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Open Letter: Dear Food Network Challenge
Published on: June 10, 2009 – 8:42 am by FNH Staff 
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Dear Food Network Challenge,
First, you plied me with ample coverage of the blandly entertaining Keegan Gerhard. Keegan makes me feel safe, the kind of safe where you don’t have to think too much, unlike anything Alton hosts. But you go and ruin it every time Kerry Vincent shows up to judge. Who is this mysterious ice queen? Rather than judging on execution or creativity, she often bullies the contestants with opinions aligning with her own bland, pastel sense of style. Just because you don’t like something doesn’t mean it’s not EXCELLENT, Kerry.
So please, stop pretending to be British even though you’re from Australia. Let someone who doesn’t think an iced doily is the height of fashion judge for once (as long as it’s not Alex Guarnaschelli). And do the world a favor: take off the atrocious headband. Your hair is three inches long.
[Written by Jennifer Schmidt, administrator of the 'Take off the headband, Kerry Vincent" support group on Facebook. Edited by Jillian Madison.]
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I’ve always wondered what “Hall of Fame she claims to be part of of . The HAll of Fame in her own mind maybe.
Her constant negativity makes watching these shows quite painful. I’d love to see her compete in one. And her disgusting little sidekick FatPat Coston. What a pair they make.
Thanks for exposing this fraudulent woman.
She’s Australian?!?!
The woman is a word that starts with the letter “c” and rhymes with the word “punt.”
If I know she’s going to be judging a Cake Challenge, I flip the channel as fast as I can.
I LOL’d at “take off the atrocious headband. Your hair is three inches long.”
I’m wearing a headband today, but my hair is way longer than 3 inches. LOL
OMG. I just found a photo of her smiling. That’s one of the signs of the apocalypse, isn’t it? http://www.oklahomasugarartists.com/images/Kerry_black.jpg
Random: I saw Alex Guarnaschelli from the waist down, for the first time, on last Sunday’s episode of Next Food Network Star. Two words: holy moly.
I like the cakes she hates, and I hate the cakes she likes.
Get her off my television please!
It’s unfortunate that she adds to the car wreck quality of all the stupid challenges. You don’t want to watch, but can’t help but listen to her nonsense. ACK!
Could you expound on your comment about Alex Guarnaschelli from the waist down Jill ? Holy Moly ? Does that mean you saw her bucket back end loader ?
Miguel,
I posted a photo of Alex Guarnaschelli from the waist down. Just for you.
If there’s one thing I dislike more than the British it’s people who pretend to be British. And people who interfere with cakes.
To claim to dislike all British/English people is a very sweeping statement – from a Brit who is very proud to be so
I dislike her I think she ruins the shows she judges on Please Foodnetwork get someone NEW.
DITTO!!! Can’t stand Kerry Vincent!
I am glued to my TV watching the Kerry Vincent Surprise Birthday Cake Extravaganza. This thing is comedy gold. Stevie Famulari is creating a caketstrophe of biblical proportions and having a flat out hissy fit looney tunes meltdown on National TV. She started out with a massive chip of Kerry Hate on her shoulder and behaved like a snotty five year old in her “client interview.” She is constructing some hellish nightmare made up of bricks and loaves and wads of cake glued and mooshed together and impaled on dozens of wood dowels. Her kitchen looks like the DMZ. Cake and puddles of runny icing and powdered sugar all over the floor and covering every surface. It is an unholy conflagration like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Teasers promise she’s planning to douse the whole thing with some sort of flammable liquor and torch the whole mess, resulting in a smoke filled studio and emergency personnel with fire extinguishers descending on the whole mess. This might be the coolest thing I’ve ever seen on television. As much as I wish Kerry would take the stick out of her ass, I’m thrilled and delighted that this idiot is willing to humiliate herself on National Television in order to present Kerry with the most ungodly creation ever conceived in the history of cooking. Happy freakin’ birthday, Kerry, you ol’ battleaxe.
