Valerie Bertinelli revealed her surprising exit from Food Network and the show she hosted, Kids Baking Championship on an Instagram story post.
The 63-year-old actress had hosted Food Network’s Kids Baking Championship since 2015 though she could not finalize a deal to return.
The One Day at a Time star was in talks to return as the host, though a source told People that her return was, ‘absolutely discussed,’ but her team, ‘decided they wanted more and talks stalled.’
She added that the last season she filmed was during her ‘apex year of hell’ that included her divorce from Tom Vitale.
Another source added, ‘Her deal was up, and [Food Network] chose not to renew. They did not make a new offer, but Valerie very much wanted to continue.”
Now Bertinelli took to Instagram story on Saturday, stating that ‘budget cuts’ were the reason she wasn’t returning as host alongside Duff Goldman.
Valerie Bertinelli is opening up about her surprising exit from Food Network and the show she hosted, Kids Baking Championship.
The 63-year-old actress had hosted Food Network’s Kids Baking Championship since 2015 though she could not finalize a deal to return
The One Day at a Time star was in talks to return as the host, though a source told People that her return was, ‘absolutely discussed,’ but her team, ‘decided they wanted more and talks stalled.’
‘I’ve been avoiding facing what I got confirmation for last night, and I didn’t want to talk about it last night because I wanted to sleep on it, but it really hurt my feelings,’ she began.
‘I know it’s not supposed to, logically. I know it’s just business, budget cuts, right, but it really hurt my feelings to know that I’m not going to be asked back,’ she admitted.
‘Without sounding like a drama queen, the show saved my life,” Bertinelli said, adding that it was “like a floatation device” in what she described as her “apex year of hell.”
‘So it really hurts that I won’t be able to go back and see everybody and say, ‘Hey, I made it through,'” she said, adding, ‘It really sucks.’
She added that the episodes that are currently airing on the Food Network, she shot, ‘back in the summer of 2022, which was my apex year of hell.’
‘I 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 said.
‘It just… working with all those really wonderful people and feeling productive and knowing I had 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 floatation device,’ she said.
‘So it really hurts that I won’t be able to go back and see everybody and say, “Hey, I made it through,'” she added.
‘I’ve been avoiding facing what I got confirmation for last night, and I didn’t want to talk about it last night because I wanted to sleep on it, but it really hurt my feelings,’ she began
‘I know it’s not supposed to, logically. I know it’s just business, budget cuts, right, but it really hurt my feelings to know that I’m not going to be asked back,’ she admitted
‘Without sounding like a drama queen, the show saved my life,” Bertinelli said, adding that it was “like a floatation device” in what she described as her “apex year of hell.”
She said she was, ‘most sad’ that she won’t, ‘be able to tell everyone what they mean to me, Les and Duff and that camera crew, that sound crew, art department, the back kitchen crew, oh my God these people work so hard to give you an amazing show’
She won two Daytime Emmy Awards for hosting the show, and she also hosted Valerie’s Home Cooking from 2015 to 2023
She said she was, ‘most sad’ that she won’t, ‘be able to tell everyone what they mean to me, Les and Duff and that camera crew, that sound crew, art department, the back kitchen crew, oh my God these people work so hard to give you an amazing show.’
‘And all of those kid bakers I got to watch grow up, I feel so lucky, and to all the bakers who are coming in for the new season, even though I won’t be there, I’ll be with you in spirit and I just want you to remember this: you are there for a reason. You’re some of the best bakers in America right now, and if you don’t make it to the next round, please always remember this: it’s not because you’re a bad baker, you just had a bad day, so always, always believe in yourself.’
‘Please do that for me, and keep baking. I’ll miss you guys,’ Bertinelli concluded.
She won two Daytime Emmy Awards for hosting the show, and she also hosted Valerie’s Home Cooking from 2015 to 2023.