Age: 37 Home Town: Rome, Italy Biography: Giada Pamela De Laurentiis (born August 22, 1970) is an Italian American chef, writer, television personality, and the current host of the Food Network programs Everyday Italian, Behind the Bash, Giada's Weekend Getaways, and Giada in Paradise. She also appears regularly as a contributor and guest co-host on NBC's Today. De Laurentiis is the founder of a catering business called GDL Foods.
De Laurentiis, a self-proclaimed chocoholic, studied at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, France with aspirations of becoming a pastry chef. After returning to the United States, she became a professional chef working in several Los Angeles restaurants, notably the Wolfgang Puck-owned Spago. She later worked as a food stylist, and was contacted by Food Network after styling a piece in Food & Wine Magazine in 2001.
Her cooking program, Everyday Italian, has been broadcast on Food Network since 2003. On her Chefography (a Food Network biography program), she admitted that she never wanted to be in her "family business" of show business. She felt very uncomfortable in front of the camera when she first began hosting Everyday Italian, but has since become more relaxed and open on air. She now enjoys being in the spotlight and has become one of Food Network's most popular television personalities. When the program first aired, Food Network received emails accusing the network of hiring a model or actress pretending to cook instead of a real chef.
De Laurentiis began hosting Behind the Bash in October 2006. The program examines the catering process behind big event extravaganzas such as the Grammy Awards. On a November 2006 episode of Iron Chef America, she and Bobby Flay faced off against, and were defeated by, Rachael Ray and Mario Batali. In January 2007, a third De Laurentiis-hosted show, the travel documentary Giada's Weekend Getaways, debuted on Food Network. On this show Giada travels to a featured locale (such as Seattle, South Beach, San Francisco, Napa and Jackson Hole, Wyoming) and visits her favorite local culinary destinations.
In 2007, De Laurentiis appeared as a presenter on the inaugural Food Network Awards. In June 2007, she hosted a two-part Food Network special entitled Giada in Paradise, featuring the two locales of Santorini, Greece and Capri, Italy. De Laurentiis also made several appearances as a guest judge on the third season of The Next Food Network Star, which aired in summer 2007.
De Laurentiis is a spokesperson for the pasta manufacturer Barilla.
De Laurentiis appears regularly on Today as a food contributor or guest co-host.
