With his immense knowledge and approachable demeanor, Ted Allen became one of the most well known and well liked personalities in the world of food and dining. Born in Columbus, Ohio, Allen initially studied psychology at Purdue University before eventually gaining a masters in journalism from New York University's Science and Environmental Reporting Program. He began writing for Lerner Newspapers as part of a group of four food writers known as the "The Famished Four," and later went on to become the senior editor at Chicago magazine. In 1997, Allen brought his talents as a food writer to Esquire magazine, eventually raising his profile so high that he was a natural fit for a new TV series premiering on Bravo in 2003 titled "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" (Bravo, 2003-07). The series brought together five gay men each with their own professional area of expertise, who then offered life makeovers to straight men. As the food and wine expert on the show, Allen became a beloved on-screen personality, which he then parlayed into jobs on other shows, judging "Iron Chef America" (Food Network, 2005-) and "Top Chef" (Bravo, 2006-), in addition to hosting "Food Detectives" (Food Network, 2008-) and "Chopped" (Food Network, 2007-).