Robert Irvine facts for kids
Irvine in 2024
|
|
| Born | Robert Irvine 24 September 1965 |
|---|---|
| Spouse | Karen Irvine (divorced) Gail Kim
(m. 2012) |
|
Current restaurant(s)
Fresh Kitchen by Robert Irvine (The Pentagon, Arlington County, Virginia, US),
|
|
|
Television show(s)
The Globe
Dinner: Impossible Worst Cooks in America Restaurant: Impossible Restaurant Express All-Star Academy A Hero's Welcome Chopped: Impossible Next Iron Chef The Robert Irvine Show |
|
Robert Paul Irvine is a well-known English chef and TV host. He was born on September 24, 1965. You might know him from popular Food Network shows like Dinner: Impossible, Worst Cooks in America, and Restaurant: Impossible. Chef Irvine also had his own daytime talk show, The Robert Irvine Show. Today, he runs a restaurant called Fresh Kitchen by Robert Irvine inside The Pentagon.
Contents
Robert Irvine's Early Life and Training
Robert Irvine grew up in Wiltshire, England. He started his cooking journey at age fifteen when he joined the Royal Navy in the UK. After finishing his cooking training, he worked on the Queen's special ship, the Royal Yacht Britannia.
After serving for ten years, Robert worked as a cooking expert in places like Bali and Ho Chi Minh City. He then became the head chef on many cruise ships and at famous places like Trump's Taj Mahal.
Robert Irvine's TV Shows
Dinner: Impossible (2006–2010, 2021-present)
.jpg)
Robert Irvine began his TV career on Food Network with a show first called Fit for a King. It was later renamed Dinner: Impossible. On this show, he faced many tough cooking challenges.
In 2007, he appeared on Iron Chef America in a dessert competition. He teamed up with Chef Tyler Florence, but they lost to Paula Deen and Cat Cora.
Around 2008, there were some questions about parts of Robert Irvine's past. Food Network briefly removed his biography from their website. Robert Irvine later shared information on his blog to clarify things. He provided letters from people he worked with, including those from the White House.
Food Network decided to keep Robert Irvine for Dinner: Impossible. He returned as the host in 2009 and continued until the show stopped in 2010.
In March 2021, Dinner: Impossible came back to Food Network with new episodes after an 11-year break. Fans were excited to see Robert Irvine take on new, challenging cooking missions.
Worst Cooks in America and Restaurant: Impossible (2011–present)
After Dinner: Impossible first ended, Robert Irvine started two new shows on Food Network. In late 2010, he joined Worst Cooks in America. On this show, he helped train people who were not good at cooking. He competed against Chef Anne Burrell.
Irvine also stars in Restaurant: Impossible, which started in 2011. In this show, Robert Irvine tries to fix up a struggling restaurant in just two days with a budget of $10,000. He helps restaurant owners improve their food, decor, and business skills.
In 2011, he competed on The Next Iron Chef. In 2013, he hosted a new Food Network series called Restaurant Express. On this show, he challenged nine chefs to win a chance to open a restaurant in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Robert Irvine has also appeared on other popular shows like Chopped and Guy's Grocery Games. In 2016, he was a mentor on All-Star Academy, helping a contestant win a big prize.
Restaurant: Impossible took a break from 2016 to 2019 but then returned with new seasons. In 2019, Food Network also started Restaurant: Impossible: Revisited. In these episodes, Robert Irvine goes back to restaurants he helped before to see how they are doing. In 2020, a spin-off called Restaurant: Impossible Back in Business focused on how past restaurants dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2020, Food Network signed a new deal with Irvine for more episodes of Restaurant: Impossible and other videos. In 2021, a new series called The Globe was announced, where chefs transform ingredients they've never used before.
In 2022, Robert Irvine and Jon Taffer from the show Bar Rescue had a cooking competition series called "Restaurant Rivals: Irvine vs Taffer".
Robert Irvine's Restaurants and Businesses
Robert Irvine started Robert Irvine Foods, which sells his own line of foods, spices, and oils. A part of the money from these sales goes to his foundation, which helps the US military.
