13 Former Food Network TV Stars We Don't Hear Much From Anymore

What would our lives be like now if people such as Emeril Lagasse, Ina Garten, and Alton Brown never graced our TV screens? There's no doubt that the Food Network and all its shows have had a major influence on how we view cooking and food, and several shows and chefs stand out among the others. However, many of the stars that made Food Network successful seem to have dropped out of sight. Some left voluntarily and others were let go, but once they were no longer on the Food Network, a lot of them seemed to have become fairly quiet.

What if you just think they've become quiet? These former Food Network stars are still active and living their lives, but the fragmenting of media means it's harder to keep up with everyone once they left what had been a central gathering point for cooking. It used to be that, if you couldn't find a chef on the Food Network, you'd likely find them on PBS or commercial TV. Now, with so many different channels and ways to consume media, people have many more options for paths they want to take — and that's if they stay in the culinary world. Let's catch up with 13 former Food Network stars we don't hear much from anymore and see what they've been up to.

Emeril Lagasse is one of the most influential chefs to appear on the Food Network. His restaurants and shows have taught so many people to cook, and his reputation for being both down to earth and colorful and energetic — something not normally seen on other cooking shows prior to the 1990s — has made him a legend. He was already running restaurants when the Food Network called on him to host, "How to Boil Water," in 1993, which led to another show, "Essence of Emeril," and then, "Emeril Live." He even had his own sitcom (which didn't last too long).

Lagasse's shows were popular, but still ended up being canceled in 2007 and 2008. While the network said it was simply time for a change, Lagasse did not want to move into the reality-style shows that the network wanted to produce. The recession hit his restaurants very hard, too, because he knew he couldn't charge much when people couldn't afford much. He ended up selling most of his brand (not his restaurants, though) to Martha Stewart's company. Since then, he's hosted shows on other networks like the Roku channel and concentrated on running his restaurants. While he's had to close some locations, he's worked on keeping others open while also expanding his culinary empire to Carnival cruise ships. He's also supported culinary education and new chefs.

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Paula Deen was once everywhere, with her shows, books, restaurants, and even a cookware line. Deen started out as the friendly, funny host who ran a restaurant with her sons (who had their own Food Network shows). She taught millions to make comforting Southern food on shows like, "Paula's Home Cooking," and "Paula's Best Dishes." Butter was a constant companion in her recipes, and Anthony Bourdain famously criticized her food. In 2013, that all changed, when an employee accused Deen and her family of racial and sexual harassment. In a deposition, Deen admitted to using a racial slur in the past. That admission led to the Food Network abruptly canceling her shows and sponsors dropping her. She appeared in an episode of "MasterChef" on Fox in 2013, but that was it.

While the charges against Deen were ultimately settled or dismissed, the damage to her reputation was too great to erase — another picture emerged of her son in a Ricky Ricardo costume that used skin-darkening makeup in 2015. Deen was out of sight for a while, but came back with podcasts, a web TV show on her website, a spot on "Dancing With the Stars," and a show on RFD-TV in 2018. She's also released cookbooks and been a guest on other shows, including another spot on "MasterChef" in 2021, which some viewers weren't happy about.

Melissa D'Arabian has made some rather big career changes and leaps in her life. She's been a cruise ship entertainer and a Disney executive with an MBA, pivoting to staying home with her kids. Her husband landed a job that required them to move, and she entered the 2009 "Next Food Network Star" competition. She won that competition and got her own show on the network called, "Ten Dollar Dinners." She also published cookbooks and hosted more shows that addressed topics like picky eating and grocery shopping on a budget.

D'Arabian continued to offer cooking advice on television and in print, but in 2023, she announced another huge change: she decided to go back to school. She said she would be moving to New York to study theater management and producing in an MFA program at Columbia. She was extremely happy because it was a return to her earlier interest in being a performer, and she still posts occasionally on social media.

Giada De Laurentiis didn't start off in the culinary world; instead, she studied anthropology at UCLA. However, she switched tracks after graduating and moved to Paris to study at Le Cordon Bleu. She went on to have a successful career as a chef in restaurants and started a catering company. After "Food & Wine" magazine published a story about her family, Food Network offered her a show in 2002. This became "Everyday Italian," and it led to her hosting more shows, ultimately becoming one of the best-known faces on the network.

