Giada De Laurentiis. Ethan Miller/Getty Images for Vegas Uncork’d by Bon Appétit
Giada De Laurentiis is opening up about her decision to depart from the Food Network.
“It took some time for me to make this decision because I used to be very frightened of leaving Food Network,” De Laurentiis, 53, said on the Tuesday, April 23, episode of Rebecca Minkoff’s “Superwomen” podcast. “Because once you’re a giant fish in that pond and you then get out, who knows what’s gonna occur next? But I actually began to change into excited by the entrepreneurial type of journey. And I spotted I couldn’t do each.”
De Laurentiis noted that it “felt just like the world was crumbling” round her while she balanced her profession, motherhood and her divorce from Todd Thompson, which she announced in December 2020.
“So about two and a half years ago, I finally was like, ‘OK, I’m gonna make the jump, and I’m gonna put my energy in Giadzy,” she said, referring to her lifestyle brand. “I’ll still do TV. I actually have a cope with Amazon, so I still do slightly little bit of that, nevertheless it’s definitely not the schedule I used to maintain. Definitely not.”
Although celebrities comparable to Selena Gomez and Florence Pugh have made a reputation for themselves within the acting world — additionally they proved that they’ll create a novel performance within the kitchen. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the previous Disney star selected to sharpen her skills alongside skilled chefs and her family members. “Individuals who […]
When Minkoff asked whether she missed being on the Food Network, De Laurentiis replied, “No. I do know, I should say yes.”
She continued, “I feel it’s because I got burnt out. I actually worked so hard for therefore long. I got burnt out and I couldn’t see a path that was exciting anymore. I want excitement. I get bored. And if I’m losing interest, my viewers are losing interest.”
Giada De Laurentiis. Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for NYCWFF
While reflecting on her time with the network, De Laurentiis said she would “switch gears without knowing it every seven years.” She added, “So I did On a regular basis Italian for seven years, then I got pregnant, and I used to be like ‘OK, I can’t do this show anymore.’ I got to do a reincarnation of the show because I’m now pregnant. I’m a unique person.” (De Laurentiis shares daughter Jade, 16, with Thompson.)
She noted that she was “lucky enough” to be on the network during a time when she could make suggestions about her projects. “The landscape hadn’t really been fully discovered yet, and so I feel they were just more open to the talent,” she said.
All good things must come to an end, even in the case of TV. Over time, many television stars have suddenly left their roles — while others have been cut from a series without much notice. Anna Faris announced in September 2020 that she was leaving CBS’ Mom after starring because the lead character […]
De Laurentiis joined the Food Network in 2002 with On a regular basis Italian, and has since helmed shows including Giada’s Weekend Getaways, Giada at Home, Giada Entertains, Giada’s Holiday Handbook and Giada in Italy. She also appeared as a mentor on The Next Food Network Star.
After De Laurentiis announced her exit from the Food Network in 2023, a spokesperson for the network addressed her departure in a press release to Us Weekly.
“Giada De Laurentiis is culinary royalty, someone who has taught audiences how one can properly pronounce every cut of pasta possible for nearly twenty years,” they said in February 2023. “Food Network will at all times be pleased with the attractive content we now have created together, and our table will at all times have an open seat for Giada.”
