The Food Network has helped many chefs transition from talented cooks to household names across America and beyond.
The channel has built global brands and entire culinary careers through competition shows and instructional cooking series.
However, some left the network quietly to pursue new opportunities, others because of contract changes, and still others sought creative freedom outside the confines of cable television.
Here is a look at the most high-profile chefs who have left the Food Network and what they are doing now.
1. Paula Deen
Paula Deen, who started her professional culinary career in 1989, was one of the earliest and most popular Food Network personalities, bringing Southern comfort food to millions of viewers through Paula’s Home Cooking.
However, her run on the network lasted for 11 years before Food Network decided to end her contract abruptly following a major public controversy involving offensive language admissions in 2013.
This was after Deen’s former employee, Lisa Jackson, filed a lawsuit against her alongside her brother, Bubba Hiers, in 2012, where she cited facing racial discrimination and harassment while working at the duo’s restaurant, Uncle Bubba’s Seafood and Oyster House.
In May 2013, Deen admitted to using a racial slur on a few occasions in the past.
Speaking in June 2013, following the non-renewal of the contract, Deen thanked the network for the great years of service.
“ I have had the pleasure of being allowed into so many homes across the country. This would not have been possible without the Food Network. Thank you again. Love and best dishes to all of ya’ll,” Deen stated in June 2013.
Deen’s exit remained one of the biggest and most talked-about exits in the network’s history.
Deen rebuilt her brand through digital content, cookbooks and television appearances on other networks despite the scandal.
2. Emeril Lagasse
Emeril Lagasse is one of Food Network’s foundational stars, famous for his signature catchphrases, like ‘Kick it up a notch!’ and ‘Bam!’, who helped define the channel’s early personality in the 1990s and early 2000s with shows like Essence of Emeril and Emeril Live.
His long-running Emeril Live ended in 2007 after 11 seasons.
In a statement in November 2007, the network announced that the celebrity chef’s show would cease production on December 11, 2007.
On his part, Lagasse expressed appreciation to the viewers, guests and staff at the network.
“I am deeply appreciative to all the unbelievable staff, many of whom have been with the show since the beginning, and all the loyal viewers, and the many talented guests who have appeared on the show through the years,” Lagasse stated.
“ I look forward to continuing my association with the Food Network with ‘The Essence of Emeril,’ and I have lots of new ideas cooking,” he said.
Upon his departure from the network, he returned to his restaurants and continued expanding his hospitality ventures.
3. Giada De Laurentiis
Giada De Laurentiis is one of the most popular faces in Food Network’s history. Known for her Italian-inspired recipes, she spent more than two decades on the network with shows like Giada at Home and Everyday Italian.
However, the Food Network told Today in a statement that Giada was leaving after 21 years in February 2023.
“Giada De Laurentiis is culinary royalty, someone who has taught audiences how to properly pronounce every cut of pasta imaginable for nearly two decades. Food Network will always be proud of the beautiful content we have created together, and our table will always have an open seat for Giada.” Food Network’s spokesperson stated.
This came amid the revelation that she had signed a deal to create and produce unscripted TV programming with Amazon Studios.
“I’m looking forward to this next chapter. I’ve been a fan of Amazon for a long time, and I’m excited for what we will accomplish together,” Giada told Deadline.
Giada has since focused on her lifestyle brand, which combines culture, food and travel. Additionally, she continues to shape culinary media through digital platforms.
4. Rachael Ray
Rachael Ray became one of Food Network’s biggest breakout personalities after first appearing on the channel in 2001 with her budget-friendly and fast-paced cooking style.
Ray’s show, including 30 Minute Meals, helped redefine home cooking for many viewers.
She later became a dominant daytime TV presence with her show, The Rachael Ray Show.
However, after more than 20 years with the network, she announced in an Instagram tribute that she was ready to move on from her long-running talk show format and embrace a new chapter in her career in 2023.
“We’ve had so much fun these 17 seasons. And we thought, what better way to celebrate than by reliving our favourite moments,” read the tribute in part.
“Thank you to all our guests and to you, our dear viewers, who we love so very much for helping us make so many amazing memories.”
In 2024, she launched Free Food Studios in partnership with A+E Networks, signalling that she was not leaving food media entirely, just changing the way she worked in it.
5. Alton Brown
Alton Brown is regarded as one of the most innovative culinary educators to ever appear on the Food Network with Good Eats in 1999.
He went on to host or contribute to several major shows on the channel.
After more than two decades, he left Food Network to lead Netflix’s new Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend series in 2022, ending a long run that had made him one of the network’s most distinctive figures.
Brown’s exit was driven by a franchise move rather than a public dispute.
Speaking to Variety in June 2022, Brown stated that he caught wind of Netflix rebooting the series and was immediately interested in joining the series.
“That took a little bit of convincing on a lot of different people’s parts. But I knew that the show was going to be happening, and I was sick with jealousy over the idea that I was at the wrong network at the wrong time,” he stated.
“One day, my agent finally called me up after I had nagged him almost daily, and that was it. It was done. There was never a second thought for me.”
Similarly, he launched his new series on YouTube, titled “Alton Brown Cooks Food,” in November 2025.
6. Valerie Bertinelli
Valerie Bertinelli was not a formally trained chef, but became a beloved Food Network personality through Kids Baking Championship and Valerie’s Home Cooking.
However, Food Network did not renew her multi-show contract in 2022 after nearly 10 years, ending her run on the channel.
Bertinelli’s manager, Marc Shwarz, told Variety at the time about the end of the working relationship between her and the network.
“Her deal expired, they opted not to renew it. They could have come to me with an offer just for ‘Kids.’ They never did. Simple as that,” the manager revealed.
Taking it to her Instagram, Bertinelli expressed devastation to her followers when she found out that she had to leave the network.
“I’ve been avoiding facing what I got confirmation for last night. It really hurt my feelings. And I know it’s not supposed to, logically, I know that it’s business … But it really hurt my feelings to know that I’m not going to be asked back,” she stated.
Her exit surprised many viewers because she had built a warm, dependable on-screen presence.
7. Sara Moulton
Sara Moulton was among Food Network’s earliest instructional cooking hosts with shows like Sara’s Secrets and Cooking Live.
Moulton was known for her calm and educational presentation style.
However, her instructional format became less central to Food Network’s strategy when it shifted toward competition-based entertainment.
Moulton eventually stepped away in 2006 after more than 1000 episodes and returned to cookbook writing, culinary education and print media.
“I was part of the old guard, and every time a new president comes in they make changes. Another thing happened, they switched their demographic. It had been women of I don’t know what age group. But they changed it to 15-35-year-old males. They were more interested in really good-looking people with really big personalities,” she said during an interview later in 2010.
8. Sandra Lee
Sandra Lee was another long-time Food Network face known for her long-running show, Semi-Homemade Cooking With Sandra Lee.
She joined the network in the early 2000’s, where she combined fresh elements and store-bought ingredients, making cooking more accessible to home cooks.
Her departure from the network came after her final season aired in 2011, though reports have differed on the exact reasons behind the split.
In 2024, she revealed that her health issues, which led to her undergoing a mastectomy, led to the cancellation of her show.
“When I got sick, I was so stressed out and overwhelmed that when the Food Network cancelled me, I didn’t have the energy to fight them,” she stated.
On the other hand, others described it as part of the normal end of her Food Network run as the network shifted from an instructional and lifestyle format towards competition-based programming.
Since her departure, Lee has explored writing books, producing content and lifestyle projects.
Similarly, she has appeared on Netflix, where she hosted Restaurants on the Edge.