Kids Baking Championshipseason 13 had a shakeup at the judging table for the first time when Valerie Bertinelli was fired from the show and then replaced by Kardea Brown, andI hope that the fans who vowed not to watch because of it change their minds because Kardea is already doing a phenomenal job.Kids Baking Championshipdebuted in 2015 with Valerie and Duff Goldman as the hosts and judges. They worked together for 12 seasons and several specials, until Valerie was replaced for season 13.
Kids Baking Championshipseason 13has an animal theme and features 12 of the best child bakers from around the United States and Canada. After watching the first episode, I hope that disgruntled fans stop boycotting the show and actually watch Kardea because she’s a fantastic host and judge.Here’s why she deserves a chance.
Why Was Valerie Bertinelli Fired From Kids Baking Championship?
Food Network Blamed Budget Cuts For Valerie’s Firing
In January 2024,Valerie announced the shocking news that she’d been firedfromKids Baking Championship. Her cooking show,Valerie’s Home Cooking, had been canceled the previous year after 14 seasons. This was despite Valerie winning a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Culinary Host for that show, andValerie’s Home Cookingwinning the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Culinary Program.
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In a since-deleted January 2024 Instagram post,Valerie explained that she was told that the reason that she was fired fromKids Baking Championshipwas budget cuts. She admitted that it really hurt her feelings, and what made her the most sad was that she wouldn’t be able to tell everyone who worked on the show what they meant to her. Valerie also said that she filmedKids Baking Championshipseason 12 during the summer of 2022 when she was going through her divorce from her ex-husband, Tom Vitale. At the time, she was pretending that everything was fine, but she shared that the show saved her life.
Kids Baking Championship Fans Were Outraged By Valerie Bertinelli’s Firing & Vowed Not To Watch
Fans Said That They’d Boycott Kids Baking Championship
WhenFood Networkshared a clip fromKids Baking Championshipseason 13 on Instagram,I was shocked that many fans took to the comments section to express that they wouldn’t watch the show without Valerie. I loved watching Valerie on the show, but I wouldn’t want to stop watching it because she was replaced. However, others felt very strongly about boycotting the show.
One fan declared,“No Valerie. Not watching,“while another expressed,“I’m not watching anymore. I feel Food Network did Valerie wrong.“Another fan said,“It’s a shame it’s not Valerie. You should listen to your viewers. I won’t be watching anymore without Val.“One fan questioned why Valerie was told that she was firedfromKids Baking Championshipdue to budget cuts, but then was replaced by another judge, writing,“Shame you got rid of Valerie and it was told due to budget cuts but I see you hired some else! shame shame.”
Other people really miss Valerie, but they also like Kardea. They’re wrestling with their mixed feelings. One wrote,“Kardea is great but I miss Val,“while another said,“I love Kardea but not having Valerie on the show anymore is wrong.“I understand their feelings, and I hope that those fans are still watchingKids Baking Championship.
Kardea Brown Did A Fantastic Job During Kids Baking Championship Episode 1
Kardea Is A Caring & Knowledgeable Judge
BeforeKids Baking Championshipseason 13 episode 1 aired,I wondered if Kardea would bring the same motherly energy to the showthat Valerie did. At 37 years old, Kardea is considerably younger than Valerie, who’s 64. I loved watching Valerie praise the kid bakers when they did a great job, and I teared up when she comforted them when things went wrong with their baking.
I’d already seen Kardea on theKids Baking Championshipholiday-themed reunion specials, “Sweets-Giving,” “Reindeer Games,” “Scary Good,” and “Frosting the Snowman,” and I liked her on them, so I hoped that she’d continue to impress me on the main show as well. I also knew that Kardea began her career in children’s social services, so she has experience working with kids.
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As I watchedKids Baking Championshipseason 13 episode 1, I was happy and relieved to see thatKardea fits right in to the show. She has a great camaraderie with Duff, with whom she’s already worked onSpring Baking Championship. However,the thing that I found the most impressive about Kardea was the way in which she warmly welcomed the children.
Kardea had a very sweet way of interacting with the kids, which showed that she knew how to speak to them on their own level without talking down to them. Kardea brought out the best inKids Baking Championshipseason 13 contestant Micah, who opened up to her about his life, and obviously felt very comfortable with her (shared in the above clip via theFood NetworkInstagram page).
However,I was especially moved when Kardea comfortedKids Baking Championshipseason 13 contestant Carly when she became overwhelmed when her pie crust didn’t bake correctly. Not only did Kardea kindly explain what went wrong and offer her some advice, but she gave her a big hug. Carly immediately calmed down and was able to complete the challenge.
In addition,when contestant Elvie cried when she was eliminated fromKids Baking Championship, Kardea came out from behind the judging table, and asked her if she could give her a hug. I’m very happy that Kardea so quickly took on the same role that Valerie played, because the kids need someone that can calm them down during the stressful challenges. I think that she was the perfect choice to be the host and the judge of the show alongside Duff.
Kardea Brown Deserves A Chance
Kardea Is Very Qualified To Be A Kids Baking Championship Host & Judge
Although I’m a big fan of Valerie, and I think that she wasa wonderfulKids Baking Championshipjudge, I wanted to give Kardea a chance, and I’m so glad that I did.Kardea is an accomplished chefwho’s best known as the host of her own Food Network show,Delicious Miss Brown. In October 2022, she published her first cookbook,The Way Home. Kardea has also been a judge onSpring Baking ChampionshipandHoliday Wars.
Therefore, Kardea is very qualified to be aKids Baking Championshiphost and judge. I wish that people would give her a chance instead of immediately writing her off because she’s Valerie’s replacement. It’s not fair to her that fans are taking their anger at Food Network out on her. Although I admit that it’s strange that the network cited budget cuts as the reason that Valerie was fired, but then hired someone else, it’s not Kardea’s fault. Perhaps she’s being paid less than Valerie was, or maybe there was more to the story. If fans tuned in toKids Baking Championshipseason 13, then they’d know that Kardea was the ideal choice to replace Valerie.
I also hope that fans know thatValerie isn’t holding a grudge against Kardea. During the August 06, 2025 episode ofThe Drew Barrymore Show, Kardea and Valerie both appeared. Valerie gave credit to Kardea and praised her by stating thatKids Baking Championshipis now in excellent hands. They then bonded about how much they loved the kids on the show.
I wish that everyone who decided not to watchKids Baking Championshipseason 13 because Valerie was fired would give Kardea a chance. I hope that they warm up to her and accept her as a host and a judge because she’s already doing such an extraordinary job. She had big shoes to fill under difficult circumstances, but she rose to the occasion.I hope that Kardea gets the love and respect that she deserves as she joins Kids Baking Championship.
Kids Baking Championshipairs Mondays at 8 p.m. EST on Food Network.
Kids Baking Championship
Cast
Kids Baking Championship is a reality competition series that premiered in 2015 on Food Network. The show features young bakers between the ages of 9 and 13 as they compete in various baking challenges. Hosted by Duff Goldman and Valerie Bertinelli, the contestants' skills and creativity are put to the test in the hopes of winning the title and a grand prize.
