"On and off" – Cutthroat Kitchen: Knives Out host Brian shares how chef life and childhood fueled his nicotine habit

Brian Malarkey, the host of Cutthroat Kitchen: Knives Out, answered the question behind his long-running nicotine habit on the July 15 episode of The Harley and Malarkey Podcast. According to Malarkey, the pattern began early, influenced by his childhood environment and intensified by the chef culture he later encountered.

"I remember smoking cigarettes on and off with friends in high school and never really took too much. But then, when I got into the culinary world and into the kitchen, cigarettes in the olden days, and it's still very prevalent in the culinary industry, cigarettes are massive."

He explained that his use has fluctuated over the years, marked by periods of quitting and relapse.

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Cutthroat Kitchen: Knives Out's star Brian details how his childhood and chef career shaped his long battle with nicotine

Early exposure and first attempts at smoking

Brian Malarkey recalled that his parents’ smoking habits had a strong impact on his early understanding of tobacco.

"I grew up in an era where dad smoked cigarettes, mom smoked cigarettes, everyone smoked cigarettes inside the car, windows rolled up."

Despite his negative feelings about secondhand smoke as a child, Brian experimented with cigarettes during high school, saying he "played around" with them during that time. However, it wasn’t until he entered professional kitchens that smoking became routine.

"Every break, everything, you’re all sitting out back," he said.

The Cutthroat Kitchen: Knives Out host described it as part of the chef environment where “dirty, stinky, smelly, garlicky, greasy, fishy, cigarette smoking, whiskey drinking” habits were normalized.

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Parenthood and temporary quitting

Brian said he continued smoking consistently throughout his adult life, including during the early stages of raising his children. He noted that he had been smoking cigarettes for "many, many years." He eventually quit when his children became aware of the smell.

"I would sneak out back of the house and think that when I walked in, I didn’t smell like cigarettes, but then the kids are like, ‘What the f**k you smell like?’"

Malarkey credited that moment as a turning point, explaining that when he chose to quit smoking during that phase of his life, it was similar to his decision to quit alcohol; it simply "clicked" in his brain, and he experienced no difficulty. The Cutthroat Kitchen: Knives Out host shared that this decision resulted in several years of abstinence.

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Vaping relapse and withdrawal

Although he stayed away from cigarettes, Brian admitted that a vape triggered a relapse during a gathering about three years ago, which took place on a boat around the 4th of July. He recalled that moment as the start of his return to using nicotine.

Malarkey eventually quit again on January 1, describing the process as more difficult than quitting cigarettes.

"I think it was so much harder to quit the vape because I think the vape has even more nicotine than the cigarettes."

The Cutthroat Kitchen: Knives Out host also revealed how the vape addiction returned and described the intensity of nicotine addiction by stating:

"It triggers something in your brain where you just cannot stop thinking about it. It just takes one little stressful thing. I’m like, okay, I’m going to get one and I’m just going to hit it a few times."

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Viewers can stream Cutthroat Kitchen: Knives Out on Max.