Mario Batali Reveals Why He Left 'Iron Chef America'

Mario Batali, the chef–restaurateur behind restaurants like Eataly, Babbo, Del Posto, and several others, was a member of the Food Network family for a decade until his show Molto Mario was not renewed by the network in 2007.

Although Batali appeared on two additional episodes of Iron Chef America in 2008, Batali distanced himself from the competition and was eventually removed from the show's opening credits. At the time of his departure, Batali had been a member of Iron Chef America for six seasons.

Recently, the chef revealed to The Atlantic why he finally chose to leave Iron Chef America, and his answer, in his quintessentially straightforward manner, is really honest and pretty great.

"All of a sudden the judges weren't in the food industry, they were entertainment people," says Batali. "Someone's going to sit up there and pass judgment on something I spent an hour... to get this delicious, and they're going to say 'Oh, I wouldn't have done it like that.' Of course you wouldn't have done it like that. You're an actor." Watch the video below for more — but be forewarned: Batali's language is adults-only.

Karen Lo is an associate editor at The Daily Meal. Follow her on Twitter @appleplexy.