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Food Network host Giada De Laurentiis has been a mainstay in the culinary world for well over a decade. The Italian culinary queen has achieved a marked level of fame and continues to enjoy a solid celebrity status.

Heading a myriad of shows including Everyday Italian, Giada at Home, Giada Entertains, Giada in Italy, and Giada’s Weekend Getaways, De Laurentiis has become a familiar face to the masses. While she genuinely appreciates the enthusiasm from viewers, there is one thing she wishes fans would refrain from doing.

Food Network's Giada De Laurentiis
Giada De Laurentiis | Robin Marchant/Getty Images for NYCWFF

Splitting up

De Laurentiis is often in the headlines for her culinary expertise, though she received an increase in visibility due to her divorce from husband Todd Thompson in 2015, which quickly became a hot topic in the tabloids.

Now a single mom to 11-year-old daughter Jade from her marriage to Thompson, De Laurentiis recently commented on how their split impacted her daughter. “Her dad and I got divorced when she was 5, and although she doesn’t remember a lot, and she does pretty well, there’s still a lot of stress that builds up over time,” she said, according to Parade.

Despite the breakup, the couple makes co-parenting a priority. “We live a stone’s throw away from each other, like five minutes, which has really helped keep Jade stable and just keep her environment as similar as possible at both places,” De Laurentiis told People in 2017. “Getting along with my ex-husband really helps, as well. We’re supportive of each other and, in turn, supportive of Jade.

No touching, please

With De Laurentiis’ large fan base, the Food Network star often gets spotted by viewers. While she is gracious and enjoys conversing with fans, she would prefer people to keep their hands to themselves. “For sure [fans want to get close],” she told the New York Daily News in 2017. “It’s the only place that people expect to see me and sort of be able to touch my brand. I wish I could say no touchy-touchy, but it doesn’t work that way.”

De Laurentiis feels that since being a professional chef is a male-dominated industry, people are more inclined to get physically closer to her since women tend to be perceived as more approachable. “Since I am a female chef they are a little less intimidated to come up to me, and secondly they just want to thank you for what we do,” she said.

While she sometimes would get a tad flustered by over eager fans, De Laurentiis has adapted to what comes with being a celebrity. “I am becoming more comfortable being myself in my own skin and I think that happens with anybody as we get older,” De Laurentiis explained. “We get older and we get more comfortable.”

Believes in self care

Another vital lesson the culinary icon has learned over time is the importance of taking care of herself. With a milestone birthday (50!) coming up in 2020, De Laurentiis realizes her beauty and wellness regimen has required a little more effort.

“Over the years, it’s gotten longer and longer and longer, because as you get older, it gets more complicated!” she said, according to Parade. “It’s become more intense over the years. With all the travel, all the makeup, the stress, I’ve had to take care of myself more rigorously.”

Parade reports that the Food Network chef makes a point to meditate each day, even if it’s brief. De Laurentiis also practices yoga, gets regular acupuncture treatments, and takes supplements.

Read More: Giada De Laurentiis Says This Is the One Food She Never Eats

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