Why Robert Irvine Still Gets Emotional On Restaurant: Impossible

Celebrity chef Robert Irvine cuts a formidable figure. For all of his cooking talent, the author and television personality is also still devoted to the military after serving in his youth, and he places fitness at the top of his priority list, per Robert Irvine Foundation. On his Food Network show "Restaurant: Impossible," Irvine has developed a reputation for tough love and even a fair bit of yelling. At the heart of it all, though, is, well, a big heart. It might seem like swooping in to save failing restaurants on TV would be old hat for Irvine by now, having hosted the show from 2011 to 2016 and now again since 2019 (via Reality Blurred), but the chef still gets quite emotional while unpacking the various issues the different restaurant owners are facing. 

Recently, Twitter user Freddy Fernandez noticed this, tweeting: "Been binge watching @Rest_Imposs and I must say I started noticing all the body contortions @RobertIrvine does trying not to cry when he shows [the] new restaurant to the owners, it makes [it] more emotional." Irvine was quick to respond.

"Freddy there are many occasions having listened & spent two days learning the familie[s'] hardships and seeing them so happy makes me want to cry happy tears, sometime[s] it's hard to hold back and others I just let go. It's real emotional for me. Some of the hardships we can't share," Irvine wrote on Twitter.

Presumably, Irvine's emotion comes from how invested he gets with restaurant owners on "Restaurant: Impossible." After all, Irvine spent the show's pause after 2016 hosting "The Robert Irvine Show," which basically just took the restaurant out of the equation. He demonstrated conflict resolution skills as he helped people with relationship issues. Irvine once told Channel Guide Magazine that the good Oprah Winfrey does for people has been a major influence. He also said to Thread MB that he wants his legacy to be that he "did everything in [his] power to make at least one person's life a little brighter." Essentially, Irvine isn't just hosting "Restaurant: Impossible" for the cameras. He's truly passionate about helping people improve their lives. By the time his show arrives at a restaurant, its owners are in a dire situation. Things are bound to get emotional.

Take, for example, the recent episode in which Irvine helped Julissa Legasppy, who was struggling to keep the doors open at the restaurant she'd bought with her husband, who then tragically became ill and died. "Anyone else grabbing the tissues yet?" Irvine tweeted when the heart-wrenching show aired. Or, how about when the host contributed $10,000 of his own money to a family of 10, who'd been evicted from their home (via Delish)? 

A family man, himself, Irvine throws himself into really helping the people behind the restaurants. Even if you see him yelling, he told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, that's just because of how much he cares.