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It’s a well-known secret that reality shows usually aren’t all that real. However, some shows, like the Food Network cooking competition show Beat Bobby Flay, are almost entirely authentic, according to one former audience member. 

‘Beat Bobby Flay’ pits Bobby Flay against celebrity guests as they race against the clock to make a special dish

Beat Bobby Flay stars famous chef Bobby Flay as he competes against special celebrity guests to make a dish within a set amount of time. The first round sees two different chefs compete against each other. They must cook for just 20 minutes and using specific ingredients chosen by Flay. 

Once the winner of the first round is determined, they get the chance to battle it out with Flay, working on their dishes for 45 minutes. The catch? Flay lets his competitor choose the dish, which might give them a leg up against the chef. A blind taste test conducted by three judges determines the winner. 

Beat Bobby Flay has run for a whopping 32 seasons, with special guests that include pro skater Tony Hawk, model and foodie Chrissy Teigen, One Tree Hill star Sophia Bush, lifestyle expert Martha Stewart, and even Flay’s daughter Sophie

A former audience member says ‘Beat Bobby Flay’ is ‘real’ and ‘a lot of fun!’

Some might assume Beat Bobby Flay’s drama is manufactured. But one former audience member revealed the show’s content is all genuine. They told BuzzFeed they were a “paid audience member” on the show, and that it was “a lot of fun!”

“Everything is real,” they stated, adding, “They just refilm the time calls and some audience reactions.” Fans of the cooking competition will undoubtedly be relieved to learn Flay wins or loses each contest fair and square. 

The reality of Beat Bobby Flay makes sense, especially when you look at Flay’s record of wins and losses. Flay loses about a third of the cooking competitions. 

Bobby Flay’s restaurants, shows, and cookbooks have earned him a big net worth

Beat Bobby Flay is far from the only cooking venture Flay is a part of. Flay has worked in the restaurant industry for almost his entire life. He dropped out of high school to work in restaurants and eventually earned a culinary arts degree at the French Culinary Institute. 

Bobby Flay, of Beat Bobby Flay on Food Network, speaks onstage during the Warner Bros. Discovery Upfront 2022 show
The star of Beat Bobby Flay | Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Warner Bros. Discovery
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Flay has since opened restaurants in New York, Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. In addition to these businesses, Flay also made a name for himself on TV, hosting multiple cooking shows and specials. 

His shows, which aired on the Food Network and Cooking Channel, include Hot Off the Grill with Bobby Flay, Food Nation, Bobby Flay’s Barbecue Addiction, The Main Ingredient with Bobby Flay, and Worst Cooks in America

Flay has also written several cookbooks, most of which are centered around grilling. The celebrity chef’s writing credits include “From My Kitchen to Your Table,” “Boy Meets Grill,” “Grilling For Life,” and “Bobby at Home: Fearless Flavors from My Kitchen.”

With so many successful restaurants, cookbooks, and cooking shows, it’s no surprise Flay boasts a net worth of $60 million, reports Celebrity Net Worth