Iconic Food Network Chef Says He’s ‘Not Interested’ in Competition Shows

Emeril Lagasse has no desire to compete on any more reality cooking competitions. Instead, he wants to use his talents to teach and inspire the next generation of chefs. 

The Food Network star caught up with PEOPLE at the 2025 Food & Wine Classic in Charleston, South Carolina. There, he spoke about why television competition shows aren’t for him.

“What you see is what you get. I am what I am,” he said, noting teaching is more appealing than the hot pressure drama the competition shows bring. “I enjoy the television aspect because I like to teach. I’m not interested in competition. I’m interested in getting your attention, taking the intimidation out of that and teaching you how to cook, about ingredients, how to shop, how to pair it with wine.”

He says his time on television competition shows inspired his current journey. His Food Network series Emeril Live became a staple on the network. It was cancelled in 2007.

As for why the show was canned despite its success, it reportedly boiled down to a decline in ratings, and the network’s desire to switch programming overall as the audience changed. At the time, network executives told him that “it was time to do something new.” Soon after, his daytime show, Essence of Emeril, also ended.

His advice for up and coming cooks isn’t anything elaborate, especially home cooks looking to impress their loved ones. “Keep it simple. Keep it fresh. Don’t overcomplicate it,” he shared.

He says his own personal cooking is an example of why what a cook does best is what they should stick to., “I’ve made bolognese sauce probably, I don’t know, 6,000 times and I’m still trying to perfect it,” he said. He also urged people to follow recipe instructions, adding, “Learn the proper way and don’t take shortcuts,” he urged.