As a fellow Australian and from Western Australia to boot – I hate Kerry Vincents guts – however “Stevie”’s outburst of “Well I don’t always believe the customer is right” sounds worse than most of the things that have come from Kerry’s mouth – um Stevie honey – the customers are the ones who pay YOU to make THEM cakes so that you can make a living – that was the worst insult you could have given anyone – god I used to think that Jay was such a diva – but you give diva a bad name – I wouldn’t eat one of her cakes or go anywhere near her for a million dollars……
I just emailed Stevie to tell her what I thought – I said that while I agreed with her assessment of Kerry the fact of what she had said about the customer was awful and that I would NEVER buy a cake from her or recommend her to anyone….wonder how many of those shes got today….
Stevie Famulari….NO TALENT….NOT ONE CREATIVE EXPRESSION FROM HER . She presents pure anger in every amazingly ugly piece and the way she presents herself. A sad angry pathetic insecure woman searching for approval, and apparently Kerry must remind her of mommy or she would not show such disdain and animosity. Food Network, put her if therapy, not in your challenges.
oh and pray for kerrys husband – poor thing….
OMG has anyone gone to Stevies website – shes nuts!
What in holy hell was that monstrosity of a cake that Stevie made??? Was that supposed to be @ss ugly because she doesn’t like Kerry or did it just fail in execution. I’m so confused!
“Coco” left me speechless…
Wow ! I just saw the challenge which required the contestants to make a birthday cake for Kerry Vincent…
was Stevie Famulari high or what ?? That atrocity she tried to pass off as a cake was a gross insult to every other contestant on the program…and most especially to Kerry Vincent…..it’s ok not to like someone but Kerry Vincent (who I don’t know and will never know) seems to be a person who knows her “stuff” and should at least be shown some respect for her years of experience….If Ms. Famulari dislikes Ms. Vincent so much then she should have excused herself from the competition….thus not showing her as being petty and ridiculously spoiled. I will not watch any other challenge in which she participates.
You are so right!
OMG Hilarious! This women is nuts. Her only saving grace is how she irks Carrie Vincent. I think Carrie is either a man in drag, or Meryl Streep preparing for her next comedy role “The Devil Wears Fondant”
The smokin birthday cake.
If Food TV network is going to continue to have Stevie Famulari on any of their shows, they should send the poor girl to cooking school. Maybe then she’d have a clue as to how to work with food as an art medium!!! It’s called basic food science and cooking basic cooking 101. It’s not neuroscience. Her work station made me sick. Call me clueless – but I’m having a difficult time understanding the “thinking” at Foodtv regarding who qualifies for such a challenge. Are they obligated to have one obvious loser with embarrassingly poor cooking skills?
Love “The Devil wears Fondant” comment ;)
I didn’t get to see who won the contest??? I’m pretty sure it wasn’t Stevie though! Can someone fill me in? Thanks!
Jason won.
That Stevie is a total idiot…it’s obvious she is completely unqualified to do anything related to cakes and the fact that she considers herself an “artist” is a horrible insult to anyone remotely talented in the arts. As another poster suggested, I too would like to know wtf the people at food network were thinking by allowing here to participate in the challenges. I’m not a baker or a cake decorator, but if someone that is so lacking in talent can get on the food network and actually be on television, show me where to sign up.
We were in such awe of this episode of Food Network Challenge that we’ve been trying to track down a complete video ever since we saw it. Wish we had a DVR! We eventually found Stevie’s website with her own take on events of the day but the entire debacle is funnier from the Food Network co-star and judges perspective. Watching professionals try to handle her “artistic vision” while maintaining their own integrity was too funny.
Kerry is highly regarding in the cake decorating circles for her knowledge and what she creates. While she isn’t exciting to watch, her work and opinion is highly regarded among professionals-which is the reason the contestants strove so hard to please her.Well Stevie was well–she has issues.
does anyone know if the birthday cake challenge with stevie famulari (june 14th) will air again? i would love to have my friends see this. it was hilarious.
The Food Network repeats alot of the challenges. You might go to the website and see if the times are listed. I am still trying to figure out why she was allowed on the show. Her website is dark and lousy pictures. It is one of those things where you just shake your head and wonder how people think that they are that good. I would be embarrassed to display the “art” she shows.
gosh, people, give kerry a rest. She is like simon on American idol. what most people do not know is that american idol contestance like simon the most becuase he gives them actual advice that they can use to get better. That is the way Kerry works, and I think most of the contestants like her for it. it is true that she comes acros as a horable woman when she is judgeing (not to say she is probubly great outside of the studio).
