Alessandro Borghese

Borghese was born on 19 November 1976 in San Francisco, California, the first son of Naples businessman Luigi Borghese (1936–2023) and German-Italian actress Barbara Bouchet (born 1943). His parents, who married in 1974 and had another children named Max, divorced in 2006. Bouchet stated in a 2009 interview that her son had become more famous than her. Borghese described his father a "role model", a "life coach, my superhero" who had many jobs, from working in the cinema industry as a producer to selling vacuum cleaners. He said that he taught him humility as he went to do door-to-door demonstrations with him. His father taught him to drive an Autobianchi Y10, with Borghese recalling "he would take me out on Sundays and whenever I messed up the clutch, he would take me back to the garage and we would talk about going out the following Sunday. He was very strict: I had to learn to drive properly." which Borghese described as "the illness of the century, a long illness", his mother was always by his side. Borghese had a happy childhood except for a dramatic episode he only became aware of many years later, as he told Silvia Toffanin on Verissimo in March 2019. For instance, Borghese recalled that he was made fun of due to his mother posing nude for magazines like Playboy. As Borghese refused to go to university and was unsure about his prospects at 18, his mother kicked him out of the house and told him, as she recalled in a February 2020 episode of the TV show hosted on Rai 1 by Caterina Balivo, to "start going out and seeing the world, to stand on his own two feet. It helped, it went well, right? He made a bit of an effort, but it went well." Borghese described Bouchet as a strict and absent mother, saying that she was not a "typical Italian mother, the one who makes you a little basket of croissants or tucks you in", before adding: "She fed me with a wooden spoon, pulled down my pants, and spanked me. She was always there, but I was also left alone a lot with the nannies. She and dad would often leave me at Elia's house, my longtime nanny. You could say I grew up with her and her husband." == Cruise ships cook and sinking of the Achille Lauro ==

After attending St. George's British International School in Rome, Borghese graduated from the American Overseas School of Rome. Following his graduation, owing to his Italian-American origins and multilingualism, Borghese embarked on cruise ships overseas, where he worked as dishwasher, kitchen assistant, and chef for three years, Borghese said that he wanted to do something different from his parents as he did not want to be an actor and instead wanted to travel the world and cook. He was 17 when he set sail for the first time. About the sinking, Borghese recalled: "The ship caught fire. The rule is that the crew disembarks last before abandoning ship. I risked my life because I went back to the dressing room to retrieve the Walkman my mom and dad had given me, which cost 300,000 lire [€154,94]. We were submerged for three days. We were off the coast of Somalia, and it took time to rescue 900 people from the middle of the sea. I wasn't afraid: I was an excited 18-year-old. My mother had called everyone, including the President of the Republic [Oscar Luigi Scalfaro], to find out what had happened to me." In September 2024, he again discussed this episode on , a TV show on Rai 1 hosted by Francesca Fialdini, saying: "A very intense adventure. I spent three days stranded on a raft. We were rescued by a Greek tanker, the Hawaiian King, which took us back to Mombasa, Kenya, and then I set off on another cruise." Borghese said that he was a 18 years old who had been on board for about a year on a transfer cruise from Genoa to Durban, South Africa. He added that some engines in the stern exploded, creating a leak and a large fire. When asked on the show how to survive in such situations, he stated: "With a desalination plant and K rations that aren't as good as my ." He also recalled that his mother heard the news on TV and were only able to communicate when he boarded on the Hawaiian King. == Cooking and restaurateur career ==

