Guy Fieri reveals reason for shocking new look — and it’s not AI
Food Network star swapped his trademark blonde spiked hair and biker-style look for more conservative attire
Guy Fieri has explained why he debuted a new makeover for his 58th birthday after fans accused the look of being AI-generated.
The Food Network star, known for his signature blonde spiked hair, chunky diamante chains, and biker-style outfits, posted an Instagram video Friday of himself without his trademark hairdo or facial hair, instead sporting a brown haircut with a side-part. He looked every bit normcore, wearing a checkered button-down shirt and belted beige trousers.
Fans were shocked by the look and even expressed their disappointment in Fieri when they thought he was using AI to create this clip. However, according to Fieri, he underwent this transformation in real life, which is a central plot line in an upcoming Super Bowl commercial for Bosch, a German engineering company. In the commercial, he plays the role of someone he calls “JustaGuy,” wearing the outfit and wig from his previous Instagram video.
“If you’re going to go big, go big,” he told People about working with Bosch. “They said, ‘Well, can you shave your goatee?’ And I said, ‘I would for this. This is such an important commercial. This is such a big deal.’”
Bosch has addressed the viral confusion over Fieri’s video, denying any accusations that his look was a product of AI.
“Guy’s birthday post is not AI,” the company spokesperson told People in a statement. “The video was shot with Guy Fieri himself, and the Justaguy transformation was achieved using high-end post-production visual effects.”
Instead, the commercial features Fieri as two people: The iconic Food Network chef with spiky blonde hair, and “JustaGuy,” who wears khakis and a brown wig. And according to Fieri, the commercial, set to air during the February 8 Super Bowl, took two days of intense filming.
“It was the craziest 24 to 36 hours of my filming career. We shot it like a movie. Nothing was spared,” he added to People. “It took two hours to put the wig on. When you see the picture, you’re either going to want to buy a life insurance policy from me or you’re going to want to go out to Bingo.”
In the viral Instagram video of his look as “JustaGuy,” Fieri told the camera: “Hey there! After so many years of celebrating my birthday as Guy, I figured this year I’d celebrate it as just a guy. Happy birthday to me!”
He captioned the post: “New Year. New Guy. New Look.” Fieri also changed his profile picture on Instagram to reflect his makeover.
Fieri’s Super Bowl commercial comes as he continues to recover from tearing his quad muscle in half after falling down the stairs while filming his show, Flavor Town Food Fight.
He told People earlier this month that the injury was “the worst thing” he’s experienced in the past 20 years, leaving him unable to do his regular exercise activities like hiking and CrossFit. During his recovery, the presenter said he had developed a “real appreciation for having the ability to just get up and walk around and do everything you used to.”
The chef added that although he was eager to get back to his usual routine, his doctors warned him to be cautious.
“My doctors are all like, ‘We know you want to get after it, but let's not go back to where we were.’ And I'm like, ‘We are never going back to that!’ That was the worst thing I've been through in the last 20 years,” he said.
“But now I'll be up and ready and healthy and rolling by the time we hit the Super Bowl for sure.”
Fieri first appeared on Food Network in 2006, when he won the second season of The Next Food Network Star. He fronts the popular shows Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, which has been airing since 2007, and Guy's Grocery Games, which has run since 2013.
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