‘Today Show’ Culinary Producers Reveal the Most Intimidating Celebrity Guest Chefs

They say that magic happens in the kitchen, but is it true when the kitchen is on live television for millions of people to watch early in the morning? 

The Today Show, NBC’s beloved morning news broadcast, has been airing their cooking segment since 1993. Over the years, the show has featured countless celebrities and chefs, including Jennifer Garner, Stanley Tucci, Martha Stewart, and Giada De Laurentiis, to name a few.

All on the Table host Katie Lee Biegel sits down with the Today Show culinary producers, Katie Stilo and Krissy Downey, to uncover what really happens behind the scenes. The producers share what it’s like working with culinary superstars, reveal which celebrity chefs intimidate them, and recount a few kitchen horror stories along the way. 

The reality of producing live cooking segments 

Producing a live cooking show requires early morning call times. Both Stilo and Downey arrive at the studio by 5 a.m. to buy the food and prepare the kitchen before the guest chefs arrive. Depending on the recipe, the food prep might happen the night before. The team produces two shows daily—one at 8 a.m. and one at 9 a.m.—and the recordings wrap by 11 a.m. Then it’s straight to preparing for tomorrow’s recording.

Stilo, who is the Coordinating Culinary Producer, compares culinary producers to the guy behind the curtain pulling all the strings in Wizard of Oz. “We have calls with the guests before the show, and they’re amazed that they don’t have to bring anything,” Stilo says.

Producers can’t use open flames and burner space is very limited on set. Stilo says it’s a puzzle each morning to figure out how to do things efficiently. “We time it out and ask, ‘Who needs the oven? What temperature? Who needs the burner? What are you cooking on it?’ It’s a dance to coordinate with the little time and the space we have,” she explains.

Stilo equates it to the pressure of working at a restaurant, but a bit harder: “If you mess up, you are only upsetting the table of like four to six people. We are disappointing America. No pressure.”

Celebrity guest chef dynamics 

While the crew is known for being welcoming and kind behind-the-scenes, some celebrity guests present unique challenges. Downey’s favorite celebrity chef is Marcus Samuelsson because of his adaptability. “A lot of people come on our show so prepared, and I have to tell them to relax and enjoy the show. But when he comes in, he keeps you on your toes. So you have to stay ready,” Downey says of Samuelsson.

For Stilo, Martha Stewart is the one guest celebrity chef who intimidates her most. During one Today Show appearance, Stewart requested black salt for her margarita rim. They only had black sanding sugar and everyone’s teeth turned black. “I have to think 10 steps ahead to think about what she might want,” Stilo says.

Today Show kitchen horror stories 

Stilo recalls one particularly stressful episode when Valerie Bertinelli, actress and Food Network star, chose to make a turkey meatloaf recipe.

“In our world, that’s a layup because it’s so easy and straightforward,” Stilo says. “We kind of slowed down a little bit in our minds. Then, the first and second meatloaf burned. Now, we are down to the wire, and my colleague makes one and takes it out 20 minutes later. It definitely wasn’t cooked. Now, we have two burnt meatloafs and one meatloaf that was raw. It was one of the worst moments of my life.” 

When recipes go wrong on air, Downey says flexibility and honesty is key. “We have the best chefs in the world come on the show. And our audience is wanting to learn how to cook. People in their homes are watching our show. Even if it isn’t perfect, that’s how people cook at home. That’s the beauty of our show,” she says.

A culmination of Today Show and celebrity recipes 

People really do eat the food live on the show, so it matters that the recipes are up to par. Lucky for them, the audience response has been overwhemingly positive—so much so that Stilo and her team of producers compiled their recipes into Today Loves Food, which became a bestseller. The cookbook features recipes from Today Show hosts and guests, including Dear Media’s Katie Lee Biegel.