After four decades on the air, Food Network’s The Kitchen is coming to an end.
On Monday, October 20, the network confirmed to Variety that the weekend talk show — starring Sunny Anderson, Katie Lee Biegel, Jeff Mauro, Geoffrey Zakarian and recurring guest star Alex Guarnaschelli — will air its final episode on Saturday, December 13.
“For over a decade Sunny, Katie, Geoffrey and more recently Alex have engaged audiences with their individual and distinct food sensibilities and sense of humor that together make The Kitchen a delicious way to spend an hour,” Betsy Ayala, Warner Bros. Discovery’s Head of Food Content told the outlet.
Ayala continued: “Everyone knows all good parties end up in The Kitchen, where the conversation, laughs and food flow; the best parties probably end a little bit earlier than some guests would like, but we’ve got 12 years of memories and wanted to celebrate this team’s hard work during one final holiday season.”
While Food Network did not give a reason why the show is coming to an end, a source close to production claimed to Variety that the network is evaluating resources and planning to split up the linear channels portion of the business from the streaming services and studio ahead of the new year.
The Kitchen, which began airing in January 2014, showcases Anderson, 50, Biegel, 44, Mauro, 47 and Zakarian 66, along with other guests as they share simple dinner recipes, family meal tips and answer viewer questions about all things food related.
Some popular guests on The Kitchen have included Daniel Radcliffe, Regina King, Tiffani Thiessen, Martina McBride, Kathie Lee Gifford, Martha Stewart, Wolfgang Puck, Rachael Ray and Bobby Flay.
Following the news of the show’s cancellation, some of the hosts reacted to the news on their own personal social media accounts.
“It’s the end of an era,” Biegel wrote via Instagram Story on Monday. “Thank you so much to all of our fans. The Kitchen was the greatest professional honor of my life and I will be forever grateful.”
Mauro, for his part, wrote a lengthy Instagram post, noting how “special” and “rare” his time on The Kitchen has been for him.
“What a run! After 11 years, 40 seasons, and over 500 episodes, The Kitchen has come to an end,” he shared. “I always knew what we had was special — rare, a unicorn, an anomaly. Shows don’t last this long….and ours did. I’ve prayed and given thanks every night for that fact. I got to spend a dozen years with my best friends — cooking, laughing, and eating life-changing bites from some of the world’s greatest chefs and cooks. I got to play Twister with Daniel Radcliffe, sing and strum with Trisha Yearwood, and spit bars with Vanilla Ice and Rev Run.”
Mauro noted that they laughed, ate and learned so much that he could “write a book the size of a schooner.”
“Geoffrey, Sunny, Katie, and Alex — I love you all and will cherish every moment we created together,” he gushed. “To our fans — I love you and thank you for the years of watching, supporting, and growing with us. To the @foodnetwork family, thank you very much for the opportunity to live out my dream. And to the hundreds of dedicated, talented crew members who became part of this special family. … I didn’t expect to feel this sad, but my optimism for what lies ahead outweighs the sadness.”
Mauro concluded his post, writing, “More than anything, I’m deeply grateful and humbled for this immense opportunity that I will never forget. Now — I’ve written enough chapters, on to the next book in this thrilling yet comedic & warm multi-volume series.”
Watch The Kitchen’s final episode on the Food Network on Saturday, December 13 at 11 a.m. ET.