Food Network Fans Told Mashed Which Personality They Would Like To Have Dinner With- Exclusive Survey

Cooking shows are as old as television itself, according to The Guardian, and chefs have chased celebrity status since the 17th century, per The Brag. When televisions began appearing in homes across the world, the celebrity chef circuit underwent an evolution. Before the advent of television, recipes were largely circulated in books, and chefs were admired for their knowledge. Once TVs cropped up, chefs had to be personable and entertaining as well to keep viewers interested in tuning in for each show.

Julia Child embodies what it meant to be a celebrity chef in the early days of television because she was both respected for her culinary abilities and kept audiences in rapture because of her captivating persona on camera.

The Food Network has connected kitchens to celebrity chefs since the 1990s, Yahoo! Finance reported. This platform has enabled on-screen cooking personalities to amass large followings and gain recognition as both entertainers and culinary experts. A recent Mashed exclusive survey revealed which Food Network personality fans most want to sit down with for dinner.

Fans of the Food Network recently weighed in on which celebrity chef they'd most like to have dinner with. Rachael Ray won overall, with 31.1% of the 582 total votes. The Massachusetts-born chef and TV personality is known for her energy and enthusiasm in the kitchen. She first appeared on the Food Network in 2001 in her show "30-Minute Meals," according to the Showbiz Cheatsheet. She went on to host a number of other shows on the network and has created a line of kitchen and home furnishings, per Britannica.

Guy Fieri took 28.01% of the votes in the Mashed survey, putting him second in the running. Fieri debuted on the Food Network in 2006 in Guy's Big Bite. In 2001, he signed an $80 million contract, solidifying him as the highest-paid Food Network chef, Variety reports.

Alton Brown received 15.12% of votes in the survey, followed by Bobby Flay, with 14.78%, Ina Garten with 6.1%, and Duff Goldman, who earned 4.98%.