After 21 years, it looks like Food Network will have to move into the future without one of their most recognizable and bankable personalities, Giada De Laurentiis.
It is being reported by Deadline that De Laurentiis has decided to move on and has signed a multi-year exclusive contract with Amazon Studios. The deal will give the Everyday Italian star the chance to create, produce and star in a variety of unscripted content for the studio.
In layman’s terms, that means you can expect to see a lot of De Laurentiis doing what she does best, which is cooking amazing foods and entertaining family and friends.
In her 21 years on Food Network, De Laurentiis created several popualr shows, including the aforementioned Everyday Italian as well as Giada at Home and Giada’s Weekend Getaways. She has also authored 10 bestselling cookbooks and appeared on shows such as Ultimate Thanksgiving Challenge and Tournament of Champions.
Giada De Laurentiis leaving Food Network isn’t all that surprising.
EXCLUSIVE: Celebrity chef, bestselling author and Emmy-winning TV host Giada De Laurentiss is getting into business with Amazon Studios, signing a multi-year overall unscripted series production deal https://t.co/byXl2dDAh6
— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) February 9, 2023
You would think that Food Network would have done whatever they had to in order to keep her on the channel, but they might not have been given a chance.
The type of content De Laurentiis is known for just doesn’t seem to be a priority for Food Network anymore. All they apparently want to produce are competition shows and anything that features Guy Fieri or his extended family.
You can’t blame De Laurentiis for wanting to work with a studio that will allow her to create the kind of content she wants and go beyond anything she could have done with Food Network.
For their part, Amazon sounds thrilled to have her, with Lauren Anderson, head of AVOD Original content and programming telling Deadline:
"“With her charismatic passion for food, and commitment to making extraordinary culinary experiences accessible to the home chef, Giada De Laurentiis has remained at the forefront of her industry for nearly two decades. We look forward to developing an exciting slate of projects with Giada, as she expands into new areas and we broaden our portfolio of cooking and lifestyle content.”"
Could this have been the type of deal Bobby Flay was hoping for when he briefly left Food Network during a contract standoff and it never materialized? Maybe.
No word when De Laurentiis will debut her first project for Amazon Studios, but when she does you can read all about it here at Guilty Eats.
What do you think Guilty Eats Nation? Are you think De Laurentiis is making the right move? Leave a comment below and let us know or join the conversation on our Twitter and Facebook pages.