'I Am Not Greedy': Valerie Bertinelli Denies Contract Negotiations Caused Her Food Network Ouster
Valerie Bertinelli addresses rumors contract negotiations fell through with Food Network.
Jan. 22 2024, Published 4:00 p.m. ET
Valerie Bertinelli broke her silence on being cut from her second Food Network hosting gig and the actress claims contract negotiations are not to blame, RadarOnline.com has learned.
On Saturday, Bertinelli broke the news to fans on Instagram that she would no longer be co-hosting Kids Baking Championship with chef Duff Goldman. After a report on her departure from Food Network was published, the actress took to X, formerly Twitter, to set the record straight on her ousting.
Bertinelli hosted 'Kids Baking Championship' since it aired in 2015.
According to People, a source close to the show's production said that when Bertinelli's contract expired, a renewal was "absolutely discussed" but claimed the actress' camp "decided they wanted more and talks stalled."
Bertinelli was quick to call out the report and refuted the insider's claims on Sunday.
Bertinelli captioned the magazine's post and added, "This is a tad misleading. There were never any talks, so no talks could be stalled."
"I got an inkling I might not be asked back when I saw I was not in the holiday specials," the ex-Food Network host wrote. "I got a text by a third party on Friday that told me I would not be back. LOL I was basically ghosted."
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Bertinelli announced she would no longer be hosting the show in an emotional Instagram post.
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Bertinelli, who served as co-host of the show since 2015, continued her thoughts in a follow-up post.
"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," Bertinelli added.
The actress' remarks follow her Instagram video post from Saturday, in which she said the way thing ended with the network "really hurt my feelings."
Bertinelli claims Food Network 'basically ghosted' her on contract negotiations.
Bertinelli said that being dropped from Kids Baking Championship was a crushing blow because, "Without sounding like a drama queen, the show saved my life."
The actress explained that working and spreading kindness through the show became "a floatation device" while dealing with her personal life.
"So it really hurts that I won't be able to go back and see everybody and say, 'Hey, I made it through," Bertinelli said in the emotional video.
Bertinelli also addressed future contestants of the show, "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 not a good 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," she added.
Kids Baking Championship is the second Food Network show that Bertinelli has been dismissed from. She previously hosted her show, Valerie's Home Cooking, from 2015 to 2023.
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