Valerie Bertinelli Dropped From Food Network’s Kids Baking Championship: ‘I Was Basically Ghosted’
Kids Baking Championship‘s Valerie Bertinelli has revealed that she’s not returning to the Food Network competition series she’s hosted and judged for 12 seasons due to budget cuts.
“I’ve been avoiding facing what I got confirmation for last night and I didn’t want to talk about it last night. I wanted to sleep on it because it really hurt my feelings,” she shared via Instagram video Saturday. “I know it’s not supposed to. Logically, I know that it’s business. Budget cuts, right? But it really hurt my feelings to know that I’m not going to be asked back to be on Kids Baking Championship. It really sucks.”
The actress and host elaborated on Threads Sunday writing, “I got an inkling I might not be asked back when I saw I was not in the holiday specials. I got a text by a third party on Friday that told me I would not be back. LOL I was basically ghosted. I have zero ill will toward anyone at FN. I enjoyed every single moment I worked for them, and they are all lovely, kind, hard-working people. And I understand business is business. But I won’t tolerate lies. I am a lot of things, but I am not greedy, nor am I a liar.”
TVLine has reached out to Food Network/Discovery for comment.
Bertinelli and Duff Goldman have hosted the show since 2015. Season 12 is currently airing, with Bertinelli saying she filmed those episodes back in 2022 during “my apex year of hell.” She said on Instagram that she was “going through it and pretending everything was just fine because that’s what you do! And without sounding like a drama queen, the show saved my life.”
She continued: “Working with all those really wonderful people and feeling productive and knowing I could spread some kindness and not just wallow in my hell and just try to keep my head above water. It helped me. It was like a flotation device. It really hurts that I won’t be able to go back and see everybody and say, ‘Hey, I made it through!’ I think I’m most sad that I won’t be able to tell everybody what they mean to me.”
In April of 2023, Food Network pulled the plug on Bertinelli’s series Valerie’s Home Cooking, which ran for 14 seasons.
Sad to see Bertinelli go? Let us know in the comments.
Definitely not happy about this. She and Duff have a great rapport. She’s amazing with the kids. This is a big hit to the show.
Why would they do this? Valerie is amazing! I hope the don’t use that Rhee(?) chick again, she’s has zero personality and is boring as hell. This really sucks.
I absolutely agree! Rhee has No personality at all! Valerie was wonderful with the kids!
Ree “Pioneer Woman” Drummond is a major brand, with her metaphorical finger in every pie. She was a moneymaker for FN from the get-go. (BTW, she married into the Drummond clan, part of the white settlers who cheated the Osage Nation (via corruption, fraudulent marriages and even murder) out of their mineral “head rights.” (See “Killers of the Flower Moon”). The Drummond family still owns millions (perhaps the lion’s share) of those “head rights.”
Drummond is synonymous with FN, as are Bobby Flay, Guy Fieri, Ina Garten, et al. Bertinelli, while popular and talented as an actor, cook and natural host came late to the FN “party.” She never was part of the FN “brand.”
Perhaps some body-shaming going on there as well.
And you think Duff is fit?
Ree Drummond’s target demographic is also sociopolitically conservative–again, a major driver of ratings and product tie-in revenue for FN.
Also sociopathpolitically Conservatives
Television business is not easy. Seems like they would have better communication with one another. She will be missed.
Molly Yee fits that same category
Valerie is (was) a great co-host and I’m so sick of almost every show featuring the same people– I’ve had enough Guy Fieri and Bobby Flay to last a lifetime. I assume since FN finally dipped their toes into the deep well of Top Chef talent, they can’t afford to pay the folks that are really only appearing on a single show.
I hate this! Valerie is a wonderful host for the show, and is so warm and friendly. She and Duff are great together on it. I didn’t like the holiday specials with the other hosts.
I completely agree! My first reaction to seeing the holiday specials was “where’s Valerie?”
I said the same thing for the holiday specials. The new co host Duff had was fine, she just wasn’t Val. Sad to see her go.
Do they still have her under contract? I recall she signed a long-term contract for both shows pre-Covid (2019?) If she’s stuck under a contract, she needs to get out of it so she’s available to other outlets for cooking shows. She just finished another book.
Bad decision Food Network. She loves all the kids and is so good with them. Jerks.
I can’t stand Food Network anymore. Like someone else said, it’s the same “chefs” over and over, and it’s 98% competition shows. I’ve been saying for years their food budget seems outrageous considering the times we are in. They need to go back to actual cooking shows where they only have enough ingredients to make one dish. These pantries and fridges full of food that end up getting wasted after just one or two tastes is appalling. Yes, I know some of the unused stuff is donated, but it all seems wasteful and pointless. We should not be “competing” with food. I’d like to see the network go back to homestyle cooking shows and maybe an hour a day or one day a week air classic old school FN shows from the early 2000s.
I remember when Cooking Channel was supposed to be the instructional alternative to Food Network, but that channel’s been taken over by FN rejects too!
