ABC Cancels ‘The Chew’ After Seven Seasons

The next season of The Chew will be its last. ABC confirmed today that it’s canceling the celebrity chef-hosted daytime talk show, Deadline reports.

The Emmy Award-winning program is presently hosted by chefs Michael Symon, Carla Hall, fashion consultant Clinton Kelly, and, until recently, chef Mario Batali. Batali was suspended and ultimately fired from the show in December amid widespread reports of the chef’s alleged sexual misconduct that spanned two decades. (In a segment that acknowledged Batali’s suspension, Symon, Hall, and Kelly released a group statement saying “Our commitment to our viewers remains the same — to deliver the entertaining show that you’ve come to expect.”) Batali is currently the subject of a criminal investigation led by the New York Police Department into the misconduct allegations lodged by several employees who worked at the Spotted Pig.

Just last week, co-host Carla Hall addressed the vacant co-host slot left by Batali, stating that The Chew had no plans to replace him, and that the remaining hosts had “become closer” since the incident.

A representative for ABC called the cancellation a “business decision.” Recent ratings suggest that despite the chef’s firing, he continued to have a negative impact on The Chew’s viewership. During the most recent season, the number of women viewers ages 18-49 plummeted by 17 percent, making it the least-watched season since the talk show first aired in 2011, according to Page Six.

Daphne Oz, one of the original co-hosts on the show and daughter of dubious TV health personality Dr. Oz , departed last August. Producers also elected not to refill her seat on the show.

The Chew will continue to air new episodes from June through September. After that, Good Morning America will be expanded to three hours to fill its current time slot.

Update, 3:29 p.m., May 23: Carla Hall Tweets a statement, calling the experience an “amazing ride”:

Update, 3:50 p.m. May 24: On today’s episode of The Chew, hosts Carla Hall, Michael Symon, and Clinton Kelly addressed the cancelation of the show in an emotional seven-minute segment where they thanked their fans and each other, while also sharing anecdotes about how they reacted to the news last night. Clinton Kelly also explained their shooting schedule after the Memorial Day break: “We are coming back to do two weeks of fresh new shows and our last tape day is going to be June 14th. So our last show will be the 14th or the 15th, but then we’ll have summer shows that will be taped in advance.” Here’s the full segment:

• ‘Good Morning America’ Expands To 3 Hours, ‘The Chew’ Canceled By ABC After 7 Seasons [Deadline]
• ‘Good Morning America’ to Expand to Three Hours, ‘The Chew’ Canceled [Page Six]
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