Sandra Lee, 55, just made her big red carpet return — and she looked amazing doing it. On July 31, the celebrity chef stunned at the UNICEF Summer Gala in Capri, Italy, which marked her first red carpet appearance since January 2020. Sandra looked incredible at the star-studded event as she showed off her 25-pound weight loss while dressed in a yellow Matičevski gown, which she paired with colorful earrings and heels. Sandra posted her stunning look in several Instagram snapshots.
At the event, which included appearances from Katy Perry, John Legend, Heidi Klum and more, Sandra told PEOPLE, “I’m having the best summer of my life.” She also showed off her slim figure in a white summer dress that she wore for a dinner in Capri over the weekend. Sandra highlighted that look on Instagram as well, captioning the photo, “I thank God everyday for my beautiful, blessed life and all the wonderful people in it- every pain makes the sweetness of these moments and experiences even more special.”
Sandra’s outings in Capri come after she revealed to her fans on July 2 that she had lost 25 pounds of her 30-pound weight loss goal. The cookbook author shared the news by posing for a mirror selfie on Instagram. “Wanted to meet my goal weight before I turned 55 which is tomorrow but I’m pretty happy with where I am-I feel great!!! Healthy thoughtful weight loss goals are not easy but worth it,” the Emmy winner wrote.
It was early January when Sandra announced she was taking on a strict new diet to drop the 30 pounds she gained in 2020. The star said on social media that it was her sister, Kimber, who inspired her to start this new chapter. She explained that her new diet would include abstaining from alcohol (noting that she didn’t even have “cocktail time” on New Year’s Eve), no red meat, and “very few carbs.” Sandra said that she had lost roughly 10 lbs. since starting her cleanse on Dec. 25, 2020, but was determined to continue and drop 30 pounds total.
Sandra has seriously rebounded after a rough few years. In 2015, she announced that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent a lumpectomy and double mastectomy. Since mid-2016, Sandra has been cancer-free. However, her personal life took a blow in 2019, when she split from NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo, 63, after 14 years together (they started dating in 2005). In December, around the same time that she was changing her eating habits, she embarked on an emotional move to California and left the Westchester County home that she once shared with Cuomo.