Valerie Bertinelli Replaced on ‘Kids Baking Championship’ By Kardea Brown After Shocking Exit

Nine months after Valerie Bertinelli was ousted as the cohost of Kids Baking Championship, a new replacement has been chosen.

Food Network’s Kardea Brown has been tapped to cohost the next season of Kids Baking Championship, according to People. Duff Goldman will serve as her cohost on the show.

The Delicious Miss Brown host is already familiar to Kids Baking Championship viewers, as she has served as a judge on the show before. In November 2023, she cohosted ​​the Kids Baking Championship Thanksgiving special. The new season of the show with Kardea, 36, as an official cohost will premiere in early 2025.

“Having the chance to share my love of food has been a dream come true and I am so thrilled to continue this journey with Food Network,” she said in a statement. “I look forward to celebrating the holidays with fans and celebrating these extra special and talented bakers, big and small, and all their incredible creations.”

While Kids Baking Championship is ushering in a new era with a new cohost, fans were shocked when they found out Valerie was cut from the program earlier this year.

The Hot in Cleveland actress posted a video on Instagram at the time explaining how devastated she was.

“I’ve been avoiding facing what I got confirmation last night and I didn’t want to talk about it last night [because] I wanted to sleep on it because it really hurt my feelings,” Valerie explained. “I know it’s not supposed to. Logically, I know it’s business [and] budget cuts, right? But it really hurt my feelings to know that I’m not going to be asked back to be on Kids Baking Championship really sucks.”

“Without sounding like a drama queen, the show saved my life,” she said of the show. “Working with all those really wonderful people and feeling productive and knowing I could spread some kindness and not just wallow in my hell and just try to keep my head above water. It helped me, it was like a flotation device.”

Valerie also praised all of those she worked with on the show for making the opportunity so special.

“Oh my God, these people work so hard to give you an amazing show,” she said. “And all of those kids bakers that I got to watch grow up: I feel so lucky. And to all the bakers [who] are coming in for the new season, even though I won’t be there, I’ll be with you in spirit. I just want you to remember this: You are there for a reason [and] 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 [that] it’s not because you’re not a good baker, you just had a bad day.”

Luckily for Valerie, she has a new gig to keep her busy. She announced that she will be a lifestyle expert on The Drew Barrymore Show. “I’m going to be a part of The Drew Barrymore Show. I’m going to be part of Drew Crew, and I’m super excited about that,” the One Day at a Time alum told People.

“I’ll be going to New York a lot to hang out with Drew and see where that takes me,” she said of the role.