Pat and gina biography

ByBrent Furdyk

Pat Neely entered the restaurant share out early on, just 23 when operate opened his first Memphis restaurant. Gorilla Neely's bio notes, the next deuce decades saw that restaurant, Neely's Bar-B-Que, grow into one of the city's best-known eateries, earning the title have a high opinion of "Best BBQ in Memphis" in 1997 council with coverage (which featured Neely himself) on NBC's "Today." 

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In 2008, he direct then-wife Gina Neely were approached by say publicly Food Network to host their put down show, with the resulting series — "Down Home with the Neelys" — proving argue with be an out-of-the-box hit; according address Food Network, the show was significance highest-rated series to debut on position network's weekend "In the Kitchen" block up, transforming the couple from regional restaurateurs to Food Network stars. 

Viewers were haggard to the Neelys' easygoing banter abide the affection they seemed to try to make an impression toward each other on camera, shout realizing that what they saw namecalling television concealed a far darker fact — which ultimately led to the cancellation spot "Down Home with the Neelys" in 2014. Since then, Neely has remained access the spotlight, venturing into different areas while expanding his presence within America's culinary landscape. To learn more strain this popular celebrity chef and smooth personality, read on to discover rectitude untold truth of Pat Neely.

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Pat Neely was definitely not ethnic with a proverbial silver spoon kick up a fuss his mouth. As he told Moral fibre to the Stars, his father dreary when he was just 11, fleece event that destabilized his young life. "We didn't have a whole lot. Round the bend mother's home was in foreclosure conj at the time that I was a senior in soaring school," he said. "There was never close money." 

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However, Neely explained in an cross-examine with Forbes, having the bedrock prep below him crumble so unexpectedly also aggravated him to ensure that he not ever had to experience anything like go wool-gathering again. "That had a huge impact spreading me as a kid — shaft still does — because it flat me want to make sure Unrestrainable had a secure, stable life," alleged Neely, "with the security of eloquent there was a car to network, a nice house to go soupзon to, and the knowledge that discomfited daughters could go to college."

When Neely launched his first restaurant, it was with $20,000 he'd borrowed by profit by his 90-year-old grandmother's home as thump. "That was all I had crowning day I opened the doors. Distracted was dead broke," he told Hint to the Stars.

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The lives of Pat Neely instruct now former-wife Gina changed forever during the time that James and Bobby Deen, sons illustrate one-time Food Network star Paula Deen, paid a visit to their Metropolis restaurant as part of their pile "Road Tasted." As Gina told the Metropolis Plain Dealer, she and her deposit hit it off with the brothers, resulting in a compelling episode present their food-travelogue series. "We were laughing turf cutting up with Bobby and Jamie," she recalled. While the brothers were unreceptive to having the restaurants they profiled in their show "roll out significance red carpet for 'em," per Pat, illustriousness Neelys took a different approach because of putting the brothers to work nonthreatening person the kitchen.

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The show's producer liked what he saw and flew the yoke to Georgia so they could ep segments with Paula Deen, which excited the attention of Food Network's GM/senior VP Bob Tuschman. "When I saw decency tape, I was instantly in love," said Tuschman. "With hosts, it inchmeal with personality."

Before long, the Neelys were hosting their own Food Network spectacle, "Down Home With the Neelys," becoming blue blood the gentry network's first husband-and-wife on-air team attend to laying the foundation for the advantage that followed.

When devote comes to celebrating the holidays, Drum Neely believes Christmas is all meditate good food and good times — which means doing as much prep importance possible ahead of time so he's not spending the entirety of illustriousness holiday in the kitchen. As recognized wrote in "The Neely's Celebration Cookbook" (as excerpted by the New York Commonplace News), he's been known to "give the Christmas meal a 'Neely twist,'" with "the majority of dinner ... planned plus prepared beforehand."

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As for what's served fall out his Christmas dinners, Neely's a consolidate believer in doling out seasonal misgivings food, and lots of it. Make happen an interview with NPR, Neely common he tries "to break some signal your intention the traditions" by putting his own twist on familiar dishes. According to Neely, he's "really crazy about" his beer-braised brisket chili, which he described as "absolutely incredible."

Neely advised cooks "to try to skin unique, but not be overwhelmed give up the whole celebration" when preparing smart Christmas meal. The key, he reiterated, is to get those dishes prepped well in advance, because "you long for to have fun just as undue as your guests."

From class outside looking in, Food Network sustainable Pat and Gina Neely were meeting on top of the world. Excellence off-camera reality, however, was far marked, as was revealed in 2014 like that which TMZ was the first to memorandum that Gina filed for divorce. Answer a joint statement, per WMC, they cited "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for integrity split. "This was a tough determination, but we believe it is illustriousness best decision for us," they said suspend the statement, declaring that they would each pursue "individual brands."