In 2017, Robert Irvine opened Robert Irvine's Public House at the Tropicana resort in Las Vegas. This restaurant closed in April 2024 when the Tropicana resort closed. He also became a co-owner of Boardroom Spirits, a distillery.
In 2019, Irvine opened Fresh Kitchen by Robert Irvine in Allentown, Pennsylvania. This was his second Fresh Kitchen location. The first one opened in 2016 inside The Pentagon in Washington, D.C.. The Allentown location closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Robert Irvine has also launched healthy food products, like Fit Crunch protein bars, and healthier cheesecakes and crab cakes.
Robert Irvine's Books and Magazines
Robert Irvine has written several cookbooks. His first cookbook, Mission: Cook!, came out in 2007. His second, Impossible to Easy, was published in 2010.
From 2011 to 2016, he wrote a regular column for Muscle & Fitness magazine, sharing his recipes. In 2015, he published Fit Fuel: A Chef's Guide to Eating Well, Getting Fit, and Living Your Best Life. In this book, he talks about his early life and his love for fitness. He played rugby and was very strong when he joined the Royal Navy. Fit Fuel includes healthy recipes, workout plans, and motivational advice.
In 2018, he released his fourth book, Family Table By Robert Irvine. This book shares his favorite family recipes and ideas on how to connect with your family through activities.
In 2016, he launched Robert Irvine Magazine. This digital magazine continues the ideas from Fit Fuel, offering healthy recipes, workouts, and advice from experts and celebrities.
Robert Irvine's Charitable Work
.jpg)
Robert Irvine is very involved in charity work. He has worked with Children Uniting Nations, a charity that helps children. He also helps with the Council of Chefs, a charity focused on helping hungry children.
In 2013, Irvine visited Afghanistan to support troops and hosted a cooking competition for them.
In 2014, he started The Robert Irvine Foundation. This foundation raises money to help active duty military members and veterans who need support. He also often helps the Gary Sinise Foundation.
For his work helping the US military, Robert Irvine has received several awards. In 2015, he received a Patriot Award from the Medal of Honor Society. In 2016, he received the Outstanding Civilian Service Award from the US Department of the Army. This award recognized his important contributions to the US Army community through his foundation.
Robert Irvine believes it's very important to thank and support those who serve in the military. He feels that the freedom we have is because of their sacrifices. He works hard to show his gratitude to these brave men and women and their families.
He also helped raise over $118,000 to help a restaurant owner pay for hospital bills. This owner had been featured on an episode of Restaurant: Impossible.
Robert Irvine's Awards and Honors
.jpg)
- Ambassador of the Culinary Institute of America (2007)
- Chef Professional from La Toque Blanche International
- Culinary Excellence Award (2001)
- Trustee of the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences' Five-Star Diamond Award
- Member of the Malta Chefs Society (MCS)
- Episode of Restaurant:Impossible in the Culinary Hall of Fame
- United States Navy Honorary Chief Petty Officer
- Medal of Honor Society's Bob Hope Award for Excellence in Entertainment
- US Department of the Army Outstanding Civilian Service Award (2016)
- Spirit of Hope Award (2017)
- ASYMCA Angel of Honor Award (2018)
- Association of the United States Army National Service Award (2020)
- Critic's Choice Association Real TV Awards Winner (Male Star of the Year) (2022)
- Veterans of Foreign Wars Distinguished Citizenship Award (2023)
- Special Operations Warrior Foundation “Legacy Of Service” Award (2024)
Robert Irvine's Personal Life
Robert Irvine is married to professional wrestler Gail Kim. They met when he was cooking for a WWE event. They got married on May 10, 2012. Robert Irvine has two daughters from a previous marriage. As of 2013, he lives in Tampa, Florida.
Because he is very active and loves fitness, Men's Fitness magazine named him one of the "25 Fittest Guys in America" in 2007. He often wears a black T-shirt or chef's jacket with his family's badge. The badge has a motto in Latin: "sub sole, sub umbra, virens", which means "flourishing in both sunshine and shade."
