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Katie Lee Biegel is a former model, one of the stars of the Food Network, and a host of the popular TV series The Kitchen. Biegel has become known in recent years for her easy takes on traditionally complicated recipes, and for her love of light, healthy fare, as chronicled in her series Beach Bites.

As charmed as Biegel’s life seems to be, however, she has dealt with her own share of struggles. Most notably, the host has opened up on several occasions about her infertility journey, a years-long struggle that finally came to an end when she welcomed her daughter, Iris, in the fall of 2020. Recently, fans took to Reddit to discuss Beigel’s love for her new baby, and how she has integrated her experiences with motherhood into episodes of The Kitchen. 

How did Katie Lee Biegel become famous?

Katie Lee Biegel was born in West Virginia in 1981. She studied journalism in college before graduating in 2003. Biegel received early attention when she caught the eye of rocker Billy Joel not long after she graduated from college. The two tied the knot in 2004. Throughout her marriage to Joel, Biegel worked as a contributor for a variety of food-related publications and even helped to open several restaurants in the New York area.

In 2009, Biegel and Joel divorced. They have remained on good terms since their split, although both have gone on to find love with other people. Biegel finally got her happily-ever-after in early 2018, when she got engaged to producer Ryan Biegel. They married in Italy only six months after they got engaged. The early years of their union were not without hardship, however, as Biegel later revealed that they dealt with a problem that many couples find themselves faced with — infertility. 

Katie Lee Biegel has talked about her fertility journey

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In April 2019, after less than a year of marriage to her husband, Ryan Biegel, Katie Lee Biegel dished on her infertility journey. “I get multiple messages a day asking me if I’m pregnant or why I am not pregnant yet,” she wrote in an Instagram post.

“I get comments saying I look like I’ve gained weight, so I must be pregnant,” she wrote. “After one said that I looked “thick in the waist,” I finally responded that it’s not okay to comment on a woman’s body and that you never know what someone is going through. I couldn’t wait to get pregnant! I naively thought it would be easy. I’m a healthy woman, I eat a balanced diet, exercise, I don’t smoke. Ryan is the same. But reproductive health is an entirely different ballgame.” Biegel went on to detail how she and her husband decided to undergo IVF, not expecting the physical and mental hardships that would accompany the process. 

‘Food Network’ viewers discussed Katie Lee Biegel’s remarks on her new baby girl

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Fortunately, there was light at the end of the tunnel for Katie Lee Biegel. In early September 2020, Biegel gave birth to a baby girl, whom she named Iris Marion Biegel. While Biegel has been basking in the glow of new motherhood, she has continued to film episodes of The Kitchen from home — and recently, fans on Reddit discussed how Lee has been balancing work and motherhood. 

While some fans pointed out that it is “distracting” to sometimes hear baby Iris cry during episodes of The Kitchen, others stated that it brings an element of realism to the show. “I’m ok with it. I’m infertile, as she was. I’m glad she enjoys her miracle!” one fan noted. Another stated that Biegel’s remarks on babies and new motherhood help to show that “life is an ever-changing event.”

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