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Lee is happily married to Biegel years after her divorce from Billy Joel.
By Alison Cerri — Written on Mar 24, 2021
Aside from being Billy Joel's ex-wife, Katie Lee is an Asian-American cookbook author, television food critic, and novelist.
Lee is currently the host of the Food Network show "The Kitchen" and author of "It's Not Complicated: Simple Recipes for Every Day." Lee also just welcomed her first child, a daughter named Iris!
With all the buzz around her new book and child, we're curious about the man behind the chef.
Who is Katie Lee's husband, Ryan Biegel?
Ryan Biegel is no stranger to the entertainment industry, not always in food and certainly not music, but he's built his career around acting and being a producer. Here's everything we know about Katie Lee's husband, their marriage, and their new baby.
Ryan Biegel is a Florida native.
Biegel grew up in Sarasota, Florida with his father Pete, his mother Alice, his two older brothers, Kevin and Rob, and his sister, Nicole. His father was a banker and his mother was a teacher who taught for 30 years in the Sarasota County school system.
Biegel decided to stay in Florida for college and earned his bachelor's degree from Florida State University in 2004.
Biegel's brother, Kevin, actually created the town of Gulf Haven for the comedy series that he created, "Cougar Town," which starred Courteney Cox and Busy Phillips, and Biegel himself.
Biegel has a TV character based on him.
Biegel's brother Kevin Biegel was an executive producer on the FOX series "Enlisted," which was about three brothers in the military, and their relationship was based on the relationship of Kevin and his brothers, Ryan and Rob.
"My youngest brother, Ryan, is Randy, who is this hyperactive loving person who wants to please everybody. I had these tense relationships with my brothers and it always seemed like a cool thing to write to because, in the turn of a dime, we can go from being incredibly juvenile, with the mentality of a 15-year-old, to being really serious and dealing with some really heavy stuff," said Kevin Biegel in a 2014 interview.
What does Ryan Biegel do for a living?
Biegel has a few acting credits to his name. He was on episodes of "Scrubs," "Cougar Town," and "Enlisted" from 2010 to 2014. He was also in "Stuck on You" with Matt Damon.
Other than that, Biegel has worked as a producer on a variety of shows, ranging from food-related to reality. He was a producer for shows such as "Top Chef" and "Best Bars in America," as well as "Tia Mowry at Home." He also produced "The Real Housewives of New York City" in 2017 and 2018.
What is Ryan Biegel’s net worth?
As of 2020, Biegel has been reported to have an estimated net worth of $600,000 dollars. He makes a range of $38,000–$141,000 from his career as a producer, and also makes money through his acting.
Compared to his wife Katie, he's not even close, as her net worth is $10 million!
How did Katie Lee meet Ryan Biegel?
Lee spilled details about their relationship in September 2018 and explained that Biegel was working as a producer on "Beach Bites With Katie Lee," on the Cooking Channel in 2016.
“Ryan had signed on to be a producer for my first season of 'Beach Bites' ... He introduced himself and told me we would be working together soon," she said.
That was after he saw her as a guest judge on a Food Network show "All-Star Academy," and it seems like Lee had her eyes on him at first sight, recalling, “All I remember thinking was, 'Wow, that guy is handsome.'”
Their romantic relationship began a few months later in Punta Mita, Mexico. The crew enjoyed cocktails together on the beach. “One by one, they peeled off, until just the two of us were left. We talked for hours about our travels and how much we both loved food.”
The two hit it off and continued to date for a full two years before he popped the question.
How did Biegel propose to Lee?
Biegel really knows how to woo a woman. His romantic inclinations are best demonstrated through the way he proposed to Lee in March 2018. They got engaged in Paris, the city of love.
Lee saw the opportunity, saying, “We were going out to dinner to one of my favorite restaurants, and I thought that it was coming. We’re on the trip, like I kind of thought, ‘Listen we’re in Paris and we’re taking the Orient Express to Venice. If he doesn’t propose on this trip, he’ll really miss a great opportunity.’”
Biegel popped the question on their second night at La Réserve Hotel. Lee described it as “very romantic.”
