Food Network star Bobby Flay is leaving the channel after 27 years, report says

• Chef Bobby Flay and the Food Network are set to part ways after 27 years, Variety reported.
• Since the early days of the Food Network, Flay has been a beacon in its programming.

Legendary chef Bobby Flay and the Food Network are set to part ways after 27 years, Variety's Cynthia Littleton reported on Thursday.

Flay and the network were reportedly in the middle of contract negotiations, ahead of the expiration of his current three-year deal later this year, and sources told the publication the network ended the talks. Variety reported that a source close to the network cited disagreements over financial terms as reasoning behind the TV giant wanting to cut ties. Food Network didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

When reached for comment by Variety, Flay's representatives at WME reportedly declined and cited a "policy of not commenting on active negotiations." WME did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

This change will mark a shift in the network's history. Flay has been a staple in Food Network programming since his debut in 1994, not long after the food-centered channel's launch in 1993. In the nearly three decades that followed, the chef hosted more than a dozen TV series, wot 15 cookbooks, and operated eateries including burger joints, steakhouses, and brasseries. Flay became the first chef to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and he has an estimated net worth of $60 million.

Before becoming famous, Flay dropped out of high school and, by age 20, became a head chef, Insider previously reported.