Guy Fieri Undergoes Emergency Surgery for Torn Quad Muscle After Mishap on Stairs

The Food Network star told Fox News that he is currently using a wheelchair and crutches to get around.

Guy Fieri is interviewed at Guy Fieri's Flavortown Tailgate in Glendale, Ariz., on Feb. 12, 2023. Ethan Miller/Getty Images

“Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” host and restaurateur Guy Fieri is on the road to recovery after undergoing emergency surgery to repair a ruptured quadriceps muscle following a stair-related accident.

During a Nov. 24 interview with Fox News, the Food Network star said he “slipped down a set of steps” while in the middle of filming his new show, “Flavor Town Food Fight.“

“One foot went forward, and the other foot got caught on the threshold,” the celebrity chef explained.

“The doctor said, he goes, he’s never seen—you know, in 20 years—he hasn’t seen it. ... You know, to tear the biggest, thickest part of your quad in half,” Fieri said. “You normally tear that muscle at your tendon or the tendon tears off the bone, but this was right in the center of the whole quad muscle, and it exploded.”

A complete rupture is the most severe type of quadriceps strain, also known as a Grade III strain. It occurs when the tendon detaches from the quad muscle group on the front of the thigh or the muscle itself is torn in half, according to Physiopedia.

Fieri, 57, noted that he is unable to walk on his injured leg for eight weeks. He is currently using a wheelchair and crutches to get around and must undergo rehab to restore range of motion and rebuild strength in his knee.

As a result of his injury, the “Mayor of Flavortown” must remain on the sidelines in the kitchen as his family prepares their flavor-filled Thanksgiving feast this year.

“I got my three boys, Hunter, Ryder, and Jules, and they all know how to cook,” he told the publication. “Now it’s gonna be me quarterbacking from the wheelchair and telling them what to do. And we cook for about 40 people up here, so it’s going to be, it’s got to be an adventure.”

Hunter Fieri and Guy Fieri attend Big Game Kick-Off Event at Academy LA in Los Angeles, Calif., on Feb. 09, 2022. Vivien Killilea/Getty Images

Fieri rose to fame after winning the second season of “Food Network Star” in 2006, subsequently landing his own show, “Guy’s Big Bite.” He is also known for “Guy’s Ranch Kitchen,” “Guy’s Ultimate Game Night,” and “Guy’s Grocery Games,” among other series.

The Christmas-themed spinoff of his hit competition show “Tournament of Champions” recently debuted on Nov. 5.

In May, Warner Bros. Discovery announced the Emmy-winning television personality’s upcoming Food Network series under the working title “Guy’s Flavortown Games.”

“Two fearless chefs accept Guy’s invitation to the epic restaurant row at the heart of Flavortown Square. Their goal: to prove they have the cooking cred to prepare a winning dish in any type of kitchen imaginable—from an awesome smashburger in the cramped food truck to a Michelin-worthy dinner in the state-of-the-art kitchen of a fine dining restaurant,” a synopsis reads.

“The chef who makes the best dish in each round gets to choose their own culinary adventure by selecting the unique restaurant and cuisine they’ll have to tackle next. In the town that Guy built, choosing the right restaurant can change your fortune.”

Fieri’s new competition series is slated to premiere in early 2026.