De Laurentiis left the Food Network in 2024 after more than two decades of hosting several shows. She claimed burnout was eventually the reason, although she had also become interested in branching out. She didn't leave the food world, jumping over to Amazon Studios. She's opened restaurants in Las Vegas and Scottsdale, Arizona, and she is opening more in Chicago while also running her lifestyle website and brand, Giadzy.

Sandra Lee had her own home improvement and lifestyle brands before joining the Food Network to host, "Semi-Homemade With Sandra Lee," between 2003 and 2011. She also hosted shows like "Sandra's Restaurant Remakes" and "Sandra's Money Saving Meals." She was known for her knack for creating recipes used store-bought items, along with fresh food. Lee was an Emmy winner and was also known for dating former New York governor Andrew Cuomo for a few years.

After leaving the Food Network, Lee had to deal with a cancer diagnosis that she beat quickly. She didn't host any shows for a while, but she didn't leave the food world completely. In fact, she's become much more active in the past couple of years, hosting "Dinner Budget Showdown" on the Roku network and "Blue Ribbon Baking Championship" on Netflix in 2024. She was particularly excited to announce the debut of "Blue Ribbon" on her Facebook page because she said it took her 12 years to get it on the air after Food Network declined to produce it.

Sara Moulton was already one of the country's most accomplished chefs when she joined Food Network to host the show, "Cooking Live Primetime," and later, "Sara's Secrets." She had graduated from the Culinary Institute of America as the top student in her class and headed the test kitchen at "Gourmet" magazine. Moulton's had a long history of working at several top restaurants as well; she had even worked as one of Julia Child's assistants. When she got her show on Food Network, she not only became known for her food, but also for her knack for spotlighting other chefs who went on to become famous names themselves, like Ming Tsai.

While Moulton's show was well-loved and her cookbooks sold well, Food Network decided she no longer fit the company's plans. The network changed its target audience to younger men in the 2000s, and Moulton was let go in 2006. She's been open in interviews that the network seemed to treat male chefs better than female chefs, although she was still grateful for the show and her experiences. After she was pushed out, Moulton moved over to PBS to host, "Sara's Weeknight Meals" while continuing to work at "Gourmet." She's also continued to release more cookbooks and been a guest on "Simply Ming."

Lorraine Pascale started off as a teen model in the UK but later pursued her interest in food, attending culinary school. It was clearly a great decision because she graduated at the top of her class and was already running her own bakery by the time she left school. Pascale started filming baking shows for the BBC and also wrote cookbooks that became best-sellers. They sold so well that she became the top-selling cookbook author in the UK. The Food Network then brought Pascale over to the U.S., where she became a judge on shows such as "Holiday Baking Championship" and "The Worst Bakers in America."

But her long involvement with both the network and food encountered a barrier when the COVID pandemic restricted travel between the UK and U.S. Her social media turned away from food and toward more psychological and therapeutic issues. In 2025, she announced she was pursuing a doctorate in psychology and psychotherapy and said she was no longer cooking, although you can still find the occasional cooking or food preparation video on her Instagram account.

Claire Robinson's background is in both communications and food, and that combination is what led her into a production assistant job at a company that contracted with the Food Network. Her attention to detail and desire to share information about the ingredients during the shoots she worked on prompted her co-workers to suggest she try for her own show. The result was "5 Ingredient Fix," which helped viewers discover quick, tasty recipes that needed only five ingredients to make. The show was so well-received that viewers are yearning for a comeback.

"5 Ingredient Fix" ran for four years, and since then, Robinson has appeared in Food Network shows like "The Food Network Challenge," "The Best Thing I Ever Ate," and "Real Time." She also created cooking lessons for the Food Network Kitchen app, which was discontinued in 2024, and appeared in the "BBC Chef Race." She's also been a guest at food festivals, with fans happy to see her cooking again.

One of the early Food Network shows that really got people's attention was "Taste," hosted by David Rosengarten. Viewers loved the detail that Rosengarten provided, but he wasn't a chef at all — he was a theater professor who just happened to know a lot about food. His background always had some connection to cooking in it, from his father's restaurant (which didn't do well and convinced Rosengarten that he should not go into the restaurant business) to cooking for some boarders in college. He moved into teaching cooking classes, which led to writing for publications such as "Gourmet" and "Wine Spectator." He also published cookbooks and a newsletter, and in 1993, he was a co-host on Food Network's first show, "Food News and Views." But "Taste" is the show most people remember.

