, ultimately divorcing in 2009.
Flay praised Katie for how she navigated the high profile romance and eventual split, calling her “an amazing role model for younger women.”
“You were in this position when you were young, you met this person who was like literally an icon in the world,” he said. “And that can be a very, very difficult thing to try to handle. And you had a really nice relationship.”
Billy Joel and Katie Lee in 2006
Chris Ford/Patrick McMullan via Getty
“I was there. I mean, I remember this,” he went on. “Obviously, it came to a close, but in a very nice way. You just kind of went on from there. Like you didn't kind of like cover up and get all depressed and go and hide and run.”
Flay said he thought of that resilience when he learned her long-running Food Network show The Kitchen was coming to an end last fall.
“I was like, ‘Katie's got this,’” he said. “I'm not worried about Katie at all. This is just a speed bump and she's gonna take the experience that she has and she's going to multiply the opportunities. I really believe that.”
Katie replied, “I'm gonna come here more often because you're so good for my self esteem.”
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
