NEWSGiada De Laurentiis Reveals Her Early Days on Food Network: 'I Was Scared Out of My Mind'
Giada De Laurentiis revealed she was ‘scared out of her mind’ during her first season on Food Network.
July 20 2025, Published 12:38 p.m. ET
Giada De Laurentiis is opening up about her journey to becoming a household name in the culinary world. The chef shared her story on Instagram, revealing how a chance encounter led her to the Food Network nearly 24 years ago.
"I get this question a lot, about how I got on Food Network," De Laurentiis said in a video posted on Tuesday, July 15.
At the time, De Laurentiis worked as a private chef and had made her mark at Beverly Hills' iconic restaurant, Spago. She assisted food stylists when she was invited to contribute to a special issue of Food & Wine magazine.
‘Everyday Italian’ premiered in 2003 and ran for 12 seasons before Giada De Laurentiis left Food Network.
She gathered her family at her grandfather’s house for a photo shoot, creating simple recipes that showcased their culinary traditions. "I’m just thrilled, it’s so exciting. I’m like, ‘I’m going to be a food stylist.’”
After the magazine's release, a Food Network executive, Bob Tuschman, reached out and asked De Laurentiis to submit a tape of herself. However, it took her six months to follow through.
Giada De Laurentiis chronicled her early beginnings at Food Network.
"I was working a lot, and I didn't know much about Food Network," she admitted. "I was nervous. So my brother shot me, and we put a little demo reel together of me making a bechamel. And they loved it."
Thus, Everyday Italian was born, and De Laurentiis starred in the series for seven years.
Giada De Laurentiis was a private chef before her Food Network fame.
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Reflecting on her first season, De Laurentiis admitted, "The first season was terrible. Terrible, terrible. I was so shy, I was so uncomfortable. I think I lost 10 pounds. I was scared out of my mind. But I got a second season. I got better. And then the rest is history. So there you have it."
Everyday Italian premiered in 2003 and enjoyed a successful run over 12 seasons. Throughout her career, De Laurentiis has also appeared on various shows, including Giada Entertains, Giada's Holiday Handbook, Giada in Italy and Food Network Star, before leaving the network in 2023.
Giada De Laurentiis now leads Giadzy, her lifestyle brand.
Since parting ways, the star has shifted her focus to her lifestyle brand, Giadzy, and has released a new cookbook titled Super-Italian.
"I feel like I've gone to business school without really ever attending school," she told People of this new chapter in October 2024. "It has blown my mind, honestly, how much I didn't know that I didn't know."
In 2023, Giada De Laurentiis launched a new show, ‘Giada in My Kitchen.'
Recently, the culinary star returned to television with Giada in My Kitchen, a special that surprises families with dream kitchen makeovers.
"It's less about cooking and more about transformation," she said ahead of the Prime Video show's June 2023 premiere. "We focus on building dream kitchens from the ground up, incorporating design, construction and of course, every kitchen gadget you could dream of. It's been so fun."