Bobby Flay and Guy Fieri has this network on lock. I truly do not get it . The network had evolved towards competitions. The best gems can be found in the weekends.
I used to watch all the time, and would again if they had proper instructional food cooking. What they show is so insipid, I NEVER watch the network. It’s useless and now one speck entertaining. And yes, we’ve all had enough Bobby and Guy for a lifetime.
Lousy move on FN’s part. Valerie was amazing on that show. That lady who was on the holiday show was awful.
Valerie home cooking was the best cooking show on! Everything she made was authentic and delicious. I’m retired and I watched them all. Give her back her show!
Food Network is making a big big big mistake letting Valerie go! I like Duff but Valerie was the reason I watched Food Network! I learned a lot from her being a home cook/baker! Food Network just lost a viewer!
Lousy move on FN’s part. Valerie was amazing on that show. That lady who was on the holiday show was awful. The Kids Baking show was one of the last things I was watching on Food Network. They’ve really ruined it!
Wrost choice ever food network…she was wonderful with the kids and so refreshing to watch. I think it’s another PC movement witch will be proven when we see her replacement. SAD…SAD…SAD!
Would love some clarity on this portion of Valerie’s statement: “But I won’t tolerate lies. I am a lot of things, but I am not greedy, nor am I a liar.”
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What was being said about her, or what was being attributed to her, that she felt it necessary to include this?
It was reported elsewhere that contract talks had stalled when there were, in fact, no contract talks. FN had decided they weren’t bringing her back. My guess is that it was her statement is referring to.
She was replying to a People article that said she wanted more money and talks between them broke down because of that. While she says there were never any talks… And she was told she wouldn’t be back when a third party texted or called her to tell her she wouldn’t be back for the kids show or her cooking show.
SOOO very sad FN has cut Valerie from the Kids Baking Show as well as her Valerie Home Cooking show. She is incredibly talented and this is a huge loss as a regular viewer of FN.
Shame on Food Network . There are plenty ways to cut back .You need to apologize To Valerie and beg her to stay. Duff,kids and her fans would miss her.carolyn from the Midwest.
Very disappointed that Valerie’s Home Cooking was cancelled. Good food and enjoyed her guests.
Less competition and MORE COOKING.
Anything with Flay is painful to watch.
Sadly, The Kitchen is unwatchable with over-exaggerated reactions and talking over each other. So fake. In recent years, they barely even taste each other’s food.
Egos are ballooning out of control on the whole network.
Yes!!!! I won’t watch Kids Baking Championship anymore!! The kids loved her and so did I! Her and Duff were a great duo! Budget cuts ???!!!! Seriously??!!!
She is wonderful. The show won’t be the same without her. She brings a needed warmth to the kids. She always looked for something positive to says about the kids and their creation. She will be missed.
Well that about does it for me. She was one of the most authentic personalities on the show. Loved loved loved her in both her cooking show and Kids Baking show. Such a bad and sad move on FN part. Agree with those who said it’s the same old chefs now and the shows are so far from enjoyable. Done with FN. Used to love it , not so much now.
I am really sad that Valerie won’t be on the show. She brought a lot to the program. I’m going to miss her.
I am very upset that Food Network has dropped Valerie Bertinelli. I would rather see shows that promote nastiness such as Grudge Match removed. Not acceptable getting rid of someone with decent values.
Side note – Grudge Match has been pulled and removed from the app because Darnell Ferguson was arrested
That sucks,budget costs only mean someone higher up wants more money .she has such a way with kids. She needs to stay.
Valerie is the heart and soul of that show. She is the Mom! When one of the kids would get upset or cry, it’s always Valerie who steps in with a hug and gets them back on track. No disrespect to Duff, I know he’s a new dad, but he can’t fill those shoes. It won’t be the same without her.
Agree with most here, it’s the same set of Chefs over and over. Mostly Bobby Flay and Guy Fieri. I like both, but honestly not all day long for hours and hours. Valerie was good with the kids and had some chemistry with Duff. Not a fan of Ree Drummond, she has zero stage presence, not sure what they see in her?
I’m a major fan of Valerie Bertinelli! I wish for her support & love from all her family & friends! I live in the southern part of the USA. South GA specifically. I grew up watching her on TV. And I’ve loved whatever she did professionally. Take care, always!! She’s needed back on the show!!
Seems the budget cuts don’t matter when it involves Guy Fieri. How many shows and reruns does he have going now? And what was the figure stated in last year’s new contract release? He is way overexposed and although I like him I am so tired of seeing him and his kids I turn to other channels when his shows are on.. Valerie is a good host and so compassionate with the kids.
It’s been widely reported that although Guy personally makes less than most chefs, he makes a lot of money for the network. Not to mention that he’s a huge contributor to countless charities.
Guy got a huge contract last year hence why he has many shows. I’m fine with that. I’m not fine with letting Valerie go from the kids baking show or FN being all competition shows. Val will be replaced with Kardea Brown who has her own show and judges some of the other baking championships and seems to be their flavor of the month. She’s ok but not anything like Val.