The 5 Best Food Network Moments Of 2025

For many of us, Food Network marathons are about as comforting as a big bowl of perfectly baked mac and cheese. Cooking shows are sort of like the healthy version of reality TV, after all. Sure, Food Network stars have their fair share of controversy, but the shows are family friendly, fun, and they sometimes even teach us how to cook. Plus, the network has produced many of our favorite cooking stars, from Guy Fieri and Ree Drummond to chefs who have since moved on to new pots, pans, and pastures (such as former Food Network regulars Alton Brown and Rachel Rae). So, we kind of have to trust its magic touch. 

Food Network certainly seemed to be intact in 2025, as memorable moments came thick and fast. We learned more about our favorite cooks' backgrounds, endured some worrying kitchen mishaps, experienced epic victories, and, unfortunately, lost one of our longtime network favorites. 

The author of books including 'Cook Like a Rockstar', a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, and the host of Food Network's iconic "Worst Cooks in America," wildly recognizable TV personality Anne Burrell passed away in June of last year. This hit many of us hard. We watched Anne Burrell's evolution over more than a decade on Food Network, from Iron Chef with Mario Bateli to her own shows. Her no-nonsense style and unfussy taste made her the perfect host of "Worst Cooks in America." I mean, brown food really does taste good!

It's no surprise, then, that a simple tribute to Burrell at the end of the first episode of "Worst Cooks in America" season 29 hit harder than other memorials. It was to be Burrell's last season. Although it premiered soon after her tragic death, it had been filmed earlier in the year, and many fans were excited to have Burrell back after her notable exclusion from January's celebrity version of the show.

Burrell was such an important part of "Worst Cooks in America" because, in addition to being comfortable as a judge and presenter, she was a great teacher; a skill she honed giving classes at the Institute of Culinary Education. Watching her do what she did best followed by the reality check of a memorial episode made for an unusually raw and emotional Food Network moment.

"Worst Cooks in America" always delivers when it comes to viral moments, and 2025 was no exception. In fact, "Worst Cooks in America" whoopsies started early, during January's "Worst Cooks Celebrity Edition: Heroes vs. Villains" episodes, when Tiffany 'New York' Pollard, star of early-2000s reality shows like "Flavor of Love" and "I love New York," almost invented a brand new dish — nail tempura. Food Network fave Antonia Lofaso saved Pollard from this fate by reminding the reality star that although she can't feel her long acrylic nails, they're dipping into the deep fryer and might just be about to melt.

Reactions to this near-miss ranged from the joyful to the judgmental. On Instagram, one fan showed loyalty to Tiffany by commenting, "You could never make me hate her." Another commenter noted, "Nails carry a lot of bacteria and nails that long have way too much bacteria under them." The National Restaurant Association recommends that people working with food have trimmed, filed nails with no polish and certainly no press-ons, but let's be honest, do we think Tiffany Pollard is getting a line cook job any time soon?

We didn't need more proof Guy Fieri's doing the job he was born for, but we sure got it on a 2025 episode of "Guy's Grocery Games." As you probably know as a Food Network fan, Fieri has had quite a life. At times, he's been the highest paid chef on cable. But the star of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" hasn't always had it easy. Shortly after being inspired to become a chef when he cooked his first steak dinner at just 8 years old, he's dealt with his fair share of tragedy, including a horse riding accident at 10 and a car crash as a teen.

An unsuspecting Fieri was taken back to before all of this when he was handed a photograph to sign in the middle of Triple-G. It turned out to be a childhood picture of tiny Guy on his big wheel which he says he used to ride up and down the street in his quaint hometown of Ferndale, California. The weird thing? The kid was wearing a sign reading "do not feed me."

Fieri then told us all how he used to give impromptu tours to visitors, who would buy the adorable little kid treats like donuts and ice cream until local store owners called his parents. When he got home, he'd be too full for dinner. So, they wrote him up a sign. The story was an amazing addition to Fieri's already eclectic backstory. Clearly, he's been performing since day one, and a snack monster to boot.

Food Network Q&As are designed to stir the pot, but Bobby Flay still horrified many fans when he admitted to a whole slew of culinary sins in early 2025. At The Takeout, we've begged you all to stop washing your chicken. Flay clearly wasn't listening, though. When questioned, the cook confidently admitted to rinsing his poultry, saying, "I wash my chicken before I cook it." Flay isn't the only Food Network star to admit to this. Although CDC guidelines advise against washing raw chicken as it spreads germs, Flay's colleague Antonia Lofaso also does it. There's a key difference between the two, though – Lofaso only cleans chicken she feels needs it.

Amazingly, things got weirder with Flay's Q&A after the chicken rinsing. He doesn't wash rice, judges pre-minced garlic extremely harshly, and thinks breaking pasta is inexcusable. Sorry we don't all have giant spaghetti pots, Bobby! Perhaps his worst take, though, is allowing cats and only cats (no dogs) in the kitchen. This enraged Instagram, inspiring comments like "Ah yes, I love my unwashed rice with a side of cat litter," and, "Washing chicken but letting a cat roam while you cook is WILD."

The brand new "Tournament of Champions All Star Christmas" got off to an incredible start. Among a cast of talented chefs, Bryan and Michael Voltaggio managed not only a resounding win but also the highest ever "Tournament of Champions" score. Judges Jacques Torres, Lorena Garcia, Cat Cora, and Nancy Silverton awarded the brothers an incredible 98 points, 10 more than closest rivals Jet Tila and Ashley Holt's 88.

The dishes the brothers prepared for this festive miracle of a "TOC" meal included roast pork and smoked mushroom as well as a smoked chocolate ganache tart with currants. Amazingly, there wasn't a single negative comment from the judges about either. Clearly, the Voltaggios' sibling rivalry isn't all it's cracked up to be. Sure, it works for "Battle of the Brothers," but the pair seemed ecstatic about winning something together when Food Network interviewed them post-victory. They even got two trophies so there won't be any fighting about who gets to keep the prize.