Boxer Laila Ali is set as the host of new Food Network series “Chef Grudge Match,” which will debut on the cable channel and HBO Max in August.
According to a source close to the situation, the series is considered a revamp of the Darnell Ferguson-hosted “SuperChef Grudge Match” format, which the network liked, with a new talent that they are “excited about and who works for the premise in a very organic way.”
The announcement comes on the heels of Ferguson pleading guilty to misdemeanor charges connected with past allegations of domestic violence against his wife on May 13, per Louisville, Kentucky’s Courier Journal.
“SuperChef Grudge Match” aired for two seasons from 2023-2024 on Food Network with Ferguson as host.
The description for the new “Chef Grudge Match” reads as follows, “Boxing champion Laila Ali is stepping into the ring once again, this time to host Food Network’s Chef Grudge Match, a single round, winner-take-all culinary battle where elite chefs come to settle long standing disputes and bitter rivalries. From employees who have been wronged by their boss to restaurateurs defending their livelihoods from copycats, competing culinary pros put their favorite knives, and egos, on the line in a bid to put old scores to bed. Each episode features two head-to-head battles where resident judge Jet Tila welcomes a guest judge to help determine who walks out with $10,000 cash, the losing chef’s most coveted knife and bragging rights for life.”
The new series will premiere Aug. 12 at 9 p.m. ET on Food Network and streams next day on HBO Max.
Guest judges for the season include Eric Adjepong, Adrienne Cheatham, Maneet Chauhan, Tiffani Faison, Stephanie Izard, Eddie Jackson, Chris Oh and Claudette Zepeda.
“Chef Grudge Match” is produced by Knuckle Sandwich and Lando Entertainment for Food Network.
Ali is a two-time “Chopped” champion, and previously guest hosted “Beat Bobby Flay,” among other Food Network appearances. She also co-hosted the revival of “American Gladiators,” was a panelist on “We Need to Talk,” and hosted Emmy Award-winning “Home Made Simple,” “All-In With Laila Ali” and “Everyday Health.”
“I’m thrilled to be joining the Food Network family,” Ali said in a statement. “As someone who’s always been passionate about both competition and delicious food, ‘Chef Grudge Match’ is the perfect fit. From the ring to the kitchen, I’ve never shied away from a challenge—and now I get to have fun while bringing that same intensity to a show where culinary rivalries are settled once and for all!”
“With reputations and livelihoods on the line, competition in the food world has heightened stakes which have produced legendary grudges and rivalries,” Warner Bros. Discovery head of food content Betsy Ayala added. “’Chef Grudge Match’ brings these grievances to a head in front of a studio audience, with all the energy of a live boxing match, and Laila Ali is the perfect ringmaster to oversee these battles for ultimate bragging rights.”
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