Ina Garten Almost Left TV Forever After This Nasty Incident At Her Home While Filming

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

From her gorgeous Hamptons estate to her love for high-quality ingredients (store-bought is fine too), it's tough to imagine the Barefoot Contessa working in anything less than perfect conditions. That being said, the start of her on-air culinary career almost came to a fast halt after an incident at her home that was, ahem, unsavory. During the first eight-week filming session of her Food Network TV show, "Barefoot Contessa," Ina Garten's home was overrun by 50 crew members, all of whom used the bathroom inside her house during filming hours. The home's septic system, which wasn't designed to accommodate so many people, bubbled up in her yard, and Garten detailed the disaster in her 2024 memoir, "Be Ready When the Luck Happens."

Of the incident, Garten said, "A cesspool truck rushed over to take care of the problem, but the grass was muddy with — never mind! — and the truck's wheels got stuck in the muck" (via New York Post). The incident left Garten absolutely appalled, to the point where she swore to call her budding television career quits. Thankfully, she changed her mind, and we were able to enjoy the many delicious recipes Garten shared with us over the course of 27 seasons of her show, including everything from portable picnics and make ahead diners to easy lunches and holiday feasts. 

The sewage situation certainly wasn't the only difficult time Ina Garten encountered during the early days of her culinary career. Toughness and tenacity seem to be in Garten's blood. When she bought the Barefoot Contessa grocery store in the Hamptons, she didn't have any food service experience under her belt (she actually started her professional career balancing government budgets in Washington, D.C. — not quite the start most would expect). In an episode of the "Good Hang with Amy Poehler" podcast, Garten detailed her struggles running the store, saying that she had to learn how to take the helm on the fly. She worked to learn how to provide her employees with clear directives, all while keeping a smile on her face.

As Garten made the transition from grocery store phenomenon to Food Network host, she struggled with anxiety. She's said that she experiences anxiety when she's entertaining, especially when it comes to the food that will come out of her kitchen and what her guests might think of it. From learning how to be a leader to sewage backups to developing her own confidence, we're glad Garten persevered through it all. Her commitment to her craft hasn't just given us years upon years of great Food Network TV, recipes, and tips to be a better home cook — it's also given a reassurance that no matter how put together someone may seem, we all go through tough times, and we can all come out on the other side.