Chef Sandra Lee Shares PDA Photos With Boyfriend Ben Youcef to Celebrate Her 58th Birthday

Food Network chef Sandra Lee rang in her 58th birthday with some sweet smooches from her boyfriend, Ben Youcef!

In a PDA-packed post shared on Instagram on Tuesday, July 2, Sandra kissed her beloved in a bunch of different locations. Each photo in the carousel had a different background.

“Best birthday gift ever was Ben!” she captioned the post. “Thank you for chasing me up the street and not taking NO NO NO for an answer! You were right! Thank you God for such wonderful man to get to kiss. Birthday tomorrow- so grateful for my love!! Happy Everything for Everyone! Sandy xoxo.”

Sandra’s romance with the actor first began in the summer of 2021. He stuck by her side as her support system when underwent a complete hysterectomy seven years after she underwent a double mastectomy following her breast cancer diagnosis.

“My sweet Ben is with me and will be taking a little time off work to stay home,” she wrote on Instagram in March 2022. “I’m so grateful for his and everyone’s support, my friends and family have been incredible.”

Two years later, Sandra opened up about overcoming obstacles in her life, including her very public breakup from Andrew Cuomo, her cancer battle and more.

“It’s been a journey. The breakup was startling for everybody,” she told Closer in May. “The cancer diagnosis was the biggest thing, [along with] the challenge of getting so sick when I was going through the treatment. When I went to the [2015] Emmys, I didn’t realize how emaciated I was until I saw the looks on other people’s faces. Then I saw the pictures, and I went, ‘Wow. My body’s been through it.’ I’m so grateful to it for carrying me through those hard times. I had a pretty intense nine years.”

She and Ben have since traveled to many places together around the globe, including their recent trip to Paris.

“PARIS! The Food! Amazing- ate everything in site! Drank champagne. Dessert! Chocolate. Divine!” she captioned a photo of the couple from the vacation on June 10. “I wish you were here we would eat and drink and critique all the wonderful rich deep flavors – I love analyzing what I think is in each dish based on the flavors that hit my palette. Amazing. Have a great week!!!! To me food is research-what a gift! Sending Love SL.”

In another birthday post on Instagram, Sandra thanked those close to her for making her day so special.

“On my birthday I wanted to post some of the beautiful moments that I have had. Some of My family who I love endlessly and some of my friends who are so dear to me,” the cookbook author wrote. “I’ll get to see a few of them this weekend with some pictured here. I want to thank YOU ALL for making everything so special and for following me ON MY JOURNEY. And of course to my Sweet Ben, Amazing Alx, Incredible Allison and Lovely Lizanne.”