Bobby Flay Opens Up About Girlfriend Christina Perez and If He'd Ever Get Married Again (Exclusive)

The chef is teaming up with his daughter, Sophie Flay, for a new Food Network show.

Bobby Flay is gushing about his girlfriend. Earlier this month, ET's Rachel Smith spoke to Bobby and his daughter, Sophie Flay, at Barbuto in New York City, and the 57-year-old chef had nothing but kind words for his girlfriend, Christina Perez.

"They’re going great. I'm a very, very lucky person," Bobby said. "Christina, she's just a light in my life. She's so sweet. She's so smart. She just enhances everything that I'm able to participate in with her. I mean, she's fantastic."

Though things are going well for the couple, Bobby isn't currently thinking about popping the question to his girlfriend of more than a year.

"I've done it a lot. I've practiced that a lot," the thrice-married chef joked of matrimony. "For now, I like it exactly the way it is. I think Christina does too."

Even if a walk down the aisle isn't imminent, Bobby is thrilled to have Christina in his life -- and Sophie is a fan of the writer too.

"Sophie and Christina have a great relationship, which obviously that's an amazing thing too," Bobby told ET. "It's important that Sophie likes my girlfriend."

Bobby's love life isn't the only thing the father-daughter duo sees eye to eye on. The Flays also share a love for food, something they're giving fans a peek into with their new Food Network series, Bobby and Sophie on the Coast.

"I'm a native New Yorker. Sophie decided to go to school out in Los Angeles for college and then decided to stay... I have one kid and if I want to see her, I have to be out there," Bobby explained of his West Coast adventures. "... I spend most of my time in New York, but then a really good percentage of my time in Los Angles. It's a beautiful place, great food scene, and so that's really what the show is about."

For Sophie, working with her dad is "just so easy and fun," as they always "have a great time together."

"What's so great about working with him is that it doesn't feel like work," the 26-year-old community journalist told ET. "The show is really a glimpse into what we do in our free time anyway. We team up when we've got nothing to do, and we go try new restaurants and we really indulge. The L.A. food scene is so rich, it's so diverse."

As for Bobby, who shares Sophie with his second wife, Kate Connelly, he loves working with his only child.

"She was always a good kid. She's always been enthusiastic and she's always wanted to discover," he said. "... Sophie has always obviously hung out in restaurants since she was a baby... She got to see a lot of fun. She got to see a lot of people working really hard, loving what they do. I think that gave her a will and a want to work hard at what she does as well."

With their new show, Bobby teased, "the roles have sort of flipped a little bit."

"Especially when it comes to L.A., 'cause Sophie, that's her beat," the proud dad said. "... When I have a question about where to go in in Los Angeles, I know who to call. She knows."

Bobby and Sophie on the Coast premieres Monday, Aug. 22nd at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Food Network and discovery+.

Tune in to Monday's episode of Entertainment Tonight to see more of ET's interview with the father-daughter duo.

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