Guy Fieri is cooking as the COVID-19 fundraising champ

The ubiquitous chef has added a charitable twist to “Tournament of Champions.”

Guy Fieri is the real deal.

The out-of-bounds chef, restauranteur and self-described “mayor of Flavortown” has a funkalicious Food Network empire spanning “Guy’s Grocery Games” and the catchphrase-filled travelogue “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” His latest, “Tournament of Champions” (Sundays, 8 EDT/PDT), pits 16 chefs in cooking battles using different proteins, produce and equipment.

The show’s second season, which premiered March 7, has a COVID-19-era twist: Each time a chef wins a round, $10,000 is donated to their favorite local restaurant in need. It’s a small part of Fieri’s pandemic relief efforts, which have raised $25 million for restaurant workers nationwide since last March. Many people on Twitter have compared him to Dolly Parton, who donated $1 million to help fund the Moderna vaccine. “I love to have my name mentioned with Dolly – she’s awesome,” Fieri says. “And there are so many people who did so much that didn’t get all the recognition they deserve. But that’s just what we do as a country: we support and get involved and we help.”

Fieri, 53, also is launching a series of delivery-only Flavortown Kitchens. He tells USA TODAY about “Tournament of Champions” and more:

Question: How did you wish to incorporate COVID-19 relief into “Tournament of Champions” this season?

Guy Fieri: “Tournament of Champions” is one of my pet projects. I knew we needed to give all my brothers and sisters in the (restaurant) industry a chance to play. As we were getting ready to go in the studio (for Season 2), I said, “We’ve got to do something. I want to give money to restaurants and when chefs come to compete, they get to mention who they’re competing for, so that brings awareness (for the restaurant).” And these chefs came and played with their hearts on their sleeves.

Q: Early in the pandemic, lots of people were making sourdough and banana bread. Did you try any new recipes in quarantine?

Fieri: As a chef, I’m always working on recipes. Did we make more pizza at home? Yes. Did we do more smoking meats and making jerky? Yes. We farmed a lot more – we have a big ranch, so we spent a lot of time cutting firewood and clearing brush. But we did spend more time cooking as a family.

Q: With barber shops and salons closed, did you also have to bleach and cut your own hair?

Fieri: This is my natural color. (Laughs.) No, my wife, Lori, had to take up her barbering skills. Fortunately, one of my best friends owns a hair salon.

Q: When this is all over, where are you most looking forward to going on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives?”

Fieri: We had a little window in October or November that we shot in South Dakota and North Dakota, and we had never been there before (on “Triple D”). That was to finish out the continental United States, which was a huge milestone for us. We’ve been shooting this show for over 30 (seasons), and nearly 450 (episodes) and 1,500 locations

Q: Before COVID-19 hit, you and your son, Hunter, were also supposed to go to Asia to shoot a sequel to “Guy & Hunter’s European Vacation.” Is that show still happening?

Fieri: It’s still gonna happen. But we are setting off to Hawaii in a few weeks to do “Guy & Hunter,” Hawaiian-style.

Q: Is Hunter eventually going to be the next “mayor of Flavortown,” or will you always have the title?

Fieri: One article called him the “prince of Flavortown.” We’ve got a big operation here, from the farming to the wine to the tequila to the restaurants to the TV (shows). So he’s in training and he’s doing a great job.