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In an exclusive by Closer, it was revealed that Chopped judge Alex Guarnaschelli and fiance Michael Castellon have split and ended their engagement after five years of being together. In a statement to Closer following their breakup, Michael said:
“Wishing her nothing but the best."
Alex first introduced herself to the Guy’s Grocery Games competitor while having dinner at the restaurant she worked at. The Chopped judge and the chef got engaged in June 2020, four years after they began dating.
Chopped judge Alex Guarnaschelli and chef Michael Castellon's relationship timeline explored
The duo were dating for four years before they got engaged in June 2020. The Chopped judge had posted a picture on her Instagram showing off the emerald ring with the caption:
"Ok @chefmike808 , you’re on! 💍."
The Chopped judge, in a 2000 interview with People, revealed that they were in no hurry to get married but she was excited to have a big celebration:
"We're not in any hurry, but I want to have a blowout. I want a tri-state rager."
She also revealed the way in which her then fiance Michael Castellon proposed to her. Explaining how he playfully used her gullibility to pull off the surprise proposal, she said:
"It's funny, I think one of the reasons why we're a couple, we've been together for four years, is because he'll tell me anything and I'll believe him. I get all worked up, and then he just starts laughing, and he does it all the time about anything."
The duo had been planning a socially-distanced get-together with some friends to celebrate Guarnaschelli's birthday, when she suddenly decided to go to the grocery store to get some more bread for a cheese tray.
As told by Guarnaschelli in the interview, while the duo were traveling back from the store, Castellon pulled his car over, telling her that he had spotted a baby deer. When they went to take a look for the baby deer, Castellon popped the question saying:
"There's no deer. This is why I have to marry you because you just believe me every time. Will you marry me?"
Guarnascheeli was previously married to Brandon Clark, with whom she shares 12-year-old daughter Ava. The Chopped judge also told People that Castellon had taken Ava's approval about marrying her mother.
She also talked about how she missed her father, through an Instagram post expressing her joy at getting married to Castellon. She said:
"I lost my dad almost two years ago. He would've liked to see this. (Mike) said he would've asked permission. I don't know if my dad would've ever said ok to anyone! He would be proud of Mike asking. Just miss my dad is all. We all experience loss and this is a joyous moment I share with my dad's memory."
Before the split was confirmed, Guarnaschelli answered a fan question on her Instagram story about a skill or talent that she wished he had, by saying:
"Not being a sucker for love.”
The Chopped judge went on to answer another question about any regrets she may have had. She said:
"Some of my biggest regrets have only happened in the last couple of years. I honestly haven’t been able to process them all well or gracefully. I use cooking, therapy, exercise, friends, sleep, water, time, crying, and cake for healing.”
Michael Castellon was also seen on Iron Chef America. Alex is yet to open up about the news and both are yet to make official statements on their respective social media accounts.
