A baker, originally from Louisiana, thought she was going to be able to use the glory of winning a television baking competition to her advantage, but after the host was accused of sexual misconduct, the show and her dreams came to an abrupt end.
Vallery Lomas won the "Great American Baking Show," but her winning episode, along with the majority of others filmed for this season, never aired, WAFB reported.
That's because one of the judges, Johnny Iuzzini, was accused of sexual misconduct, leading ABC to cancel the show after two episodes, CNN reported.
Iuzzini was accused of assaulting a female chef while he worked as a pastry chef at Jean-Georges, a restaurant in Trump International Hotel and Tower in New York. The accusations came to light in November, Mic reported.
Iuzzini resigned from his position, but not because of the allegations. He said that he provided the restaurant with three months' notice. He denied the accusations in a statement to Mic.
In addition to his role on the “Great American Baking Show,” Iuzzini also has published multiple cookbooks, was a judge on “Top Chef: Just Desserts,” and runs his own chocolate company, Chocolate by Johnny Iuzzini.”
Lomas said she was called by one of the show's producers with the news, WAFB reported.
Credit: Mark Bourdillion
Credit: Mark Bourdillion
She said she gave the show six months of her life between filming and promoting the program.
Lomas said she was the favorite during the show and wanted to show her friends and family what she had experienced over the past half-year.
The attorney-turned-winning-baker told WAFB that she's exploring her opportunities to further her baking career and is using her blog, Foodie in New York, to make connections.
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