Is ABC's The Taste About to Get Canned?

Rumors are circulating that ABC is pulling the plug on its reality cooking competition The Taste. According to the Daily Express, the show — which stars chefs Ludo Lefebvre, Marcus Samuelsson, Nigella Lawson, and Anthony Bourdain as mentors and judges — apparently has incredibly poor ratings. The show, which recently aired its third season, may not be returning for a fourth.

A source told the Daily Mail that "staff have been told to take alternative employment and not to wait for The Taste to go back into production — it's over," adding that the show has been "hemorrhaging viewers." The source claimed that "it's an open secret that The Taste is not coming back for a fourth season. ABC are actively looking for an alternative cookery show." Eater has reached out to ABC publicity for comment but has not yet heard back.

The Taste — which garnered an Emmy nomination last year — has been struggling since the beginning. When it first aired in 2013, the show drew an audience of 5.8 million during its first season. However, by the third season the show only managed to score 2.7 million viewers. The Taste also aired a UK version of the show, which "proved even less successful." ABC has not made a public announcement about the status of the show, telling the Daily Mail that "no official decision has been made regarding another season of The Taste."