How Bobby Flay & Brooke Williamson's Relationship Will Change Food Network's BBQ Brawl (SPOILERS)

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BBQ Brawl Brooke Williamson Bobby Flay Maneet Chauhan Promotional Photo

Published Apr 6, 2026, 4:35 PM EDT

Lorianne Palinkas has been a reality television writer for Screen Rant for four years. After teaching middle school English for twenty years, she knows a thing or two about high drama, complicated alliances, and even singing competitions. Growing up in New York City gave her a solid foundation in the arts and culture.

WARNING! THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS ABOUT BBQ BRAWL SEASON 7!There's a major change coming to Food Network's BBQ Brawl season 7 due to the romantic relationship between two of its stars, beloved chefs Bobby Flay and Brooke Williamson. Bobby has served as a team captain since the show premiered in 2019, while Brooke has been a judge on the show since season 2 in 2021. Season 1 only had two team captains, Bobby and Michael Symon, but a third mentor was added in the following seasons, with Eddie Jackson, Anne Burrell, Jet Tila, Sunny Anderson, Michael Voltaggio, Antonia Lofaso, and Maneet Chauhan all taking on the role over the years.

BBQ Brawl's Bobby Flay & Brooke Williamson Vowed Never To Judge Each Other In A Competition

BBQ Brawl will feature returning team captains Bobby and Maneet, along with judge-turned-team-captain Brooke. Brooke and Bobby decided that she could no longer judge BBQ Brawl now that they're romantically involved. In an interview with People at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival (SOBEWFF) in February, Bobby revealed that Brooke has always wanted to be a BBQ Brawl team captain, and their vow never to judge each other made it possible for her to make the change.

Bobby explained, "Brooke has been a judge since almost the beginning, the second season, and she's always wanted to be one of the mentors and cook on the show, and there was never sort of an opportunity for that."

Bobby continued, "But now, our rule between us is that we can't judge each other, because how can we judge each other? We can compete against each other in kind of friendly ways. She's becoming one of the captains on BBQ Brawl, so I have to actually compete against her. And she, as you might imagine, is very competitive, so she's tough to beat."

What To Expect From BBQ Brawl Season 7

According to a Warner Bros. Discovery press release, BBQ Brawl will feature 12 pitmasters in a battle at Star Hill Ranch in Austin, Texas to win the title of "Master of 'Cue." They include Dakari Akorede (Atlanta, Georgia); Morgan Bolling (Boston, Massachusetts); Chris Farella (Fort Lee, New Jersey); Raquel Fleetwood (Long Beach, California); Torrece "T" Gregoire (Bristol, Virginia); Vinny Mangual (Brooklyn, New York); Edith Mattiuzzo (Udine, Italy); Tim McLaughlin (Dallas, Texas); Tung Nguyen (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma); Braunda Smith (San Antonio, Texas); Blake Stoker (Martin, Tennessee) and Bob Trudnak (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania).

Team captains Bobby, Brooke, and Maneet and their teams will be judged by BBQ Brawl season 3 winner Rashad Jones, Adrienne Cheatham, and Carson Kressley. Betsy Ayala, President, Food Network, stated, "BBQ season is here and this year’s Brawlers are some of the best we’ve ever seen. Having Brooke join Bobby and Maneet as team captains brings a whole new dynamic to the Ranch – they are ultra-competitive and not afraid of a little good-natured trash talk."

The supersized season premiere features the 12 Brawlers competing in a challenge to serve their signature BBQ flavors in a bowl. The winning contestant will earn the privilege of choosing their team captain. Then, Bobby, Maneet, and Brooke will select their teams, and the judges will send one competitor home. Throughout the season, the pitmasters will be challenged with different fire elements, including grills, smokers, vertical fire, and raw wood. They'll also be tasked with using unexpected ingredients.

During the BBQ Brawl season 7 finale, which airs on Monday, July 6, the final three Brawlers will "face an epic gauntlet of unknown ingredients where they must think on their feet and manage their time in a battle to be named 'Master of 'Cue' and make their captain proud."

Previous winners of BBQ Brawl include Lee Ann Whippen (Team Bobby Flay, season 1), Erica Blaire Roby (Team Bobby Flay, season 2), Rashad Jones (Team Anne Burrell, season 3), Dominique Leach (Team Bobby Flay, season 4), Erica Barrett (Team Bobby Flay, season 5), and Kyle Bryner (Team Maneet Chauhan, season 6).

It's going to be very exciting to see Bobby and Brooke compete against each other on BBQ Brawl season 7. It would've been impossible for her to judge him, so this is a fantastic alternative. It's easy to imagine that they'll have some friendly banter between them, but they're both such professionals that their relationship most likely won't affect their focus. Bobby has won BBQ Brawl many times, so Brooke will surely be out to get him. BBQ Brawl season 7 reigning champion Maneet is also a formidable competitor, as she won her first season of the show in 2025. BBQ Brawl season 7 is coming in hot, and it's going to be a wild ride for so many reasons.

BBQ Brawl premieres Monday, May 11, at 9 p.m. ET on Food Network and streams the next day on HBO Max.

Sources: People, Warner Bros. Discovery