From 1997 to 2000, Borghese worked as a cook in London, San Francisco, Copenhagen, and often ranks restaurants. He said: "Cooking is the soul of Italy, and it's about time there was more of it on TV! I'm very happy to have pioneered this new vision of Italian food and cuisine. I've always been a supporter of progress; it bridges distances and improves culture." As a result of his successful television career, Borghese entered Italian popular culture and Internet memes, being known as "the only one who can confirm or overturn the result", as he often said on his TV show; Borghese himself responded to criticism with memes. Upon his second return in Italy, Borghese worked in several restaurants in Milan and Rome, This was followed by (2013), which was published by Mondadori; plus two CDs produced by Columbia Records containing 30 tracks within six musical journeys, spanning from rock music to jazz to hardcore and classic ballads, by a range of international artists, including among others Bob Dylan, Marvin Gaye, Louis Armstrong & His All Stars, and Spin Doctors; Alessandro Borghese Kitchen Sound. (2017), which was published by Mondadori Electa; In 2013, he also created the web portal, which was dedicated to Italian gastronomic excellence and designer kitchen utensils. During his career, Borghese was involved in consulting in the restaurateur business, licensing, advertising, and publishing, and for this purpose founded in 2010, alongside his wife who is the managing director, the Milan-based AB Normal – Eatertainment Company. Located in the CityLife area, on the first floor of , Borghese said in an October 2017 interview with the : "No one in Italy opens a restaurant on the first floor. It only happens in New York. But I want to surprise." By 2022, it was a full-fledged catering, banqueting, and entertainment company and a diversified group with more than 50 employees. and was ranked at No. 10 in the list of the top Italian chef influencers, alongside fellow celebrity chefs Antonino Cannavacciuolo, Bruno Barbieri, and Massimo Bottura, by Flu Plus; as of March 2023, he had 1.9 million of followers on Instagram, behind the 3 million of Cannavacciuolo but ahead of the 1.3 million of Barbieri. In June 2022, Borghese opened his second restaurant in Venice, called . Both of his restaurants are family-friendly as many children watch Borghese on television and go to his restaurants. In the 2025 Michelin Guide, Borghese's restaurant in Venice did not yet earn a star but received a special mention. Also in 2025, Borghese was listed at No. 8 among the most influential Italian chefs ("The Most Powerful Chefs") by Forbes Italia. == Television career ==

2004 was a turning point for Borghese's career. From 2005 to 2012, he hosted , a TV show on Real Time produced by Magnolia. Also in 2005, he hosted on Real Time. In 2006, he hosted on Real Time. From 2011 to 2013, he hosted on Real Time. From 2012 to 2013, he hosted on Sky Uno. From 2014 to 2016, he was one of the judges on the culinary talent show Junior MasterChef Italia on Sky Uno. In 2014, he was the Italian voice actor of Morad Sumar in Star Wars Rebels. In September 2016, before taking part to a cooking show with Fabrizio Nonis, Borghese was the protagonist of the ribbon cutting ceremony in to open the thirteenth edition of . In 2015, Borghese began hosting on Sky Uno's prime time and then often broadcast again in every time slot on TV8, Also in 2015, he began hosting Kitchen Sound on Sky Uno. The restaurateur Daniele Bovolato, who had taken part to the Padua episode of in July 2018 and finished last, accused the filming production of having manipulated the episode to make his restaurant appear in a negative view. Bovolato announced that he was not pursuing legal action claiming an "enormous damage to image" against Borghese and Sky Uno, largely because of certain contractual clauses he had signed prior to participating in the show. which was won by Osteria di Corte of chef Marco Liberti for its . In ten years as of December 2024, showed 480 restaurants distributed throughout each Italian region, 8 times abroad, 336 specialities, and 1,924 desserts. From 2017 to 2019, and then again in 2021, after being replaced by Barbieri in 2020, Borghese was the host of on TV8. In 2019, Borghese began hosting Kitchen Duel on Sky Uno. with the collaboration of Michelin-starred chef Gennaro Esposito, and Game of Talents, Also in 2021, Borghese hosted two podcasts produced by Dopcast: Alessandro Borghese Kitchen Podcast, based on its Kitchen Shuffle merging cuisine with music; and , where he discussed his personal experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, he began hosting Alessandro Borghese – Celebrity Chef on TV8/Sky Uno, with journalist Angela Frenda and multi-starred chef Enrico Bartolini as judges. Within a few weeks, Celebrity Chef reached 561,000 viewers in the early evening with a 3 percent share, a positive result especially when considering the very crowded time slot. == Restaurants ==

