Has Superchef Grudge Match been cancelled?

There has been no official word on the future of Superchef Grudge Match, but the show has already been pulled from most platforms.

The television world is notoriously competitive, and this means that fan-favorite shows sometimes get cancelled – and often seemingly out of the blue.

Television networks have to consider everything from viewership numbers and ratings to budgetary restrictions and scheduling conflicts when they are deciding which shows to renew – and which to cancel – with every new season.

However, there are few things that will get a popular television show cancelled quite as quickly as an unsavory scandal (see: Netflix’s House of Cards, ABC’s Roseanne reboot, VH1’s Eve & Ocho, and countless others).

What happened to Superchef Grudge Match?

And unfortunately for long-time Darnell ‘Superchef’ Ferguson and Superchef Grudge Match fans, it seems like the show has already been booted from Food Network and several other streaming services, as the higher-ups scramble to distance themselves from Ferguson’s recent arrest.

Although Food Network has not yet released an official statement regarding Ferguson’s arrest, or the future of the show, Superchef Grudge Match (which only recently started airing its second season), has already been replaced by the Food Network old-faithful, Chopped.

Reruns of this Food Network staple show have been airing in Superchef Grudge Match’s coveted Tuesday-night timeslot, as of January 16, 2024.

And things are expected to continue this way until mid-February, when Superchef Grudge Match’s second season was set to conclude. Ferguson’s Instagram page has also been disabled.

Superchef Grudge Match season 2 so far

Food Network officially confirmed the renewal of Superchef Grudge Match back in March of 2023.

This was after the first season of the show (which Ferguson also hosted) surpassed 8 million total viewers to become its highest-rated new show of 2023.

Superchef Grudge Match second season officially began airing in November 2023, but the show barely made it past three episodes before the news broke of its host’s arrest.

Originally, Superchef Grudge Match was set to air eight episodes in its second season, but the few episodes that made it to air, can be outlined as follows:

Other Food Network stars have responded to the news

While Food Network is not saying much about why Superchef Grudge Match was so suddenly pulled from the air and several streaming sites, or whether the show will be returning at some point in the future, some of the network’s stars have taken to social media to make their positions clear.

The renowned Food Network chef, Nate Appleman, who is known for his appearances on shows like Tournament of Champions, Guy’s Grocery Games, Iron Chef America, The Next Iron Chef (and even an episode of Superchef Grudge Match season two, which has yet to air) took to Instagram on January 10, 2024 to share a post advocating against domestic violence and sexual assault.

And although Appleman did not tag Ferguson or reference his arrest in any way – the timing of this post sends a pretty clear message.

What is next for Darnell Ferguson?

Ferguson ended up pleading not guilty to the felony burglary and strangulation, misdemeanor assault, terroristic threatening, menacing, criminal mischief and theft charges in the Jefferson County District Court on Wednesday, January 10, 2024.

Ferguson has now been released on a $10,000 bond. And though his team maintains that the charges against him will be dropped, he has been ordered not to contact the victim until his next court appearance, which is scheduled for January 18.

The fate of Darnell Ferguson’s other shows still hang in the balance

Food Network certainly wasted no time ensuring that Superchef Grudge Match was not only pulled from the Food Network Go streaming site, but also from the channel’s regular schedule.

However, as one of the network’s biggest rising stars, it will be difficult for the network to remove all Ferguson-related content from these platforms in the same manner.

Outside of his own show, Superchef Grudge Match, Ferguson has also appeared in shows like Tournament of Champions and Guy’s Grocery Games (both hosted by Guy Fieri), as well as Chopped.

Ferguson has also appeared as a special celebrity chef on other networks for shows like The Big Holiday Food Fight and Food Fantasies.

It is not yet clear exactly how Food Network and OWN will handle Ferguson’s appearances on these other shows, but it is fair to assume that any episodes starring this once-popular up-and-comer will be kept off the air, at least until a final verdict is reached.