Food Network series co-hosted by Chicago native ending after 40 seasons: ‘What a run’

(NEXSTAR) — After 40 seasons, the Food Network is ending its Emmy-nominated cooking show, “The Kitchen,” later this year.

Food Network confirmed the cancellation of its “weekend chat show” on Monday, saying the hosts — Sunny Anderson, Katie Lee Biegel, Jeff Mauro,

Geoffrey Zakarian and recurring guest Alex Guarnaschelli — “will celebrate one final holiday season before signing off.”

“For over a decade Sunny, Katie, Jeff, Geoffrey and more recently Alex have engaged audiences with their individual and distinct food sensibilities and sense of humor that together make The Kitchen a delicious way to spend an hour,” Betsy Ayala, head of content and food for Warner Bros. Discovery, said in a press release. “Everyone knows all good parties end up in ‘The Kitchen,’ where the conversation, laughs and food flow; the best parties probably end a little bit earlier then some guests would like, but we’ve got twelve years of memories and wanted to celebrate this team’s hard work during one final holiday season.”

“The Kitchen” first aired in January 2014 and will conclude with more than 500 episodes and seven Daytime Emmy nominations under its belt. Like other Food Network shows, “The Kitchen” attracted entertainers — Tony Shalhoub, Daniel Radcliffe, Martina McBride, and Vanilla Ice, to name a few — and fellow culinary experts — including Martha Stewart, Bobby Flay, Rachael Ray, and more — alike.

In a social media post Monday, co-host Mauro, the Chicago native who won the 2011 season of “Food Network Star,” wrote, “What a run!”

“I always knew what we had was special — rare, a unicorn, an anomaly. Shows don’t last this long… and ours did. I’ve prayed and given thanks every night for that fact,” the post continued. “I didn’t expect to feel this sad, but my optimism for what lies ahead outweighs the sadness. More than anything, I’m deeply grateful and humbled for this immense opportunity that I will never forget.”

Co-host Biegel shared a similar sentiment, captioning a photo on her Instagram story, “It’s the end of an era. Thank you so much to all our fans. The Kitchen was the greatest professional honor of my life and I will be forever grateful.”

The final episode of “The Kitchen” will air on Saturday, Dec. 13.