Bobby Flay fake-quit ‘Iron Chef,’ says it was ‘not the best decision’

Star chef Bobby Flay has appeared on Food Network’s Iron Chef on and off now for 17 years. During filming this past summer for an episode of the upcoming Iron Chef Showdown, the 52-year-old reportedly wore a shirt that read “THIS IS MY LAST IRON CHEF BATTLE EVER,” which made the studio audience believe he was walking away from the franchise.

The idea isn’t completely far-fetched. Flay didn’t show up to the “Rooftop Iron Chef Showdown” at New York City’s annual Wine and Food Festival even though, according to Vanity Fair, he was spotted the next day leaving a nearby restaurant with Scarlett Johansson.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZmXrsklMlB/?hl=en&taken-by=bobbyflayHowever, Flay is telling People magazine that the T-shirt stunt was a prank.

His full statement reads: “This past summer when I was in production on Iron Chef Showdown, I wore a T-shirt to have a little fun during my last battle this season. In hindsight, it was probably not the best decision because it’s just creating confusion. 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.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BU_7Kt1hOFw/?hl=en&taken-by=bobbyflayVanity Fair says the network will blur Flay’s shirt-borne message, as producers were unable to simply cut the scene (the show is, after all, a live cooking competition). This is something Flay was fully aware of. When producers informed him they’d be unable to edit him out, he responded, “I know. That’s the point.”

Furthermore, People reports on the uncertainty around whether or not Iron Chef will air its season premiere episode on November 8, as scheduled. The episode features John Besh, who recently stepped down from his own company following sexual assault allegations, as a guest judge.

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