All About Bobby Flay’s Daughter Sophie Flay

Bobby Flay is very proud of his daughter Sophie Flay — and he isn’t shy about saying so.

Sophie, 27, was born on April 16, 1996. She’s the chef’s only daughter, whom he shares with ex-wife Kate Connelly. Sophie grew up in Connecticut before moving to Los Angeles for college. She graduated in 2018 and stayed in California, where she works as a broadcast journalist.

The chef often praises Sophie for both her ambition and kindness. “She has this great work ethic,” he told PEOPLE in January 2021. “She makes me proud just because she’s such a nice person.”

“You ask anybody that knows Sophie, they will go on and on about her. She’s a really sweet woman and she’s incredibly inclusive,” he added. “She’s got some coolness to her, she’s very savvy, but she’s a very inclusive person. She never wants anybody to feel left out and she thinks about that kind of stuff all the time.”

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The two have a very close relationship and have even collaborated on several work projects, including TV shows like The Flay List and Bobby and Sophie on the Coast and the podcast Always Hungry. In April 2021, the chef opened up to PEOPLE about what it’s like to work so closely with his daughter.

“We don’t think of this as work. This is totally fun. It’s just the two of us. And I think it actually helps our relationship because we get to talk even more about how we feel about things,” he said.

Working together has only made their father-daughter relationship stronger. “We’ve been very lucky to have a fantastic relationship and it continues to get better and better. And I think that the only way it gets better and better is conversation,” he told PEOPLE.

Here’s everything to know about Bobby Flay’s daughter Sophie Flay.

She’s a journalist

Sophie Flay Instagram

Sophie works as a community journalist for ABC7 in Los Angeles, and it’s a career path Bobby is very proud of.

“I’m a lucky dad because I have an ongoing flow of pride watching Sophie do so well in her career,” he told PEOPLE in January 2021. “I’m watching her just rise to the challenges of being in her own career, and she’s doing it through basically what I did, which was hard work. So when she puts out a story, my chest is big because I’m like, ‘That’s amazing. This is my kid.’ ”

She works as an adjunct professor

Sophie Flay Instagram

Sophie returned to her alma mater, the University of Southern California, as an adjunct professor in August 2022 at the university’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. She started teaching a course in visual journalism.

Sharing the career update on Instagram, she wrote, “My students were so welcoming and eager to learn! There’s nothing like being back on campus. ⁣To say I’m honored to be teaching here would be [an] understatement. Fight on✌️❤️💛.”

Sophie and Bobby have starred in several TV shows together

Sophie Flay Instagram

Sophie and Bobby have collaborated quite a few times. Most recently, the duo worked together on Bobby and Sophie on the Coast, which aired on Food Network and Discovery+. The show followed the pair as they tried out some of Los Angeles’ best restaurants.

“It doesn’t feel like work,” Sophie explained to PEOPLE. “We’re very lucky to have the relationship that we have and even if there’s not a camera around we’re going to restaurants and trying new foods. So it doesn’t feel like a day on the job. It just feels like fun.”

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The pair also starred in The Flay List together in 2019. The show followed a similar format as Bobby and Sophie on the Coast, but focused on the New York City food scene instead.

They also have a podcast together

Sophie Flay Instagram

In April 2021, Bobby and Sophie launched their joint podcast Always Hungry. Describing the venture to PEOPLE, the chef explained that audiences were “going to get more than just a couple of cooking tips on this thing.” According to Bobby, the show is really more “about life and being a parent, being a daughter, being friends and being adventurous in the world of food.”

He added that their different perspectives make for a more interesting podcast. “I’m a man, she’s a woman, I’m really an east coaster, she’s a west coaster. We come from two different generations,” he said. “And while we have lots of things that we have in common in terms of life, there are things that clearly differentiate us in so many ways. I always feel like Sophie brings out the stereotypical ‘guy in his fifties’ attitude [in me].”

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The podcast discusses everything from how to make potato pancakes extra crispy to etiquette in dressing up for dinner.

“That’s what we do as a family, is we have conversations. I just thought it would be really interesting to continue on a podcast,” he explained to PEOPLE.

Sophie agreed, adding, “I know him as my dad, but he basically had a whole other life before me. I feel really lucky that we get to have these conversations off microphone and on microphone too, so other people get to enjoy them as well.”

Sophie and Bobby released a book together

Sophie Flay Instagram

Bobby and Sophie released a cookbook called Sundays with Sophie: Flay Family Recipes for Any Day of the Week in October 2022. In the book’s introduction, Bobby wrote, “My daughter, Sophie, is without a doubt at the head of my table … Sophie’s name graces the cover of this book because she is the person who is most important to me.”

The chef also makes a habit of expressing himself through food. “I love cooking for my friends and my family. It’s really the way that I show my adoration to people. It’s truly my love language,” Bobby explained to PEOPLE in August 2022.

She is supportive of Bobby’s relationship

Sophie Flay Instagram

Bobby is currently dating Christina Pérez. “Christina’s so sweet and she’s also a fellow journalist, so it’s really cool to be able to learn from her too. Her and my dad have such a sweet relationship. It’s been really so lovely having her around,” Sophie said.

Bobby, for his part, is grateful for Christina and Sophie’s close relationship. “They’re friends, which is really great. And I always feel like Christina can be somebody that Sophie can talk to about anything. It’s really nice,” he added to PEOPLE.

She loves horseracing

Sophie Flay Instagram

As a successful journalist, television co-host and cookbook inspiration, Sophie might not have a lot of free time. However, she does set aside some time in her busy schedule for her passion for horseracing. It’s a hobby she shares with her father.

In 2019, she told Parade, “We also love horseracing and being able to share that bond has been great because he got his love for horseracing from his grandfather and it has now passed down to me.”

“We attend a lot of races together. That’s the beauty of horseracing. It’s going on all the time in the U.S., and it’s also going on all the time outside of the U.S. all over the world, so we’re constantly keeping up with it, going to races, and watching it on TV,” she added.

She makes parenting “a lot easier”

Sophie Flay Instagram

Bobby is probably Sophie’s number one fan. In honor of her 27th birthday in 2023, he shared a sweet Instagram tribute to his daughter. “Today is my favorite day of the year because I get to wish my spectacular kid a happy birthday and I get to post a vintage pic of her that I love but I’m sure makes her blush,” he wrote in the caption.

The chef also opened up and his and Sophie’s relationship during an appearance on The Rachael Ray Show in 2013.  “In some ways I’m the push over and she kind of knows that, but I have to say to her credit, she makes parenting a lot easier than it could be because she’s a great kid,” he said.

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Source: HIS Education