When "Taste" ended, Rosengarten continued to write for a large number of publications and websites and eventually restarted his newsletter. He also has a YouTube channel, although the most recent video was posted back in 2015. Rosengarten's activity has kept him busy in the food world, but he did note that Food Network's staff apparently had a short memory. About five years after ending his show, someone from the Food Network — clearly unaware of what the channel's earlier shows were like — contacted Rosengarten to ask if he'd be interested in auditioning for "The Next Food Network Star." (She did call back later to apologize.)

Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken are among the OG Food Network stars. Their show "Too Hot Tamales" ran from 1995 to 1999 and was instrumental in teaching many, many viewers about different ingredients and recipes. You can find posts online discussing fond memories of the show, with viewers reminiscing about how they watched it religiously when they were younger and were inspired to start cooking.

Their show may have ended over a quarter of a century ago, but the pair didn't stop cooking. Already known for restaurants such as City Cafe and Border Grill, which opened in 1981 and 1985, respectively, they've continued to open more restaurants in California and Nevada. They've also appeared on "Top Chef Masters" on the Bravo network, and Feniger opened her own restaurant, Street, which later became Mud Hen Tavern before closing in 2016. Both continue to work together, opening more restaurants such as BBQ Mexicana in Las Vegas and the Mediterranean-focused Alice B. in Palm Springs.

Pat and Gina Neely landed "Down Home With the Neelys"  on the Food Network in 2008, and it was a hit. The Neelys were high-school sweethearts, great chefs (they owned the Neely's Bar-B-Que restaurants in Tennessee before getting their show), and had marvelous on-screen chemistry. Stories about their family helped make the pair stars, and their show was the top Food Network program during its run.

But in 2014, Gina left Pat, the couple divorced, and their show ended. Gina later revealed that she actually did not want to do the show and that the couple's two children didn't like it, either. The demands of the show led to the couple drifting apart, and Gina said that she tried to leave a few times before actually doing so. Pat was a different story; he loved doing the show. However, he didn't try to convince Gina to stay; instead, he agreed with her desire to divorce. While fan reaction to the divorce was initially negative, the opposition has quieted down.

Since then, Pat has returned to the restaurant world and remarried; Gina has become a motivational speaker, written a book, and appeared on a reality show. She actually produced her own cooking show on Aspire TV; she said the new show gave her the opportunity to be herself, rather than the curated version Food Network put together.

Static Media owns and operates Mashed and Chowhound.

Gale Gand is known for her Food Network show, "Sweet Dreams," which was the first nationally televised program to focus on desserts. Gand and her ex-husband Rick Tramonto had opened several successful restaurants before divorcing in 2000, after which she was offered her spot on the Food Network. "Sweet Dreams" ran for eight years. The show wasn't her first time on the network; she'd been a frequent guest on Sara Moulton's show in previous years.

When "Sweet Dreams" ended, Gand continued to run her restaurants, along with additional businesses, some of which she'd opened while still filming her show. One is dedicated to foraging for ramps; another produces artisanal root beer. She's also opened other restaurant pop-ups and spent a couple of years teaching cooking workshops for students as part of former First Lady Michelle Obama's "Chefs Move to Schools" program. She's cooked with Julia Child and Martha Stewart, and she continues to hold classes and appear at food festivals around the country.

Static Media owns and operates Mashed and Chowhound.

Mario Batali was one of Food Network's major stars between the mid-1990s and early 2000s, and his hit show "Molto Mario" led to additional shows on the network over several years. He also co-hosted ABC's "The Chew" and filmed a series for PBS while opening and investing in several restaurants, the Eataly chain of markets, and a hospitality group with restaurateur Joe Bastianich and his family.

But in 2017, a number of women accused Batali of sexual harassment and assault, which led to the Food Network canceling a planned new season of "Molto Mario." ABC asked Batali to leave "The Chew," and the Bastianich family severed ties, buying out Batali's shares. In short, Batali apologized for some of the accused behavior, denied actually raping anyone, apologized twice (ending one apology with a cinnamon roll recipe that caused backlash as people thought it was inappropriate given the circumstances), and then disappeared from view. Three investigations were dropped, two lawsuits were settled, and one court case ended in an acquittal. Batali retreated to his home in Michigan and went silent for six years.

He resurfaced in October 2023, hosting a Zoom cooking class and posting on Instagram for the first time since 2017, announcing a plan to broadcast a virtual cooking series called "Molto a Casa" from his home that December. He's continued to post on Instagram but has not announced additional series.