They were about to leave for dinner, and, as Lee recounted, Biegel asked if she had everything: “I said yes, and he said, ‘No, I think you are missing one thing.’ He then pulled a vintage 1940s ring from Fred Leighton out of his pocket and got down on one knee.”
After she put on the ring, they had a decadent dinner of chicken and duck fat potatoes.
When did Katie Lee get married?
In September 2018, Lee and Biegel had a destination wedding at the Lo Scoglio da Tommaso Hotel in Capri, Italy. Lee said they fell in love in a tiny town on the Amalfi Coast called Nerano. It was the perfect location for the couple’s marriage, as they are seasoned travelers and have worked in various beach locations.
“We wanted our wedding to be very relaxed, so the evening before, we took all of our guests on a sailboat at sunset and then had a pizza party on the beach at Mary’s,” Lee revealed on Instagram. They had a limited guest list of close friends and family; Lee’s close friend Marcy Blum is a popular wedding planner.
Biegel is Lee's second husband.
Who was Katie Lee's first husband? Lee's first husband is none other than Billy Joel, whom she wed in October 2004, just after she turned 23 (only four years older than his daughter). Joel was 55 at the time. Some attribute his fame to the reason she was able to start her career on Bravo channel's first season of "Top Chef."
However, after five years of marriage, the couple divorced in 2009, and Lee didn't seem to be on the lookout for love. “I’m not ready yet; ask me in a couple of months. I don’t put myself out there — I’m really a homebody,” she said at the time.
Nine years after her divorce, Lee found love again.
Lee and Biegel share a love of food.
Food is naturally of extreme importance to Lee. Biegel has produced many shows with food — that common denominator has been instrumental in their relationship.
“That’s really what brought us together and that’s what we enjoy the most,” Lee said. “We like to do the same things. Last night we went out on a date to a place called Din Tai Fung, a dumpling house, and ate a ton of dumplings. That’s the type of thing we like to do together.”
Their wedding was filled with good food. “Of course, for us, it’s all about the food!” Lee revealed. They celebrated at Lee’s favorite restaurant, Lo Scoglio, after their nuptials. Their Instagram accounts are filled with mouthwatering photos of food, too.
Lee and Biegel announced Lee's pregnancy in February 2020 after struggling to conceive.
Last May, Lee opened up about her struggles to get pregnant. “I know a family will happen for us; it’s just not going to be as easy as we thought. We will keep working toward it. Someday we will have our happy new beginning,” she said.
She revealed that she had undergone surgery and IVF treatments in order to try to get pregnant. She also opened up about it on her Instagram, writing, "I get multiple messages a day asking me if I'm pregnant or why I am not pregnant yet. I get comments saying I look like I've gained weight so I must be pregnant. After one said that I looked 'thick in the waist' I finally responded that it's not ok to comment on a woman's body and you never know what someone is going through. There is so much pressure on women to look a certain way and while most mean well with baby questions, it can be hurtful."
The couple welcomed a baby girl during the pandemic.
Looks like Biegel and Lee had some time on their hands in quarantine, as Lee gave birth during the pandemic!
On February 26, 2020 Lee shared with her followers that she was expecting a baby. She took to Instagram with a photo of herself eating pasta captioned, "Eating for two, Baby Biegel is on the way!"
On September 2, 2020 Lee and Biegel welcomed their new bundle of joy, a baby girl named Iris Marion Biegel.
In March 2021, Lee shared that her husband Ryan Biegel has been such a caring and supportive husband, helping Lee with having a baby in the pandemic.
"The positive has been that my husband and I have both been home this whole time and gotten to be with her and have every moment with her... The best thing about Ryan is he has taken such good care of us during this, when I’m taking care of the baby he is taking care of everything else," said Lee in an interview.
Ryan Biegel's recipe is in Katie Lee's new cookbook.
Lee's new cookbook was just released on March 23, 2021. The book, which is called "It’s Not Complicated: Simple Recipes for Every Day," includes 100 recipes from the West Virginia native, her homemade and non-complicated recipes, and even has one of Biegel's own ribs recipe.
"He makes great salmon, he also makes the best ribs and I put his ribs recipe in my book... He also makes the best salad dressing," Lee said about Biegel's cooking.
Alison Cerri is an editorial intern at YourTango who covers news, pop culture, and relationship topics. Follow her on Instagram.