Daytime TV is usually a wasteland of shouting matches and paternity tests. Then came The Chew. It launched in 2011, replacing the iconic soap opera All My Children, which, honestly, pissed off a lot of people at the time. You had these die-hard soap fans ready to riot because their stories were being traded for a group of people sitting around a kitchen island talking about balsamic glaze and craft projects. But then something weird happened. People actually started liking it.
It wasn't just another cooking show.
If you ever watched an episode of The Chew, you know it felt less like a production and more like a dinner party where the hosts actually liked each other. Mario Batali, Carla Hall, Clinton Kelly, Daphne Oz, and Michael Symon—that was the original "Fab Five." They had this messy, loud, organic chemistry that you just can't manufacture in a casting room. It was basically the food world's version of The View, but without the constant political screeching.
The Chemistry That Made The Chew Work
Most daytime talk shows feel clinical. The Chew felt like your aunt's kitchen on Thanksgiving. You had Michael Symon’s distinctive, high-pitched laugh piercing through the studio air every five minutes. Clinton Kelly brought that sharp, What Not to Wear wit, but applied it to cocktails and table settings. Carla Hall was the soul, shouting "Hootie Hoo!" and reminding everyone that cooking is about love, not just technique.
They tackled recipes, sure. But they also talked about life.
It’s easy to forget that before the show's demise, it actually won Daytime Emmy Awards. It wasn't just fluff. The production team, led by Gordon Elliott (the guy from Food News back in the day), understood that viewers didn't just want a recipe for lasagna. They wanted to feel like they were part of a community. The show succeeded because it leaned into the personalities of the hosts rather than forcing them into a rigid script. When Daphne Oz talked about being a new mom or Michael Symon joked about his "meat-heavy" lifestyle, it felt real.
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Why the Show Suddenly Vanished
Everything changed in late 2017. The world was going through a massive cultural shift with the #MeToo movement, and The Chew found itself right in the crosshairs. Mario Batali, arguably the biggest "get" for the show's initial launch, faced serious allegations of sexual misconduct. ABC acted fast. They fired him.
The show tried to keep going as a quartet. For a while, it worked. The remaining hosts—Carla, Clinton, Michael, and later additions or guest spots—tried to maintain that upbeat energy. But the vibe was different. There was a giant orange-Crocs-shaped hole in the middle of the set. Even though the remaining hosts were arguably more beloved than Batali, the scandal cast a shadow that the network couldn't quite shake.
In May 2018, the axe fell.
ABC announced it was cancelling The Chew to make room for a third hour of Good Morning America. It was a business move. Cheap to produce, easy to syndicate. But for the fans, it felt like a betrayal. The show that had replaced a beloved soap opera was now being replaced by more corporate news. It’s a bit of a cycle in the TV world, really.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Cancellation
People think The Chew died because the ratings were tanking. That’s not entirely true. While the numbers weren't at their 2013 peak, the show still had a massive, loyal following that advertisers loved. The demographics were perfect. The real "killer" was a combination of the Batali scandal and the network’s desire to consolidate its news brand.
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It's cheaper to have the GMA anchors stay in their chairs for another hour than it is to run a full-scale production with five celebrity chefs and a live studio audience.
Also, we have to talk about the "Food Talk" genre. Before The Chew, there wasn't really a successful daily hour-long talk show dedicated entirely to lifestyle and food that wasn't a standard "dump and stir" cooking program. They blazed a trail. Now, you see elements of their format in everything from The Rachael Ray Show to local morning news segments. They proved that you could talk about "food as lifestyle" for 60 minutes and keep people's attention.
Life After The Chew: Where Are They Now?
The hosts didn't just disappear. If anything, they've all leaned harder into their niches.
- Carla Hall: She became a legitimate star on the Food Network and a mainstay in the culinary world. Her cookbook Carla Hall’s Soul Food is basically a modern classic. She’s stayed true to that "cooking with love" mantra.
- Michael Symon: He’s still the king of BBQ and meat. He’s all over Food Network, often appearing as a judge or hosting his own specials. He and his wife Liz continue to run their restaurant empire.
- Clinton Kelly: He took a bit of a step back from the constant grind of daily TV but remains a huge voice in the lifestyle space. He’s written books and still pops up for style segments, though he’s often spoken candidly about how taxing the daily TV schedule could be.
- Daphne Oz: She leaned into the wellness and parenting space. You’ll see her on MasterChef Junior or The Dish on Oz. She’s built a massive brand around "the good life" that’s approachable but aspirational.
The Legacy of the Kitchen Island
What The Chew really left behind was a blueprint for how to handle "lifestyle" television without being boring. They didn't treat their audience like they were stupid. They didn't assume you knew how to chiffonade basil, but they also didn't spend ten minutes explaining what an onion was. They hit that sweet spot of being educational and entertaining.
The "Chew Tank" segments, where viewers would pitch their recipes, were actually ahead of their time. It was crowdsourced content before that was a buzzword. They took the audience seriously.
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It’s rare for a show to survive a total format shift—moving from a scripted soap to a talk show—and actually win over the very people who were mourning the previous show. That speaks to the talent of the cast. You can’t fake that kind of rapport. When Michael and Carla would get into a mock argument over a recipe, you knew it was because they actually cared about the food, not because a producer told them to spice things up.
Practical Takeaways for Fans of the Genre
If you’re still missing that The Chew vibe, you have to look for it in pieces. No one show has quite captured that specific lightning in a bottle again.
Watch Michael Symon’s social media. During the pandemic, he did these "Symon’s Dinners" videos from his home kitchen. It was the closest thing to the raw, unpolished energy of the show. It was just him, a camera, and some great food.
Follow Carla Hall’s "Sunday Supper" philosophy. The whole point of the show was that food brings people together. If you want to honor the legacy of the program, stop eating in front of the TV and actually sit at a table.
Revisit the cookbooks. The show released several tie-in books, like The Chew: Food. Life. Fun. and The Chew: What's for Dinner?. They aren't just collections of recipes; they have the tips and "lifestyle hacks" (as cringey as that word is now) that Clinton and Daphne used to provide.
The show is gone, and in the current landscape of streaming and fragmented audiences, it's unlikely ABC will ever bring back a big-budget, daily culinary talk show like it. It was a product of a very specific time in television history. But for seven seasons, it gave us a reason to actually turn on the TV at 1:00 PM. It taught us that even if you’re just making a sandwich, you might as well have a laugh while you’re doing it.
How to Recreate The Chew Experience Today
- Prioritize the "Table Talk": The best parts of the show were the first ten minutes where they just chatted. Recreate this by hosting small gatherings where the cooking happens with the guests, not before they arrive.
- Mix Your Skills: Don't just be a cook. Be a host. Learn one great cocktail (Clinton style) and one reliable comfort dish (Carla style).
- Seek Out "The Kitchen": If you need a TV fix, Food Network's The Kitchen is the closest spiritual successor, featuring a group of hosts (including Sunny Anderson and Jeff Mauro) who share that ensemble energy.
- Embrace the Mess: One thing the show taught us was that perfection is boring. If the sauce breaks or the craft project looks a bit wonky, keep going. That’s where the fun actually lives.