According to Sandra Lee, she and boyfriend Ben Youcef go together like macaroni and cheese.
The celebrity chef, 56, got candid about her romance with the Hawaii Five-0 actor, 43, in an exclusive interview with E! News, saying they're so "connected" that there are absolutely no secrets between them. In fact, Sandra—who is a board member for the Elton John AIDS Foundation and is partnering up with Saks Fifth Avenue to raise awareness for World AIDS Day—said that she "would not be in this relationship" if that wasn't the case.
"We have each other's passwords on our phone," she noted. "We trust each other completely. There's no question that we can't ask each other and the other one won't be completely forthcoming."
While there have been many celeb splits in 2022, the Semi-Homemade Cooking star assured fans that she and Ben won't be one of them. Thinking back on a conversation they recently had about how "everybody's looking for a breakup before the end of the year," Sandra remembered Ben telling her, "'Let's not worry about that. Let's just make sure our relationship is solid.'"
"Then, he went to walk out the door and I go, 'On that note, didn't you forget something?'" Sandra recalled, before explaining how Ben sweetly gave her a smooch. "He goes, 'I knew you're gonna say that.' He forgot to kiss me when he was leaving the room."
Having celebrated their first anniversary earlier this year, Sandra is looking forward to hitting more milestones with Ben, including their first Christmas with his 7-year-old twins. "We're spending Christmas with the kids," she shared. "We're taking them to the snow, so that's what our focus is."
Another thing on Sandra's mind this holiday season? Giving back. That's why the cookbook author is so passionate about Saks Fifth Avenue's latest partnership Elton John AIDS Foundation, which includes a curated capsule collection and a special event held at the luxury retailer's Beverly Hills store to raise funds for World AIDS Day on Dec. 1.
"I have been part of the Elton John AIDS Foundation family for about 15 years. It's been a long time," she said. "They're so giving and loving."
Praising the nonprofit's founder Elton John for being "fearless before being fearless was cool," Sandra said the world "would be a completely different place" had the singer and his husband David Furnish, who serves as the chairman of the charity, not brought attention to the AIDS pandemic and openly supported those affected by the disease.
"Can you imagine if you had something that was that scary, then no one was getting behind you, no one was there to support you and very few people are making your life matter?" she asked. "The despair, I cannot even imagine. I feel so fortunate to be part of not only this board that makes a huge difference, but doing everything I can to make sure that AIDS is eradicated."
Sandra added, "We're lucky to have fabulous partners like Saks helping us not only raise funds but also awareness. It's really important that we all, this holiday season, remember those things."