Kardea Brown Announced as the New Host of Kids Baking Championship (Exclusive)

Kardea Brown is preparing more Food Network content.

The Charleston chef has signed a new deal with the network, PEOPLE can exclusively reveal. Part of the deal includes Brown as the new host Children’s baking championship.

The Delicious Miss Brown host will replace Valerie Bertinelli, who revealed in January that she would not be returning to the show. Duff Goldman was the co-host Children’s baking championship with Bertinelli since the first season and will continue to co-host this time alongside Brown.

Brown is no stranger to the show. She previously judged Children’s baking championship and Spring championship in baking and co-organized seasonal specialties such as a Children’s baking championship Thanksgiving Special 2023.

Duff Goldman and Kardea Brown will co-host the Kids Baking Championship.

Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc

Brown and Goldman’s first full season as co-hosts will premiere in early 2025, and the series has fun holiday specials in the meantime. Children’s Baking Championship: Frighteningly good begins on October 7. Plus, holiday inspired Children’s baking championship: snowman icing the premiere is scheduled for December 2.

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

Goldman previously spoke with PEOPLE about how Brown is the perfect addition to the series.

“Kardea was so much fun as a co-host. She’s absolutely killing it. She’s so good with the kids,” he said during the taping. “She has such a big heart.”

Along with her friendly personality, Goldman said, “Her culinary assignments are excellent. She knows what she’s talking about.”

“But seeing her with the kids, she just blossomed. She’s so natural and easy with them. The kids just trust her unconditionally,” he said. “It’s beautiful. It’s really, really great. I’m so excited about it.”

Cardea Brown. Kardea Brown recalls not taking ‘no for an answer’ from the Food Network when she was a social worker

Brown is a former social worker whose online career began with a little persistence. In April 2023, she shared her origin story, explaining how she first walked into the Food Network offices in 2015.

“This was my first @foodnetwork pitch meeting 8 years ago! I remember the day clearly…..I was so nervous but excited at the same time,” she captioned the throwback photo. “This was my big break… I just knew I was going to walk away from that meeting with my own cooking show.”

Brown, who will release her debut cookbook in 2022, admitted in the title that she was “a bit naive” and didn’t quite understand the inner workings of the entertainment business yet.

“You just don’t show up as a social worker and get the green light for your own cooking show the same day 😅,” she added. “I left the meeting without a show, but what I got was motivation…I didn’t take no for an answer…I took it as ‘no…not now’.”

Brown apparently made a good impression on the network’s executives, who would give her her own show just four years later.

“I was and still am a FIRM believer in divine timing. I just knew in my heart it was going to happen,” she said at the time.

Children’s Baking Championship: Frighteningly good premieres October 7th at 8:00 PM ET/PT on Food Network.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education