Guy Fieri undergoes emergency surgery after tearing quad muscle in freak fall

Guy Fieri is recovering after a serious on-set accident that saw the Food Network star rushed into emergency surgery.

The 57-year-old missed a set of stairs and suffered a rare and severe tear to his quadriceps muscle while filming his new series, Flavor Town Food Fight. He explained that one leg went forward while the other got caught on a threshold, forcing his body into an extended position as his right leg compressed.

Fieri told Fox News Digital that the injury was so unusual his doctor said he had not seen a tear like it in the “biggest, thickest part” of the quadriceps in 20 years. Unlike the more common tendon tear, the muscle split in the centre of the quad, which he described as having “exploded”.

He underwent immediate surgery to prevent the muscle from receding. As part of his recovery, he must keep weight off the leg for at least eight weeks before beginning rehabilitation. He is currently using a wheelchair and crutches to get around.

Despite the severity of the accident, filming on Flavor Town Food Fight has continued with adjusted and creative production techniques to accommodate his limited mobility.

“I want to get after it as fast as possible,” Fieri said, noting that although he broke several bones as a child, including his leg, knee, wrist, sternum, ribs and tailbone, he left that kind of risky behaviour behind long ago.

The injury has also changed his Thanksgiving plans this year. Fieri will be relying on his sons, Hunter, 29, and Ryder, 19, along with his nephew Jules, to take charge of the cooking while he oversees from his wheelchair. The family is preparing to cook for around 40 people at his ranch.

Ryder joked that the years of cooking lessons he received from his father were finally paying off, declaring that it was “his time to shine”.

Fieri said having his three boys in the kitchen would turn the holiday into its own kind of adventure, even as he remains unable to take part in the outdoor activities he usually enjoys at the ranch.