Giada De Laurentiis says she has found love again after painful divorce

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Giada De Laurentiis on celebrity chefs, grandfather's advice

Star of such hit cooking shows as 'Everyday Italian' on The Food Network shows no signs of slowing down

Giada De Laurentiis has plenty of reasons to smile these days.

After the celebrity chef and her husband of 11 years, fashion designer Todd Thompsonn, filed for divorce in 2014 after being separated for months, she has found love again.

The Food Network star has been dating TV producer Shane Farley for nearly three years.

“Shane’s a lot of a fun,” the 47-year-old told People Magazine Wednesday. “It’s one of my favorite things about our relationship.”

Farley, 45, feels just as content with the romance.

“She’s warm and absolutely beautiful – what you see on the outside is there on the inside as well,” he revealed.

According to the magazine, the couple met in 2013 after Farley was hired to produce a talk show with De Laurentiis and her close friend, fellow celebrity chef Bobby Flay. While the project never came to fruition, a relationship would later blossom when the star found herself single again.

Still, De Laurentiis was feeling hesitant.

“After I got divorced, I spent about a year and a half alone, not dating, just figuring things out,” she explained. “I had been with [my daughter] Jade’s dad for 25 years. I didn’t know what it meant to not be married. Once I got settled, [Shane and I] reconnected and I felt like a kid again.”

De Laurentiis admitted tackling both dating and working as a single mother came with its challenges, but she’s thankful to have a supportive team by her side.

“What’s helped me be successful is being OK with knowing I can’t do it all,” she said. “I have a wonderful team of people around me that will help me every day. Getting along with my ex-husband really helps as well. We’re supportive of each other and, in turn, supportive of Jade.”

De Laurentiis also shared that Jade has developed a close bond with Farley, which makes dinner at the table an enjoyable experience for all.

“When we sit down for dinner, it is our time as a family to sit and chat,” she said. “I believe in no distractions, no television, no getting up, no phones, no nothing. It’s just us.”