This Is How Long It Really Takes To Film Beat Bobby Flay

Being on television might seem glamorous, and while the actual shows themselves do look amazing, it takes plenty of time and hard work to get them where they need to be. Such is the case with Food Network's "Beat Bobby Flay," which includes two rounds. The first is between two contestants who prepare a dish with an ingredient chosen by Flay. The winner of that round gets to go up against the celebrity chef.

While the entire show takes about a half-hour from opening credits to finish, we know it takes a lot more time than that to cook up a masterpiece. So just how much time does it take to shoot a "Beat Bobby Flay" episode? After posting the question "Ask me anything about Beat Bobby Flay" to his Instagram story, the chef reveals that it takes "about four hours to film an episode" and "We usually shoot two per day with a break in between."

And that's not the only thing Bobby Flay shares during this Q&A. He also says that chefs get to try the food as soon as it's ready, but behind the curtain, so they get served the dish the way it would be presented in a restaurant. He also says the time limit is as real as it gets.

The site TVTaping.com, which performs a variety of services for television shows shot in the New York City area, says there is more to "Beat Bobby Flay" than the celeb chef reveals on social media. Calling the show a "culinary cross between a friendly cooking competition and a reality television show," the site, which offers free tickets to watch Flay in action, says audiences are to expect taping sessions that last about six hours long. And all the action is set around two large cooking areas which makes the show "appealing to both [Flay] fans and foodies alike," meaning — the audience is standing for the duration of the filming.

Shadow Casting, which appears to handle audience recruitment for the show, claims that tickets are free but moreover, fans could receive a compensation of up to $680 for attending the show, or multiple shows. That's far more than the $60 that TVTaping reports Flay's producers offer. If you've ever wondered if "Beat Bobby Flay" is fake, you can always apply to be part of the audience and decide for yourself.

The show is regularly shot in New York City, across sets in Queens, Manhattan, and Brooklyn.