For Bobby Flay, the decision to appear on a podcast with Kristin Cavallari, a friend of many years, seemed like a natural choice. On October 29, the renowned Food Network chef joined Cavallari on her podcast, Let’s Be Honest.
The episode, filled with entertaining dating anecdotes from the two newly-single individuals, also included a humorous discussion of a mishap involving DMs between Flay and Cavallari. Fans quickly took to social media, commenting on the palpable “chemistry” between them. “I see a connection here,” one viewer remarked on an Instagram video of the podcast, while another wrote, “Power couple.”
When asked about the buzz surrounding the episode, Flay laughed off the speculation. “There wasn’t really much there,” he told PEOPLE, still chuckling. “Kristin and I have been friends for a long time. I called her and said, ‘I want to do your podcast. I think it’ll be fun.’”
He went on to praise Cavallari, saying, “I love her energy, and I really respect her as a businesswoman. She’s fun, she’s a baller, she’s a mom of three, she runs her jewelry business, her podcast, and her entire life — and she does it all incredibly well.” The podcast appearance coincided with Flay’s promotional tour for his new book, Chapter One, which was released on the same day.
Flay was involved in various press engagements, but found time to join Cavallari for her project. “I thought it would be a fun podcast, something a little different from the others I’ve done, which are mostly food-focused,” he explained.
Though the conversation touched on dining, the majority of the episode centered around dating. In June, PEOPLE was the first to report Flay’s split from writer Christina Pérez, while Cavallari had ended her relationship with TikToker Mark Estes in September after a seven-month romance.
Flay shared his reluctance to dive back into the dating scene, especially through apps. “If I wanted to start dating again, I wouldn’t go on the [dating] apps,” he said. “Because then it becomes a public thing.”
Describing himself as a very private person, Flay added, “Other people like to talk about my private life, but I don’t. My life is so public, I’ve been on television my entire adult life. So I try to keep as much of my private life to myself as I can.”
Cavallari then asked if marriage was “off the table completely,” to which Flay responded, “Is it off the table? If you asked me today, I’d probably say yes.” However, he clarified, “I would be interested in a life partner, for sure.”