Borghese is the owner of two restaurants, one in Milan and the other in Venice, under the brand. he lamented the lack of state support. In an interview to the , he also lamented the risk of closure, stating: "Now we're at a standstill. Everything is closed. And I'm paying my 64 employees the redundancy checks: I couldn't let them wait months for the funds to arrive due to bureaucracy. But we can't hold out like this for long. Another month. If things don't improve, I'll have to decide what to do with staff, rent, and bills. But it's an eventuality I hope I don't have to face." About the proliferation of stars, forks, and hats awards, he further said: "Well, if the judges are serious and knowledgeable, it's nice to be included in an authoritative guide. The best is certainly Michelin, but I see it as an additional opportunity for a chef." with a seating capacity of 50, the spirit was designed to be rock and roll and the recipes were not overly codified or consistently the same. located on the ground floor of Ca' Vendramin Calergi, the 16th-century building (founded in 1638) in Venice that housed the oldest casino in the world. Within the Cannaregio district (), it overlooks the Grand Canal between () and , in front of and the . A gourmet restaurant with a bistro area and garden on the Grand Canal, it was established with a space of 740 square meters, 400 of which were occupied by the indoor dining room accommodating 30 guests for the gourmet menu and 50 for the bistro, in addition to the 340 square meters of outdoor space. The design involved industry professionals and specialized artisans, and the bistro area featured a pastry counter, clad in bottle-green enameled lava stone slabs. He also began filming in the building some episodes of Celebrity Chef. In terms of interior design, there was limited freedom due to numerous constraints by the location. == Culinary style and philosophy ==

Borghese often argues that other celebrity chefs like Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver are not as good as the best Italian chefs but praises them for being able, also thanks to the media, to create a global business centered around the Mediterranean cuisine. About his own culinary style and philosophy, which can be summarized by his motto "Cooking Is An Act of Love" (), Borghese said: "There must be an idea, a construction behind every menu. From the starter to the dessert. The ingredients must be incredibly fresh, the courses must entice you to try the next course. And then if I can lend a hand with a little something, well, I do. ... The dish is an act of love. The chef must be curious and show love for his or her regional tradition." While the tradition of Italian cuisine evolved over the years, following the tastes, trends, and techniques of modern society, he argued: "In twenty years, we'll still be eating ." Of the future of cuisine, also referencing a food controversy by the Meloni government about cricket flour, Borghese said: "In the last 20 years, it's not like we've invented any great dishes. But we have to evolve, cuisine has to evolve. Then twice a week, a is a good idea. Crickets? I eat them, and I eat them fried." As a traditionalist of Italian cuisine, Borghese is critical of cultured meat, although he was not able to distinguish it from real meat during a segment by ''''. He expressed support for entomophagy, which is considered a taboo in Western countries, stating: "We already unknowingly eat half a kilo of insects a year. From coffee to cocoa, from pasta grains to rice, when they're processed, some insects end up in the process." During the panel titled "", which was part of the Sky Inclusion Days held in June 2025 at the in Milan, Borghese said: "I'm not very in favor of lab-grown meat, but I strongly believe in the value of insects in the kitchen. They represent an important cultural resource, given that they are already an integral part of the diet in many gastronomic traditions around the world." He also said that cooking is "purely a passion, because it's hard work. There are no shortcuts, no ChatGPT in the kitchen... no made on the computer." Borghese combines food with his other passion of music. In "Vasco Rossi – Cambia-Menti Kitchen Shuffle Origine" of his 2014 audiobook Kitchen Shuffle. Storie di cucina in musica, he wrote that Italian cuisine is "a story of men and women and their great passion and attention to tradition and local products, a unique art, a precious vocation that never ceases to amaze, it is our being Italian, we are the only ones capable of asking what's for dinner during lunch." Borghese is a supporter of the Sanremo Festival, saying that one watches its final "like Italy playing in the World Cup". For the 2022 Sanremo Music Festival, he expressed his support for Elisa as competitor and Cesare Cremonini as guest, and associated the main protagonists with a recipe. About whether "everyone now thinks of themselves as Michelin-starred, connoisseurs, and great gourmets", Borghese said: "Come on, we Italians are like that. We're all Formula One drivers, we're all soccer coaches. Cooking is part of us, and obviously many of us enjoy trying our hand at it. And then one more cooking show is better than one more political talk show." == Commentary and views about the restaurateur industry ==

Borghese often comments on the state of the Italian restaurateur industry, speaking of a crisis, particularly lamenting the lack of employment after the COVID-19 pandemic, while recognizing the right of young people to guarantees and an adequate salary. He supports Italian cuisine being recognized as World Heritage Site, and criticized the fact it was not on the list already, stating: "Mexican cuisine is on the list, but not ours. It seems ridiculous to me. Look at how well the French protect themselves, we don't know how to work as a team. There are restaurant chains all over the world with chefs like Gordon Ramsey. Name one Italian chef who owns a world-renowned chain: none. Jamie Oliver has become the guru of Italian cuisine, and he doesn't even know how to cook." particularly for self-employed workers and self-employed individuals. One notable case was in October 2021 when he caused a stir, Further criticism ensued in April 2022, when he stated: "Do you want to be Alessandro Borghese? You have to work hard. No one has ever given me anything for free. I've broken my back for this job, which requires sacrifice and dedication." The Unione Sindacale di Base (USB) in Livorno, where Borghese was visiting to film a new episode of in June 2022, issued banners stating "Work must always be paid. You're not welcome" (). Further criticism from people in Livorno came when Borghese, while filming the February 2025 episode in Pisa, appeared to attribute the to Pisa rather than Livorno. == Personal life ==

