Kerry Vincent, Food Network Host and Judge, Dead at 75

The Food Network family lost one of its own over the weekend. Kerry Vincent, who served as a judge on Food Network Challenge among other programs, died at the age of 75. Her death was confirmed by the Oklahoma State Sugar Art Show, an organization that she had founded.

According to the post, Vincent had been battling through an illness but had kept it private. “Being a very private person when it came to all things not cake, she did not want to put her illness out there to the public,” the post explained. The illness was not disclosed in the farewell post, but the message did say that she will “no longer have any pain.” Her death occurred on Saturday.

Fans of the cooking network, which also lost chef Carl Ruiz in 2019, could find Vincent on the Food Network Challenge between 2006 and 2012. The series also had Keegan Gerhard as a judge along with Claire Robinson as the host. The current iteration sees Ian Ziering as the host. In addition to that program, Vincent also anchored her own show, Save My Bakery in 2014 where she would come in and help out struggling small businesses. Some of her other credits included The Best Thing I Ever Ate, Last Cake Standing, Holiday Gingerbread Showdown and The Great Australian Bake Off.

After learning of her passing, many of her Food Network fans expressed their sorrow over the news on social media with various tributes. “She was the Queen in the world of cakes and a Food Network staple,” one user wrote on Twitter. “This makes me sad.” Another echoed a similar tribute, “I learned so much from Kerry Vincent. May she rest in peace and may she find unlimited baking supplies in the great beyond.”

As her fans inferred, Vincent was considered one of the most decorated artists in the cake industry. She published multiple books including Romantic Wedding Cakes in 2002. Her expertise even earned her an induction into the International Cake Exploration Societe Sugarcraft Hall of Fame in 2004. In addition to her work on Food Network, she also spent time as a culinary teacher with stops in Peru and Michigan.