Jeff Mauro Pays Tribute to ‘The Kitchen’ After Food Network Cancellation News

As The Kitchen prepares to come to an end, cohost Jeff Mauro is feeling nothing but gratitude for his time on the Food Network talk show.

“What a run! After 11 years, 40 seasons, and over 500 episodes, The Kitchen has come to an end,” Mauro wrote in reaction to the show’s cancellation news via Instagram on Monday, October 20. “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.”

Mauro gushed over getting to spend more than 10 years “cooking, laughing, and eating life-changing bites from some of the world’s greatest chefs and cooks” on the show, as well as getting to hang out with his fellow Food Network stars and celebrities. “I got to play Twister with Daniel Radcliffe, sing and strum with Trisha Yearwood, and spit bars with Vanilla Ice and Rev Run,” he wrote.

“[My wife] Sarah, [my son] Lorenzo, and I even shot and performed in 31 at-home episodes during crazy COVID,” the Sandwich King host recalled. “One time, a squirrel ran out of a marching band’s bass drum. Another time, a grip fell into a sinkhole along the banks of the mighty Montclair River..twice! Blizzards, power outages and many small fires. We laughed so much. We ate so much. I learned so much. I could write a book the size of a schooner — in fact, I just might.”

Mauro went on to thank his The Kitchen cohosts — Sunny Anderson, Katie Lee Biegel, Geoffrey Zakarian, and Alex Guarnaschelli — writing, “I love you all and will cherish every moment we created together.”

 

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Addressing the show’s fans, he continued, “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.”

After thanking the show’s “dedicated” and “talented” crew members, Mauro concluded his post by writing, “I didn’t expect to feel this sad, but my optimism for what lies ahead outweighs the sadness. 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.”

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Food Network announced on Monday that The Kitchen, which premiered in 2014, will be coming to an end later this year, with its final episode set to air on Saturday, December 13.

“For over a decade Sunny, Katie, Jeff, 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, Head of Content, Food, Warner Bros. Discovery, said in a statement. “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 then some guests would like, but we’ve got twelve years of memories and wanted to celebrate this team’s hard work during one final holiday season.”

In an Instagram post of her own, Anderson reacted to the show’s cancellation by writing on Tuesday, October 21, “For such a loud, talkative chick…I have 2 words…Thank you!”

Chance Yeh/Getty Images for NYCWFF

Several Food Network stars shared their own reactions to the series’ end on the channel’s Instagram page. “Thank you to the Kitchen and its fabulous chefs and hosts for holding it down in daytime on @foodnetwork for the last decade,” Bobby Flay wrote in the comments of a Monday post. “Well done everyone.. an iconic run.”

“Love you all and the amazing show you built together!!! 👏❤️,” wrote Ree Drummond, while Aarti Sequeira commented, “UGH! I loved this show because it reminded me of why I fell in love with cooking in the first place… lots of voices and hands working together in a kitchen with equal servings of love and sass!!! Love you guys and well done for an unprecedented run!”

The Kitchen, Saturdays, 11a/10c, Food Network