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EXCLUSIVE Curtis Stone: ‘My big move home to OZ’

Having survived lockdown in LA, the celebrity chef now dreams of a true blue upbringing for his young sons
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He’s the Melbourne-born chef who’s conquered LA’s food scene and befriended the likes of Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres. But fame and fortune haven’t protected Curtis Stone from the grim realities of the pandemic in the US – including its devastating impact on the restaurant industry.

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“It’s been really tough, I’m not going to lie,” an emotional Curtis tells New Idea during an exclusive chat.

WATCH: Curtis Stone reveals COVID-19 forced him to close LA restaurants

My number one priority has been to keep my staff employed, so we’ve never worked harder to try to keep the businesses running under ever-changing restrictions.

“We started doing kerbside pick-up, home delivery, flipping the restaurants into grocery stores – you name it, we’ve done it!”

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Curtis’ most recent pivot has been the conversion of his fine-dining Beverly Hills eatery, Maude, into a homage to the humble pie.

“Americans aren’t used to the idea of a savoury pie,” Curtis, 45, explains. “To them, a pie is pecan, apple or cherry. So to bring a taste of Australia here is fantastic.”

Curtis Stone
Curtis’ most recent pivot has been the conversion of his fine-dining Beverly Hills eatery, Maude, into a homage to the humble pie. (Credit: Instagram)

While the chef has had to roll with the COVID punches, there has been one silver lining to the global pandemic – more time with his sons Hudson, 9, and Emerson, 6, and actress wife Lindsay Price, 44.

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“Truthfully, it’s been fantastic. Helping the kids with schoolwork, being home to make dinner and for bedtime. I’m looking forward to things getting back on track to normal, but I’m not going to lie … this time spent at home has been super special.”

Understandably, Curtis, usually a frequent guest judge on MasterChef, is champing at the bit to return to Australian shores, possibly for good.

MasterChef
Curtis, usually a frequent guest judge on MasterChef, is champing at the bit to return to Australian shores, possibly for good. (Credit: Ten)

“I miss home so much. I haven’t been able to get back for a year when I’m usually there every other month. However, for now, my and Lindsay’s work keeps us in the US, but we never say never!

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“You want to teach [the kids] more about their heritage because you’re not around it. I don’t know what will happen in the future, but I do hope that one day we’ll move back.

“I wish I could have [my boys] there more – and I wish they’d understand Aussie Rules football! But it’s life and we’ll get there one day.”

Curtis Stone
“I miss home so much. I haven’t been able to get back for a year when I’m usually there every other month,” he says.

Since relocating stateside 15 years ago, Curtis has gone from being a party-loving bachelor living it up in LA to being the ultimate poster boy for fatherhood.

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In 2009, he met Beverly Hills, 90210 star Lindsay on a blind date.They married in 2013, about a year and a half after they welcomed Hudson.

“It wasn’t my dream to be a dad or have kids,” Curtis reveals. “Not that I was against it, it just wasn’t at the top of my list. But after having children you realise what true love is all about – I can’t even think about not being a dad now.”

Curtis Stone
Since relocating stateside 15 years ago, Curtis has gone from being a party-loving bachelor living it up in LA to being the ultimate poster boy for fatherhood.

While ‘Linds’ is immersed in the glitz and glam of Hollywood, Curtis says that both he and his wife shun the limelight in favour of “a humbler, simpler kind of life”.

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“I’m pretty spiritual,” he says. “I believe you get what you give in life – if you can be kind to others it will come back to you. For me, it’s so important to just be a good husband, a good friend, a good father and a good human being.

“You need to realise that nothing is ever perfect … you always have your ups and your downs – but right now my life is a dream. I’m a very lucky man.”

To read more pick up this week’s issue of New Idea, on sale now. 

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