I think people are missing the whole point in regard to Kerry Vincent. She is an extremely talented woman with much to teach to those who are truly interested in learning. She is also a woman who in my opinion does not bear idiots well and it is this trait that I think people take the wrong way on her shows. She is actually very entertaining, but the show has to create “Characters” for viewers to like or dislike and what they show does not do her justice.
Carol, more like you’re missing the point that this is a humor site :)
I can’t disagree with all of the comments on Kerry’s attitude. But I have to say, though I may stand alone in this, that I think she is one hell of a sexy woman! A bit stern, yes, but classy and just all around HOT!
I have searched for information on Kerry Vincent and I’m usually an excellent researcher but I could hardly find anything about her. I found maybe one or two books and one or two affiliations and not much else. Most of it is Food Network Challenge related. I wanted to know just who this person is and why they’re qualified to be a judge and the judge everyone cowers from. Why does she hold so much authority? I genuinely wanted to know and I can’t find anything substantial detailing her many achievements. I think she gets respect because it’s a word of mouth thing. People hear she is “somebody” so they bow before her without looking to see if she is legit. How can someone be such a snotnose and have nothing to back it up with?
I love her books, I’m a cake decorator and I have learned a lot from her, before she was ever a judge. She also hosts one of the premier cake “shows” every Oct. in her hometown. There is a different set of celebrities in the cake world then there is the TV world. She teahes a lot of classes and goes to a lot of cake competitions to do demonstrations – that is why she is so popular with cake decorators, because she knows her stuff.
Princess Crazypants you should change your name to Princess Snotnose because you sound more snotnosed than I’ve ever heard Kerry Vincent sound. Also, you can’t possibly be an excellent researcher if you couldn’t find much information about Kerry Vincent. I suggest you try reading her Wikipedia entry and then google her name and the names of the organizations she’s involved with for further information.
Reading these comments is hilarious. Especially the ones about Stevie. I know Stevie personally and while she can, in fact, be just as crazy as she is on these challenges she is also a generally nice person. She is very creative but definitely has her own way of going about things, good or bad.
I watched this episode in total disbelief, punctuated with chortling over her disasterous attempt at a cake. It was the perfect defintion of Schadenfreude. Not only is Stevie a pretentious fool whose nose is permanently in the air over her alleged “artistic ability,” but she clearly had no idea what she was doing in this challenge. Sure, Kerry can be a task-mistress, but Stevie should’ve played nice and at least tried to make a cake that Kerry would like, instead of that bizarre creation from cake hell that she made (and ignited).
I just watched the episode with the fire cake. This isn’t the first time she’s been on Challenge. Why do they keep inviting her back and better yet why does she accept when she knows the Kerry Vincent woman is the judge? (what is up with the big headband)
What the hell was that mess she called a cake? It was total disaster and her kitchen was a mess. Like a child throwing a tantrum. If this is her expression of artistic interpretation of a birthday cake, then clearly the only person that understands her vision are the voices in her head. That “cake” was just vomit…
Didn’t Stevie win the cereal bridges challenge? If not she should have, her bridge was the best. I agree that sometimes her artistic vision gets a little misunderstood, but in this challenge she must have straight up been on crack. Im happy Jason won, he and his assistant are soooo cute!
The only way I could justify Stevie Famulari’s “cake” as anything other than is if it was intended to be an artistic representation of Famulari’s attitude or Kerry Vincent’s soul.
The only way I could justify Stevie Famulari’s “cake” as anything other than the results of a blindfolded 3-year-old is if it was intended to be an artistic representation of Famulari’s attitude or Kerry Vincent’s soul.
While I understand that there are artists that have really abstract works, they should still be tasteful. The condition of her kitchen alone would have been enough for me to say I don’t even want to taste that cake. Like many of the rest of you, I don’t understand Food Network’s thinking on why they let Stevie come back. I saw Stevie’s website too and “Coco” was disgusting. I was appalled! I will not watch a challenge if it has Stevie on it again. As far as Kerry goes, she is a hard @$$ but, I expect that from a judge. PLEASE FOOD NETWORK NO MORE STEVIE FAMULARI, I DON’T WANT TO BE SICK FROM WATCHING YOUR SHOW!!
