Joey Chestnut wins Nathan’s Hot Dog eating contest: How many hot dogs did he eat today?

Joey Chestnut has reclaimed the winner title of Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest in his triumphant return to the Fourth of July competition. He skipped last year due to a sponsorship dispute with a vegan wiener brand. Chestnut, 41, scarfed down an incredulous 70.5 hot dogs in front of a raucous crowd in Coney Island on Friday and reclaimed the Mustard Belt for a record 17th time.

The competitive-eating icon returned to the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest after being banned from last year’s competition. The 41-year-old from Indiana relished the moment by eating 70.5 hot dogs in the 10 minute event. Patrick Bertoletti, who won the Nathan's contest in Chestnut's absence, finished second with 46 hot dogs and buns eaten.

Chestnut downed 11 hot dogs in the opening minute. At the halfway mark of the event, he had eaten 46 and averaged a pace of over nine hot dogs per minute to take an 18-dog lead over the next best eater. With one minute remaining, he had a total of 64 hot dogs and was comfortably in front by 22, as per media reports.


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At his weigh-in Thursday, the top dog said last year’s beef wouldn’t hold him back.

“We didn’t burn any bridges. I love this event. I was willing to keep talking and I’m happy we figured it out,” he said of the dust-up with Major League Eating.

Chestnut’s personal record is gulping down 76 dogs in 10 minutes. "I wish I ate a couple more, I'm sorry guys," Chestnut said on ESPN after the win. "But yeah, I'll be back next year."

Is Joey Chestnut married?

According to a report in The Hindustan Times, Joey Chestnut is not married and has never been married. He was previously engaged to Neslie Ricasa, but the couple split before their planned wedding in 2015.

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Chestnut began dating fellow competitive eater Neslie Ricasa in 2011 after the two met at an eating competition. On July 4, 2014, he proposed to her on stage at Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island. However, their engagement ended in early 2015, just weeks before their planned wedding on May 9.

Chestnut attributed the breakup to his demanding travel schedule, stating, “I was gone quite a bit. It was mutual,” and noted that being single allowed him to focus on competitions.

Neslie Ricasa, a Filipino-American from Alameda, California, holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from San Jose State University. As a competitive eater, she made notable appearances, including the 2013 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, where she ate 14 hot dogs (10 in competition), and the 2013 Day-Lee Foods World Gyoza Eating Championship, where she consumed 59 dumplings.

In 2019, Ricasa married Drew Ely, an elevator technician at Star Elevator, after they began dating in 2017.