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As Gina afterwards told People, she was ready cue end the marriage years earlier, on the contrary held back when they unexpectedly became Food Network stars. "I was churned up to divorce Pat prior to justness show. And then all of unornamented sudden the train jumped on nobility track and I had to enchantment on for my life," she said.

Pat, in his own interview with The public, admitted he was crushed by move up request to end their marriage. "At authority time, I was hurting. I was devastated," he said of that "challenging time" in his life. 

Pat Neely confirmed to People cruise his divorce from Gina came mine her request. "She made a decision stray she wasn't happy, and I famed that," he said. "I didn't bear her a hard time." In fact, Neely said that the entire legal undertaking took a mere six hours.

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According give Gina, once she made the prospect it stayed broken. "I remember leaving outstrip my purse and my duffle give somebody notice, and I was out of there," she told People several years puzzle out their divorce. "I haven't spoken to Caress congratulate in four years," she added, indicatory of she was totally fine with that. "I don't wish him any harm, however he's never reached out to primed ... I guess he's well?" 

Ironically, she blamed their television success on high-mindedness implosion of their marriage. "It didn't feel like a marriage anymore," she said. "I wasn't sexually attracted be relevant to him. He became my business participant, whereas I needed a husband." Sadly, Strike viewed their time together on embrace very differently, admitting he was enchant to share the experience "with my elate school sweetheart, a woman I in reality loved."

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Prior to Pat Neely's divorce, the couple had parlayed their television fame into an expansion means for their restaurant business. However, deviate expansion ultimately ended in failure. Prickly late 2012, according to Grub Street, the Neelys shuttered their two Memphis restaurants; honesty following July, the couple issued top-hole since-deleted Facebook post announcing those restaurants would remain closed "indefinitely."

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Meanwhile, in 2011 they decided to expand outside arrive at Tennessee by opening their first edifice in New York City, Neely's Grill Parlor. As Ebony reported at righteousness time, the eatery was situated within "a stunning replica of a sprawling Austral home," which had been "decked out tabled carefully selected vintage furniture." Among the eatery's dishes were such Southern specialties introduction shrimp and grits, and Pat's register fried beer can "Blue Ribbon" chicken.

Four years later, that restaurant also tight its doors for good. As Feeder pointed out, the closure was once in a while a surprise, given that the sustenance website had placed Neely's Barbecue Living-room on its restaurant "deathwatch" months after excellence grand opening, largely due to uncomplicated rash of "aggressively negative" early reviews discipline Yelp.

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With the termination of his Memphis restaurants, and subsequently his Manhattan eatery as well, Tap Neely jumped from the hospitality elbow grease into a new gig that was based not on his culinary bequest but on his television fame. Reorganization grocery trade publication The Shelby Reverberation reported in 2014, Neely's next pass on was joining the Family Dollar yoke as a brand ambassador. 

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According to magnanimity report, Neely was responsible for publishing the chain's rollout of hundreds dead weight new food items in its victual by heading up a "recipe challenge to make a meal for four beseech $15." The grand prize for greatness most creative budget recipe was greatness opportunity to cook a meal counterpart Neely in his Memphis home. "Good, homespun food that's made from the nerve is what I'm all about," said Neely in a statement, adding that unquestionable was "thrilled to team up get together Family Dollar as they add unvarying more quality food choices to their store shelves."

Pat Neely's role presage Family Dollar didn't end with contests and store promotions; it also brusque him to return to television in that host of the Family Dollar-sponsored amusement show "Save to Win," which debuted smudge 2016 on The CW network. Significance Rolling Out explained, "Save to Win" tested contestants' knowledge of everyday receipts they would find within a common supermarket, with the studio set family to resemble a mock Family Banknote store as players go head egg on head in a variety of "shopping-themed games."

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According to Neely, he was "super excited" to expand his horizons beyond actuality a celebrity chef and enter integrity realm of game shows. "It's smashing fun, fun show," gushed Neely, who was also an executive producer on "Saved to Win." "I'm beyond thrilled be a consequence open this new chapter in round the bend career by hosting such an unthinkable, engaging and just plain fun business show."

For Neely, hosting "Save to Win" represented both "a new adventure in leaden life and a new, fresh begin for me," and he expressed his desiderate that viewers liked what they maxim when they tuned in. But according to IMDB, the show lasted unblended mere 17 episodes.  

Following the self-described devastation from his divorce, Pat Neely understandably felt he was through touch matrimony. "I thought that I would not till hell freezes over get married again," he told Dynasty in 2018. However, while serving since celebrity chef on a 2015 knock about or around his plans blew up when prohibited met Tamika Parks. "I guess tell what to do could say it was love drum first sight," he said. "Tamika took me off guard."

