Giada De Laurentiis Addresses Why She Left Food Network After 21 Years

After 21 years as a Food Network host, Giada De Laurentiis stepped away from the network last year. Now, she is explaining why.

On a recent episode of Rebecca Minkoff's Superwomen podcast, the 53-year-old celebrity chef — who hosted Everyday Italian, Giada at Home, Giada in Italy and more long-running shows on the Food Network — spoke in depth about her reason to leave the channel after two decades.

"It took a while for me to make this decision, 'cause I was very fearful of leaving Food Network. Because when you're big fish in that pond, and then you get out, who knows what's gonna happen next?" she explained. But as De Laurentiis wanted to expand her horizons — particularly with her food and lifestyle brand, Giadzy she "realized I couldn't do both."

"So about two-and-a-half years ago, I finally was like, 'OK, I'm gonna make the jump and I'm gonna put my energy in doing Giadzy,'" she added, noting that she doesn't miss the hectic days of her Food Network schedule.

"I know I should say yes," she laughed. "But I think it's because I got burnt out. I really worked so hard for so long. I got burnt out and I couldn't see … I couldn't see a path that was exciting anymore. I need excitement."

De Laurentiis further noted in the conversation that her shows were switched up every seven years, and the job required a lot of hours and a lot of traveling, which was particularly difficult when she had a young child. (The former Food Network Star host welcomed daughter Jade in 2008 with ex-husband Todd Thompson, whom she divorced in 2014. De Laurentiis has been in a relationship with Shane Farley since 2015.)

De Laurentiis added that if she got "bored" with her shows, that meant her audience was, as well. "And if I'm getting bored, my viewers are getting bored," she shared.