Katherine "Katie" Lee (born September 14, 1981 in Huntington, WV) is an American cookbook author, television food critic, chef, and novelist. Lee was raised in Milton, West Virginia. She met Billy Joel at the rooftop bar at The Peninsula hotel while visiting New York City for a weekend. After dating for a year, she and Joel married at his home in Oyster Bay, Long Island, on October 2, 2004. Alexa Ray Joel, Billy Joel's daughter from his marriage to Christie Brinkley, served as maid of honor. After nearly five years of marriage, Billy and Katie Lee separated in June 2009.
Lee studied journalism and food science at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where she graduated in 2003. While there she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta. She spent a semester abroad in Florence, Italy at The British Institute. In July 2005, Lee created the foodie website OliveAndPeach.com with partner Aleishall Girard. The web site ceased updating in September 2006. In 2006, she hosted the first season of Bravo's Top Chef. After a negative critical reception to her, Bravo replaced her with Padma Lakshmi.