Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives has been a Food Network staple since 2006, and now he reveals how he got the hosting gig. Guy got his Food Network start when he won The Next Food Network Star season 2 in 2006. His prize was a six-episode season of his own cooking show, Guy's Big Bite. In November 2006, Guy starred in the first episode of Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives, also known as "Triple D," which was a one-hour special. The series premiered in April 2007, with Guy traveling around the United States, Canada, Mexico, and cities around the world in search of the greatest diners, drive-ins, and dives.
On the Unbreakable with Jay Glazer podcast, Guy shared how he became the host of Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives. After he won The Next Food Network Star and completed Guy's Big Bite, he was given a pilot for a show called Gotta Get It. According to Guy, the series was about kitchen equipment and gadgets. The gadgets included a frozen ball in which people could pour cream and sugar, kick it around the yard, and make ice cream. Guy shared that the pilot got picked up for ten episodes, but he turned it down. He told the Food Network executives, "I think the show sucks," and told them that he was not a "gadget chef."
Guy Fieri Turned Down Food Network Pilot Before Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives
Guy revealed that the President of Food Network, Brooke Johnson, called him to ask why he turned down a primetime show. He told her that he would love to do a show, but the series had to "resonate" with him. Guy explained that he could not fake it because he was not an actor. Though he risked losing his "whole future" with Food Network, Guy was not going to be somebody he wasn't because, "authenticity is huge to me." Guy said that he didn't even have an agent at the time, and everyone around him thought he was crazy. However, six months later, Food Network called again to give him one more try with Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives. Guy said that he thought, "That sounds like me. Dives? I'm down. And that's what started it."
Guy has always been a big Food Network personality who is true to himself. He is enjoyable and relatable to watch, which, along with his cooking talent, is why he won The Next Food Network Star. Since then, Guy has been the host of shows such as Guy's Grocery Games and Tournament of Champions, bringing his own brand of entertainment to Food Network. He was very brave to turn down a primetime show so early in his television career, but the network obviously knew that they had found something special in Guy, and couldn't let him go. Through Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives, Guy has brought national attention to restaurants around the country, helping them to gain publicity and boost business. He is kind and encouraging to the chefs at the restaurant, eating their food with gusto.
During the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown, Guy helped restaurant owners by creating a virtual version of the show called Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives: Takeout, in which he interacted with chefs via video chat. This, along with Guy's Restaurant Employee Relief Fund which raised nearly $25 million, helped restaurateurs survive the pandemic. Guy's early to decision to wait for the right show to showcase his talents led to Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives, which has brought him so much success which he can now pay forward.
Source: Unbreakable with Jay Glazer/podcast