STEVIE CRASHED HER BRIDGE JUST LIKE SHE SET KERRIE’S CAKE ON FIRE. NO TIME MANAGEMENT OR TALENT AS FAR AS CAKE DECORATING.
SHE’S AN INSULTING PIECE OF GARBAGE TO THE INDUSTRY
B.J.
I think Stevie’s issue is she grew up in a family that must have told her she FABULOUS, she could do no wrong, she was an ARTIST she was original etc etc ad nauseum. As a result she has no real talent at all and cannot take constructive criticism. What Kerry tells people may not be sparing their feelings in tone she is correct in her assessments. If you look at Stevie’s site and her so-called accomplishments she cannot decide what she is, what she wants to be and as a result is hopeless at everything she attempts. Her high falutin “I’m a conceptual” artist comments make me ill. How about her stupid Christmas tree? Why decorate something then cover it all with what amounts to tissue paper?!? What’s THAT concept supposed to be??? No doubt she’ll go home and wonder why no one “understands” her ART. Yeah. Right. I think her art is for HER. She enjoys making humongous messes and doesn’t care a whit about what it actually looks like to the observers. Where’s the art in that?
I too would like to see the judges compete. Ms. Kerry Vincent is a pompus ass on the show. I think they should fire the old, mean, bitch. I feel sorry for the poor man who married her. She may be the best sugar artist in the WHOLE WORLD, but lets see her happy ass perform under time pressure like the poor saps who compete!!!
Stevie is a poster child for the old saying “Crack Kills” or “This is your brain, this is your brain on DRUGS”
Please remove Kerry Vincent from all future challenges. She judges based on her own taste, not what the general public would like. She finds something to be critical of on every cake…and focuses on it! I will not watch future Food Network shows with her on it. Among many things, I can’t stand that she things everyone should clean up every little crumb every time one drops. Clean up is for the end.
Look, I know how you feel, but Kerry Vincent is on almost every Food Network Challenge. You could miss alot of interesting challenges just by avoiding Kerry Vincent. That said, she does crtisize based on her own tastes (which are pukey :D) and she DOES focus on the not-so-perfect elements of a cake. I think you are right in most aspects (especially the fact that she tells people to clean up evry last fallen crumb :D) Oh, and Keegan Gerhard is the best host on any Food Network Show. He’s nice.
Kerry Vincent might tough on tv but in person she is actually a nice sweet lady!
Wow this “Stevie” woman is an idiot! She keep on about how no one understands her crap, well honey IT’S CRAP!! lol I get it… see.. crap crap crap..Ugly crap. Please stop with the cakes, you need to find a new medium. She is all about everyone having an open mind to HER HER HER HER.. the world revolves around Stevie! LOL NOT. I have an open mind, I’m an artist, not with cake because I’m not good with cake, I know what I’m good at… Stevie, you need to learn what medium your good with and it’s NOT cake!! LOL Your just a tool-ette on the Challenge! I don’t even watch the Challenge when I see your on it.. I find something else because I don’t want to see your hissy fit break downs!
Hahaha. Kerry Vincent is a witch and Stevie’s cake was shocking. It was a disgusting mess. LOL… I know how you feel, the lovely Keegan makes be feel safe. His sweet little lisp and you can just TELL that he’s a nice person…
I know its a competition but does Kerry Vincent is just one ( VERY RUDE) person.I see the way she talks to people,I guess i could not face her it would take all i haid not to yank that damn head band off her ugly …..!!!!!,Find another judge who can be more polite
SOMEONE SAID – “Kerry Vincent might tough on tv but in person she is actually a nice sweet lady!” NOT EVIDENT. WHERE IS SHE HIDING IT? LOOK AGAIN.
Kerry Vincent is actually a nice sweet lady? NOT APPARENT.