In July 2009, Borghese married Wilma Oliverio (born 1975), a former model and businesswoman. The two first met during an interview in 2008, when Oliverio, who at that time was in the commercial sector as a manager of Digital Bros in Milan, called him to create a culinary-themed video game. Borghese said that he was never engaged and only had flings or affairs before he met Olivero, and ended up marrying her after nine months. About the wedding proposal, he said: "We were on a trip, we'd just met. There was a bit of turbulence on the plane. There were a few seats available, and I said, 'Wilma, are we moving?' [] And she understood: 'We're getting married.' [] She threw her arms around me and said, 'Yes. Their wedding ceremony was held in the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Roseto in Solopaca on 25 July. From their marriage, two daughters were born and named Alexandra (born 2012) and Arizona (born 2016). Borghese recognized the son but was yet to have the opportunity to see him in person. In March 2021, he tested positive for COVID-19. In July 2021, Borghese said that in city he travels with electric cars, his Volkswagen Polo, or use one of his motorbikes due to parking and traffic problems, while his family car is a Jeep, joking that "having two daughters and a wife, practically the whole car is for their suitcases." especially Grand Prix motorcycle racing including Moto GP and Superbike racing, as well as Formula One, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and rallying, With Kevin Schwantz as his first idol, At the same time, he admired Scuderia Ferrari during the 1980s when Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, and Michele Alboreto were still driving, stating that the world of motorsport was "completely different from today". In October 2021, he said that if Napoli were to win the 2021–22 Serie A league season and their third Scudetto, he would be "delighted, being a mixed-blood Neapolitan" and he would make "the pasta and potatoes I made at Frank Matano's house when I filmed Game of Talent. My uncle Tonino, a true Neapolitan, taught me it many, many years ago, and it's a cornerstone of Neapolitan home cooking." This passion was passed on him by his father, who also grew up in a garage, racing motorcycles including the Milan-Taranto with Ducati, Harley-Davidson, Suzuki, and Yamaha, as well as an Italian Championship in 125cc and 175cc classes, and also tested a Porsche Taycan to try an electric motor car, being pleasantly surprised, while stating that he remained what in the United States call "a petrolhead". Borghese thought about combining cooking and motoring in a TV show, stating that it is an idea that "often comes up: a road trip on two or four wheels in search of flavor! I'm convinced, however, that today we need a MasterChef dedicated to the dining room because everyone wants to be a chef and no one wants to be a waiter. The dining room is the front line, welcoming customers, explaining, and sharing what we do in the kitchen. It's a sector where we're in dire straits; in Milan, we're short at least two thousand waiters: it's not just my problem, it's common to all my colleagues. It's a job that no one wants to do." == Television ==

• (Real Time, 2005–2012) • (Real Time, 2005) • (Real Time, 2006) • (La7, 2007–2011) • (Real Time, 2009) • (Rai 2, 2009) • (Real Time, 2009–2012) • (La7, 2010) • (Real Time, 2010) • (Rai 1, 2011) – competitor • (Canale 5, 2011) – judge • (Real Time, 2011–2013) • (Sky Uno, 2012–2013) • Junior MasterChef Italia (Sky Uno, 2014–2016) – judge • Star Wars Rebels, voice actor of Morad Sumar • (TV8/Sky Uno, since 2015) • Kitchen Sound (Sky Uno, since 2015) • (TV8, 2017–2019; 2021) • (La7, 2018) – juror • Kitchen Duel (Sky Uno, since 2019) • Alessandro Borghese Kitchen Podcast (Dopcast, 2020–2021) – ten-episode podcast • (Dopcast, 2021) – one-episode podcast • (TV8/Sky Uno, 2021) • (TV8/Sky Uno, 2021) • Game of Talents (TV8/Sky Uno, 2021) • Alessandro Borghese – Celebrity Chef (TV8/Sky Uno, since 2022) == Books ==