Valerie Bertinelli Slams ‘Sad’ Food Network Months After Her Exit

Valerie Bertinelli is sharing her thoughts on the “sad” direction the Food Network is headed just months after the cable channel fired her from “Kids Baking Championship.”

In a post shared to Threads on Tuesday, Bertinelli, 63, wrote, “I fell in love with Food Network two decades ago because of all the amazing ITK (in the kitchen) shows. 30-minute meals, Ina [Garten], Giada [De Laurentiis] … the list goes on.”

“I learned so much. It’s sad it’s not about cooking and learning any longer. Oh well, that’s just business, folks,” she added.

Bertinelli’s more than 314,000 followers agreed with her in the comments section, with many noting that they’ve stopped watching the network altogether.

“Yeah that’s why I loved food Network too. But now I don’t even bother to watch,” one user wrote.

Another person added, “I am tired of the cooking competitions. So repetitive and egotistical.”

“I don’t enjoy competition shows at all. I used to love the Food Network because I learned things. Now, not so much,” one of her fans said.

Someone else wrote, “I’m growing tired of the game show model and miss the real cooking shows that were so great to watch. Get back to cooking Food Network.”

Another user argued that Bertinelli should start her own cooking show sans Food Network.

“Girl… The Food Network isn’t the only game in town. Pitch your own show, your way. You’re Valerie effin’ Bertinelli!!!,” the fan wrote, before adding, “And add anything you want… celebrities, music, emotional well being… whatever. America loves you.”

The former “Valerie’s Home Cooking” star’s comments come after cookbook author and food blogger Marlynn Schotland declared on Threads that Food Network doesn’t need “another cooking competition show.”

“I miss