Spring Baking Championship Star Slams Fan Who Accused Show Of Being Too “Politically Correct”

Summary Spring Baking Championship season 10 judge Kardea Brown responds to accusations that DEI policies, rather than talent, determined the final three competitors.

Kardea stands up against accusations of racial bias in the competition, emphasizing that decisions are based on talent and merit.

Kardea explains the Spring Baking Championship judging rules.

Spring Baking Championship judge Kardea Brown delivered a passionate response which refuted a fan's accusation that Food Network uses Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies, rather than talent, to decide which contestants advance to the next round. The Spring Baking Championship season 10 final three contestants have been decided after Nickey Boyd and Alex Bonnefoi went head-to-head in a bake-off. Nickey won the challenge, and she earned her place in the finale by impressing the judges--Kardea, Duff Goldman, and Nancy Fuller--with her creative transformation of a key lime pie into a pavlova. She now joins Robert Gonzalez and Steven Tran in the finale.

"...when you've had enough you've had enough."

In an Instagram post, Kardea read a post from an X user that read, "I've been watching these shows for several years & it's just getting more & more politically correct! Now DEI is a factor... I know where @kardea_brown votes, but so surprised how the network influences @nancyfullerco & especially Duff!"

Kardea then stated, "Let's chat because when you've had enough you've had enough." Kardea defended Nickey, saying that some people will choose to believe that "a Black woman can't be in the top three because she's talented, deserved to be there, and she can bake her a** off." Instead, they wrongly insist that DEI policies are a factor.

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Kardea Brown Shares History Of DEI Policy Accusations

Kardea was upset because Nickey saw the message, but she knew that the negative comments would come because she's seen it "season after season." Kardea added that she felt "really bad" because when Jaleesa Mason, a woman of color, won Spring Baking Championship season 8, some people thought that it was because Kardea was on the judging panel. She marveled that people thought that she was "pulling strings around an entire network that's been around longer than [I have]. I'm the one that's deciding everything because, of course, this Black woman just can't be up here for no reason. It has to be because of DEI."

"I don't give a darn if you're Black, yellow, blue, or purple."

Kardea Brown Reveals Spring Baking Championship Rules

Kardea said that some people believe that Nickey is in the top three because "I must be voting for the Black woman or the woman of color or the person of color." She stressed, "I don't give a darn if you're Black, yellow, blue, or purple. I am strictly there to vote and to decide based on presentation, taste, and other deciding factors outside of someone's skin color." Kardea emphasized that the network is very "strict," and they have a rubric and guidelines. She added, "So for people to still believe in 2024 that everything is rigged, especially when a person of color is on top, it just blows my mind."

Kardea is right that it's "sickening" that people would make such accusations in today's world. To accuse her of making decisions based on race, when Spring Baking Championship makes the judging very clear, is ludicrous. Although Alex is a fantastic baker, Nickey simply outbaked him in the bake-off because she's also phenomenal at what she does. It's getting very tiresome to hear people call competitions rigged, and to accuse shows of using DEI policies to make their decisions, every time their favorite contestants are eliminated.

Kardea deserves a lot of respect for speaking out against these accusations. Not only do they call her character into question, but they imply that contestants of color aren't talented enough to achieve things without political correctness playing a factor. Nickey has been a spectacular competitor and a joy to watch, and she deserves to be in the Spring Baking Championship season 10 finale. Although it's sad that Kardea should even have to make a statement like this in 2024, she should be applauded for calling people out, and she should continue to do so until this kind of harmful behavior stops. Enough is enough.

The Spring Baking Championship season 10 finale airs Monday, May 6 on Food Network.

Source: Kardea Brown/Instagram