It’s very easy to get a poor impression of Kerry on television: people don’t realize it takes about 12-17 hours of hard work on the part of the crew to film an episode of Challenge, not to mention incredible amounts of post-production time. I know this because I’ve worked on the show on multiple occasions. From the extensive amount of footage required to make an episode, they have to cut that down to the length of a typical show. Face the Judges usually takes a long time yet on the show its only about five minutes, a standard scenario of reality tv; alot of the judges more encouraging comments are cut to get to the meat and potatoes. Kerry is a woman who knows how to handle herself, doesn’t coddle criticism, and can be very direct, but is actually a remarkably bubbly and friendly person. Seriously, if you were to see her on set, you’d see she’s actually smiling and being friendly with people like 98% of the time. It’s part of the formulas for shows like this that you need a judge who people are kind of scared of and who seems too harsh: because Kerry’s so direct, she’s that judge, however, she’s actually quite encouraging to the contestants even when she points out tons of flaws… that stuff just only rarely makes it on air. She’s actually a really cool lady and definitely is well known in the pastry community as one of the best in the field. Buddy said it best: if anything, Kerry is fair. As for Stevie, I’ve never met her and did not work on any challenges where she was present but I thought her attitude was ridiculous on the Kerry’s b-day cake episode and that she seems to have the same problem too many artists do: she can’t handle direct criticism even when her work is rubbish. Her behavior was ridiculous lol.
As for Kerry, yeah I don’t agree with everything she says but I appreciate in a world of coddling someone who says it how they see it. As for pretending to be British? I don’t know about that, she seems pretty obviously Australian to me rofl. : )b
If all you people don’t like how the woman works or her comments just don’t watch her show its just that simple. I am sick & tired of hearing all these liberals talking about how offended about everthing. I enjoy waching the woman because she knows what she likes if some of the contestants can’t get it then they should stop trying. Or mabie all u guys can keep insault the way she talks give me a break people
Please repost this in English so we might respond. Thanks.
If you do not like the comments then do not read them. Try following your own advice. Also, please learn how to spell and punctuate before posting comments. Thank you.
How was that not english?
I don’t think Kerry Vincent is a bad judge at all =/. From all the challenges I have watched, her criticism on the technical elements of building showpieces are valid. Although I may not agree with some of her critiques, I believe she is a knowledgeable judge who just doesn’t sugarcoat her criticism.
I really like Kerry. I think she’s gets to the facts quickly and I almost always agree with her. When the brat named Stevie is on I find I get anxiety attacks listening to her. She almost always does something that doesn’t work or she only seems to be there to make something to attack Kerry. Stevie is such a bore. When she’s on I leave the room.
This whole discussion really pisses me off. Kerry Vincent is an amazing, kind person and she’s only doing her job by giving an honest opinion; one that is meant to help the cake decorators learn how they can improve their skills. She is extremely talented and highly revered in the industry.
How many of you have actually seen any of Kerry’s Cakes?..I have seen them up close and have to tell you, even with over 20 years experience in the field her cakes and skills are beyond reproach. Her critiques of the competitors are “Usually” spot on. Remember you are only seeing what the producers want you to see. The cakes may look great from a distance but up close they may be trainwrecks.
She is talented and isn’t afraid to tell it like it is. She is opinionated, but that’s not a bad thing — if you know your stuff. And she does. She’s an expert and has industry respect and credentials to prove it.
Those who want her to be a beauty queen with a teeny little brain and comments to make decorators feel better about low-quality work need to watch a different show.
I don’t care how her hair looks or if she talks differently than I do. She deserves far greater respect that has been posted here.
Ya’ll obviously are not cake decorators or ya’ll would know that in the cake world she knows her stuff! Her cakes are beautiful and I see her smile all the time. Those shows do a lot of editing and just show you the persona they want you to see. They have made her out to be “the judge you love to hate”. Do I always agree with her? No, of course not everyone has their own opinion that is why these cake shows are fun to watch. Just grow up and stop bashing someone you don’t even know! BTW – I love her headbands and she’s not pretending to be British either, that’s like saying Nicole Kidman pretends to British because of her accent (She’s from Australia also).
I think that you don’t know Kerry Vincent well enough to talk about her like that. Kerry Vincent is the most strong sweet woman I have ever met. It’s called tough love. She doesnt mean to hurt people, just to make them better.
It’s sad that most of you go by a TV show that portraits her like a b***H. It’s all in the way everything is edited.
In person she is a very sweet kind woman that always like to lend a hand to help.
Don’t judge people if you don’t know them personaly.
Kerry Vincent Is an Incredable Cake Artist, Very Inspirational to all Beginners like Myself, She is Honest , and sometimes the truth hurts but, critisiums help to grow and learn from mistakes , Thanks Kerry VIncent