What to Know
It’s easy to get attached to the hosts of our favorite reality shows, but some Food Network viewers are taking things a little too far. After celebrity chef Kardea Brown replaced Valerie Bertinelli as a cohost on Kids Baking Championship this season, she’s received a lot of backlash online, and now, it sounds like she’s had enough.
Kardea finally spoke out about the hate she’s been receiving from fans who want Valerie back, and she’s not pulling any punches this time.
Valerie was booted from the show in early 2024.
In January 2024, the 65-year-old actress took to Instagram to let fans know that she had just found out she wouldn’t be returning to Kids Baking Championship in a since-expired post she shared on her Stories.
According to People, Valerie mentioned that the move “hurt my feelings” multiple times in the video.
“Without sounding like a drama queen, the show saved my life,” she said, opening up about how it served as a lifeline for her during her divorce from Tom Vitale in 2022.
Since Kardea took over, fans have expressed plenty of disappointment.
Kardea is now Valerie’s replacement, but fans aren’t happy about it — even now, nearly two years after Valerie was fired from the gig.
Ahead of the January 5 premiere of Baking Champions: Next Gen, Kardea shared a post on Facebook announcing the show alongside a photo with her costar, Duff Goldman. But instead of sharing their excitement about her new project, many people commented that they wished they could have Valerie back instead.
“Just not the same without Valerie,” one person commented, to which Kardea replied, “You’re correct! I am not Valerie but I work just as hard and I deserve to be here.”
Now, Kardea is speaking out.
After receiving backlash on her post, Kardea returned to Facebook to share how she really feels about the hate, calling it “alarming” in another post.
“You’re tired of competition shows and you want Valerie back. But guess what?! I can’t control any of that, so leaving nasty comments on my page won’t change a single thing,” she wrote.
Kardea went on to say that if the show doesn’t seem like it’s for them, “simply don’t watch.”
She concluded, “We need to get back to the basics of manners. Social media has become a breeding ground for unnecessary meanness and unhappy people and it doesn’t have to be.”
Well said!
