Sometimes, fans declare a celebrity “unrecognizable” over bangs or makeup.
This is a bit different. This is a total transformation.
Beloved celebrity chef Guy Fieri is getting praised, heckled, and everything in between over his stunning new look.
Happy 58th birthday, stranger! Care to explain?
Why does he look like that?
On Thursday, January 22, the legendary Food Network star celebrated his birthday.
Now 58, he shared an Instagram video in which he has totally redone his appearance to look genuinely, truly, unrecognizable.
He’s dressed like a run-of-the-mill man from the late ’70s. He’s wearing a tucked-in shirt (like a member of a cult), and belted khaki pants.
Fieri is cleanshaven. He’s also sporting a brown hairdo instead of his platinum spikes.
We’re pretty good at picking out faces (usually). This? This was a shock.
You see this and you start to understand stories of Dolly Parton going out on the town in different attire and not being recognized.
“Hey there!” Fieri said in the video, addressing his fans and followers.
“After so many years of celebrating my birthday as Guy,” he joked, “I figured this year I’d celebrate it as just a guy.”
Fieri cheered: “Happy birthday to me!” He then blew out the candles.
In the caption, he wrote: “New Year. New Guy. New look.”
Some laugh with the joke, but others have serious questions
The comments are full of mixed reactions to this extremely polarizing gag.
And, to be clear, the Mayor of Flavortown removing all hints of spice from his appearance is very much a gag.
His son, Hunter Fieri, asked: “Dad … when did you start selling insurance?”
(There can be surprisingly fun and interesting people who sell insurance and do other “normie” jobs, but we understand this meaning)
Tournament of Champions victor Maneet Chauhan commented: “It’s your b’day and you give us the gift of laughter! This is amazing Happy Happy Happy B’day.”
Guy fieri dressing normal and being unrecognizable is a good bit
— gains (@gains-skeets.bsky.social) January 22, 2026 at 5:28 PM
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However, not everyone was a fan — and it wasn’t about the look itself, even if some uncharitably drew comparisons to Charlie Kirk.
Was this the result of a stylist, using makeup and a wig and different clothing to rework the celebrity chef’s look in a very specific type of lighting?
Or did Fieri (or others) use generative AI to alter his appearance? Some commenters are outright accusing him of doing so, given specific elements to the video.
Hair and makeup experts are artists and craftspeople. Their work has value and deserves praise.
Using generative AI, on the other hand, is simply inexcusable. It’s 2026, and everyone should know better.
What is the new look for?
A man does not need an excuse to pull off a new look as a prank when turning 58.
But is there something more to this?
Some on social media are speculating that Fieri’s new look is part of an upcoming Super Bowl ad.
(The Super Bowl is a big football game — Bad Bunny is playing the Halftime show this year! — featuring expensive commercials)
If that’s the case, we’ll find out on Sunday, February 8. Until then, happy birthday, Mr. Fieri!