\t\t\t\t\t\tWhat To Know<\/p>\n
Duff Goldman took to social media to defend Kardea Brown from Food Network fans.
\nBrown has received backlash for taking over for Valerie Bertinelli on Kids Baking Championship.
\nBrown and Goldman will serve as cohosts on the upcoming Food Network competition series Baking Championship: Next Gen, which premieres this month.<\/p>\n
Duff Goldman<\/a> is coming to Kardea Brown<\/a>\u2018s defense against Food Network fans who are mad at her<\/a> taking over for Valerie Bertinelli<\/a>.<\/p>\n Following Bertinelli\u2019s exit from Kids Baking Championship<\/a> in 2024, Brown took over as Goldman\u2019s cohost on the series for Season 13 in early 2025. She reunited with Goldman as a judge on Season 12 of Holiday Baking Championship<\/a> in November 2025 and will team up with him again to cohost the new series Baking Championship: Next Gen<\/a>, which premieres this month.<\/p>\n Brown\u2019s role as Bertinelli\u2019s replacement on Food Network has earned her some online hate. Goldman vocalized his support for Brown while promoting Baking Championship: Next Gen in a Tuesday, December 30, Instagram<\/a> post.<\/p>\n \u201cWho is excited for the series premiere of Baking Championship Next Gen? I know I am. I know @kardeabrown is. And I know that millions of kids out there are, and especially all the incredibly talented and hilarious and kind kids that we had the pleasure of baking with,\u201d he began his lengthy message. \u201cI hope you guys are excited. That being said, I\u2019d like everyone to take a deep breath and think about your words.\u201d<\/p>\n Goldman went on to address how many fans miss seeing him and Bertinelli together onscreen, stating, \u201cValerie taught me so much about the craft of television and the shows we do with kids wouldn\u2019t be the same without her warmth and spirit that to this day infuses every part of the show. But, things happen. Things that you or I know nothing about. TV is a crazy business and people all have complex lives. Valerie was my co-host and I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to learn from her and I cherish our continued friendship.\u201d<\/p>\n Goldman proceeded to praise Brown for following in Bertinelli\u2019s footsteps, calling her \u201cwarm, kind, and empathetic.\u201d He added, \u201cShe\u2019s a great baker and a positive mentor for the kids. Let\u2019s all remember to be kind. We are real people with real emotions and having to read negative comments about yourself isn\u2019t fun for anyone. And if you feel the need to make negative comments then maybe take a breath and ask yourself why putting someone down makes you feel better or vindicated or justified or whatever.\u201d<\/p>\n Goldman told his followers not to \u201cbe lame\u201d and \u201cbe mean,\u201d noting that people have the choice to tune in to the show or not. \u201cWe don\u2019t care that you\u2019re not going to watch. We care about the kids that we get to bake with. We care about creating a show and an environment that encourages creativity and craft,\u201d he stated. \u201cDon\u2019t ruin that for us by being nasty because events beyond your understanding or control unfolded how they did. Stay positive, guys.\u201d<\/p>\n He concluded his post by writing, \u201cI love Val. I love Kardea. And I love creating the most positive and creative show on @foodnetwork. Thanks.\u201d<\/p>\n Brown thanked Goldman for the heartfelt message in the post\u2019s comments. \u201cThank you, Duff. \ud83e\udd0d I\u2019m so grateful to be part of this show and to support these amazing kids. Valerie\u2019s impact is deeply felt, and I have so much respect for her as well,\u201d she wrote. \u201cThank you for always being so supportive\u2026\u2026your friendship and support mean more to me than you\u2019ll ever know \ud83e\udef6\ud83c\udffd.\u201d<\/p>\n Brown previously called the backlash she has received from fans \u201calarming\u201d in a December 5 Facebook<\/a> post. \u201cI hear you\u2026\u2026you\u2019re tired of competition shows and you want Valerie back,\u201d she said last month. \u201cBut guess what?! I can\u2019t control any of that, so leaving nasty comments on my page won\u2019t change a single thing.\u201d<\/p>\n She went on to add, \u201cI think as adults some of us have forgotten the core principles we teach children: be nice, be kind, and if you don\u2019t have anything nice to say, don\u2019t say anything at all. We need to get back to the basics of manners. Social media has become a breeding ground for unnecessary meanness and unhappy people and it doesn\u2019t have to be.\u201d<\/p>\n Baking Championships: Next Gen, Series Premiere, Monday, January 5, 2025, Food Network<\/p>\n \t\t\t