Bobby Flay Says He's the 'Odd Guy Out' Competing Against Girlfriend Brooke Williamson and Maneet Chauhan on “BBQ Brawl”

Erin ClementsMon, May 18, 2026 at 5:57 PM UTC

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Brooke Williamson, Bobby Flay and Maneet Chauhan
Credit: Courtesy of Food Network -

Bobby Flay is competing against girlfriend Brooke Williamson and reigning champ Maneet Chauhan on the new season of BBQ Brawl

Brooke Williamson transitioned from judge to team captain this season, marking a new dynamic for the couple

Flay responded to a fan who asked how he felt about Chauhan's strategy of using the couple "against each other"

Bobby Flay is opening up about the competition on the new season of BBQ Brawl.

After the celebrity chef invited viewers to ask him questions about the Food Network series on Instagram, one fan wanted to know, “How do you feel about Maneet's strategy, using u & Brooke against each other?”

“Smart strategy,” the celebrity chef replied. “@chefbrookew is focused on winning this thing and @maneetchauhan is the reigning champ. I'm the odd guy out!”

The show premiered its seventh season on May 11, with Brooke Williamson's role changing from judge to team captain and Flay and Maneet Chauhan returning to lead the other two teams.

Credit: Bobby Flay/Instagram

During a visit to Good Morning America last week, Flay, 61, commented on working with Williamson, 47, whom he's been dating since March 2025.

"My girlfriend is now one of the captains on the show, so we're competing against each other,” he explained. “So basically, I'm in a no-win situation,” he joked.

“It's a very healthy relationship,” Flay added.

A trailer for BBQ Brawl, which takes place at Star Hill Ranch in Austin, Texas, teased the dynamic between the show's trio of captains.

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“I think these lovebirds are out to get me,” Chauhan joked of Flay and Williamson.

The next clips showed that Flay and Williamson were also getting competitive with each other.

Maneet Chauhan, Bobby Flay and Brooke Williamson
Credit: Courtesy of Food Network

“You're supposed to root for me,” Flay said, with his arm around Williamson, who responded, “No!”

Flay first revealed that Williamson was becoming a team captain during an interview with PEOPLE at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival (SOBEWFF) in February.

“Brooke has been a judge since almost the beginning, the second season, and she's always wanted to be one of the mentors and cook on the show, and there was never sort of an opportunity for that,” Flay said.

However, circumstances changed after the two chefs became a couple.

“But now, our rule between us is that we can't judge each other, because how can we judge each other?” Flay added. “We can compete against each other in kind of friendly ways. She's becoming one of the captains on BBQ Brawl, so I have to actually compete against her. And she, as you might imagine, is very competitive, so she's tough to beat.”

on People

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”