Gina Neely is best known as the co-host of Food Network's Down Home with the Neelys with her former husband Pat Neely, which put her in the national spotlight. The Neely's cooking show centered on their traditional Southern recipes and ran for 143 episodes, becoming one of the network's highest-rated shows. Gina co-authored the bestselling cookbook Back Home with the Neelys, published in 2009. 

Memphis native Gina Neely never set out for a career in food, much less food television stardom. She did, however, learn the art of Southern traditional cooking from her godmother, great-grandmother, and mother — including how to make to most of what was grown in their backyard. After several years in California, Gina moved back to her hometown, married her now ex-husband Pat, who had a popular barbecue restaurant business. While she was at first reluctant when Food Network approached the couple with the idea of a cooking show, it quickly became apparent that her engaging personality made her a natural on camera. In addition to Down Home with the Neelys, Gina and Pat also took over the show Road Tested from the Deen brothers. Today Gina is a motivational speaker, an on-air personality, and an entrepreneur with her own line of candles and sprays.