Buddy Valastro, Jr, better known as the Cake Boss, delivered a lively, interactive show for around 1,200 people at Emirates Palace hotel on Saturday afternoon.
The star of the American reality TV show Cake Boss, which follows the daily operations of his family business, Carlo's Bakery, the show is seen in 190 countries by 1.5 billion people.
Valastro's visit is part of Abu Dhabi Summer Season. It's his first time in the capital.
"You guys have a great country here,” he said. "Abu Dhabi has been awesome. There's so much to do and see. It's a good place to bring the kids and have a good time.”
True to his TV persona, Valastro came off as relaxed, funny and relatable during his two-hour show. He shared stories from his childhood and talked about life inside the bakery, all while demonstrating his cake-decorating skills and techniques.
Some members of the audience were moved to tears to see Valastro live on stage. Valastro, 37, says that is the kind of stuff that keeps him going.
"For a guy who's just a baker from New Jersey, I'm very humble and I'm very appreciative of the fans,” he said. "Sometimes when I get up on that stage and I see families from all over the world together, it makes me want to cry. It makes me want to pinch myself and say, ‘wow, what an amazing experience.'”
Valastro is now shooting season seven of Cake Boss in the US. He believes the worldwide success of the show can be attributed to one common denominator: family.
"No matter where you go in the world, family values are important,” said Valastro. "No matter where you come from, no matter what nationality, race or religion, the one thing we all have in common is family. Cake Boss is a show that you can enjoy as a family.”
Families in the Gulf may soon be seeing more of Valastro. He's revealed his future plans to open bakeries in Bahrain, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. They will be Valastro's first bakeries outside of the US.
Valastro's visit also included a cake-decorating competition among home bakers and professional bakers.
Source: The National