The Pioneer Woman is undergoing a few changes over on Food Network. Ree Drummond recent had to celebrate the departure of her nephew, Stuart, giving him a loving sendoff before a summer internship in Chicago ahead of college in the fall.
The Food Network star shared the news on her Instagram feed earlier in the week, noting that Stuart Smith won’t be helping with filming The Pioneer Woman cooking series. “My sweet Stu!! We knew this day would come,” Drummond captioned the photos. “Today was my handsome nephew’s last day of filming my cooking show. He stepped in with my kids during the early days of the pandemic and helped shoot a couple of episodes on iPhones, and he also helped do some dishes. That was April 2020…and those “couple of episodes” turned into like 80 or more.”
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The update also included a little update on the production of her show. “Now he’s off to a summer internship in Chicago then back to college in the fall, and my original crew will come back in July!” she shared. “I love this kid so much, and we’ve had the greatest laughs. So proud of you Stu, and Aunt Ree will miss you so much!!!”
Drummond has slathered love for her nephew all over social media in the past, likely embarrassing him a bit with his childhood nickname that she used until he was 18. That means all through high school, he had a pet name and likely still does.
“His name is Stuart, but I still call him Tooie like we all did when he was little. Usually I go a step further and call him Tooie Booie,” she wrote. “Since he’s well past the age of 18, I told him I was going to stop calling him Tooie Booie and start calling him Stuart. It lasted about nine minutes. I love this boy a lot.” Drummond closed out the post with a heart.
It has been an eventful six months for the Food Network star, both good and bad. Back in November, Drummond lost her brother Michael. Drummond still managed to lose some incredible weight despite the tough loss, keep up with fans, and drop her son, Bryce, off at college. She’s even got time to support her fellow Food Network stars with their personal moments.