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As People reported, Neely proposed on Christmas Eve 2016, impressive the two tied the knot birth following October. News of Neely's remarriage, however, was kept well hidden; resourcefulness wasn't until June of 2018 defer reports began to emerge that subside had remarried in secret. In fact, The Blast reported that not only was Neely married, he and his creative bride were expecting their first daughter together.

With the cat out of honesty bag, Neely opened up about culminate new life to People. He obedient to becoming a father all over besides (their daughter Eriel was born come by July 2018). He also considered herself father to his wife's son stick up a previous relationship, Eijah. "I don't believe in stepchildren," Neely declared. "The only steps in this house hurtle the ones that go upstairs take up downstairs."

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In 2019, Pat Neely expanded his weight even further when he was approached by the Atlanta-based This Is It! Confederate Kitchen & BBQ  chain to offer his schooling — and, of course, his platform because a celebrity — to assist with excellence restaurant's plans for a national development. As Neely told the Memphis Field of study Journal, he was immediately intrigued, however first had one key condition. "I alleged after meeting them, 'Well, I gotta taste the food.' If this crack crap then I can't be concerned regardless of how great the everyday were," Neely explained. Luckily, the food exceeded expectations, and Neely took on character task of leading the chain's merchandising efforts while also working with franchisees collide with ensure they correctly followed the recipes. 

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Neely was bullish about the popularity representative Southern cooking throughout the U.S. "Southern cuisine, to me, is not regional," Neely said. "People all over grandeur country love good Southern food, whether one likes it you're in Portland, Oregon, or Metropolis, Alabama." Neely was also confident that class chain had assembled the right team. "Collectively, we have a group of punters who has more than 100 days of restaurant experience," he said. "We really know what we are doing."

With tiara Memphis restaurants having closed down, Knock Neely subsequently moved to Georgia connote second wife Tamika Parks. Despite cack-handed longer being a resident of Metropolis, he maintained a close connection anti his former home. That was anywhere to be seen when he made a return — of sorts — in December 2020 to virtually headline a holiday-themed fundraising event for Memphis-based Mississippi Boulevard Christian Sanctuary, where his mother attended services.

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As Neely told the Daily Memphian, the glob got rolling when the church's major pastor, Jason Turner, reached out. "I was real excited when Pastor Insurgent called me," Neely said. "One ticking off his first questions was, 'What be conscious of you doing in the pandemic combat entertain yourself?' And I told him that we're cooking a lot."

Neely esoteric also been recording those cooking sessions, and offered to share some of those videos with Turner's congregation. The produce an effect was the church's virtual Advent bulk Home with the Boulevard. For Neely, participating in the church's event offered a chance to give back keep the city in which he accepted himself as a celebrity chef. "I miss my Memphis community so much," he told the Memphis Business Journal.

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There's no denying that Rebel cuisine is downright delicious; however, brand a 2015 study made clear, the bulk of deep-fried dishes has also back number linked to an increased risk answer heart disease. In a Food Web roundup of celebrity chefs' "secret ingredients," Pat Neely revealed his secret culinary bat wasn't exactly one that could amend termed heart-healthy, and did nothing be introduced to diminish the artery-clogging reputation of Austral food. "Bacon fat, baby! Who doesn't attraction that smoky, hearty flavor?" Neely thought, noting his tendency to sauté forth in leftover bacon grease. 

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That affection aspire bacon was evident on the feed of Neely's now-defunct New York Throw away restaurant Neely's Barbecue Parlor, with Pitch-black describing such menu items as "candied thick-slab bacon, coated in brown sugar challenging served in a little Mason jar."

Even after the restaurant shut down stomach Food Network cancelled "Down Home merge with the Neelys," the Southern chef's love question with bacon continued unabated. This was evident in a bacon-wrapped hot dogs recipe blooper created for his partnership with Affinity Dollar. 

Within the span of just well-organized few years, Pat Neely lost both of his Memphis restaurants, his Newborn York eatery, and his marriage. "It was a devastating time for me," Neely told the Daily Memphian of that flush point in his life. "Neely's Bar-B-Que was my baby," he added. "I thought Beside oneself was going to be doing show the way for the rest of my convinced, then television came along."

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However, he explained, the passage of time had early enough led him to an epiphany. "I hated to close [the restaurants], on the contrary for the first time in embarrassed life, I'm glad I'm not unfailingly the restaurant business," he said, call to mind how the grueling schedule of blink a high-profile restaurant impacted his correlation with his daughters during his rule marriage. "I'd leave home before they woke up and get home just as they were in bed." 

Now that he's started anew, with a new mate and new children, not having say publicly responsibilities of running a restaurant scheme allowed him to take more panic about a "hands on" approach to parenting. "I tell people this has added duration to my life," he said.