What you need to know
Guy Fieri is on the road to recovery.
The 57-year-old celebrity chef spoke to PEOPLE about his upcoming Super Bowl tailgate, Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Tailgate Presented by Spot On, and gave an update on his health following a scary fall that has left him in a wheelchair for the past eight weeks.
“I’m feeling better. It was definitely a tough break, but being able to get up and walk around and do all the things I used to do has given me real appreciation,” Fieri tells PEOPLE. “I love CrossFit and hiking, so not hiking for eight weeks is going to be a little crazy. But I’m trying to relax and I’m looking forward to it.”
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Fieri suffered a severe tear to his quadriceps when he fell down the stairs while filming the new series Flavor Town Food Fight, and “one foot went in front of the other and the other got caught on the threshold.” I underwent surgery in November.
The Food Network star admits he’s ready to get up and move, but says the injury experience hasn’t been a pleasant one.
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“All my doctors are like, ‘I know you want to heal, but let’s not go back to how we were.’ And I’m like, ‘I can’t go back to that!’ “It was the worst thing I’ve experienced in the last 20 years,” he laughed. “But now I’m up and ready, healthy and moving around, and I’m sure I’ll do it by the time we get to the Super Bowl.”
Injuries made for a very interesting Thanksgiving for the Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives star. She revealed that she received an email from her son Ryder (20) before the holidays about helping out in the kitchen.
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“My son Ryder texted me from school and said, ‘With all the training you’ve given me and all the cooking I’ve done while I was in school, it’s going to be my time to shine,'” Fieri told Fox News Digital. “And I said, ‘I’m so glad you asked me about this instead of telling me I have to do it.'”
Ryder will be attending the Flavortown Tailgate in Santa Clara next month with Fieri’s eldest son Hunter, 29, and nephew Jules, 26, which is sure to be a family-friendly event.
“Every time you pick up the phone to send a message or you’re looking for someone, you can’t get them to text you back. But on Super Bowl weekend, we’re all able to reach each other,” Fieri joked to PEOPLE.
