ABC cancels ‘The Great American Baking Show’ amid Johnny Iuzzini sexual harassment allegations

20-Dec-2017 - Last updated on 20-Dec-2017 at 12:27 GMT

Johnny Iuzzini is a celebrity chef on ‘The Great American Baking Show.' Pic: Wikimedia Commons

ABC has canceled the third season of ‘The Great American Baking Show,’ an American adaptation of the cooking competition TV series ‘The Great British Bake Off,’ after multiple former employees accused the show’s judge and celebrity chef Johnny Iuzzini of sexual harassment.

An employee told Mic, on the condition of anonymity, Iuzzini repeated inappropriate behaviors “three or four times” on separate occasions. Other allegations include Iuzzini assigning offensive nicknames to his female coworkers, including “Kimchi” for an Asian woman.

“In light of allegations that recently came to our attention, ABC has ended its relationship with Johnny Iuzzini and will not be airing the remainder of ‘The Great American Baking Show’ episodes,” an ABC spokesperson said in a statement.

“ABC takes matters such as those described in the allegations very seriously and has come to the conclusion that they violate our standards of conduct. This season’s winner will be announced at a later date,” the spokesperson added. “Episodes of ‘The Great Christmas Light Fight’ and ‘CMA Country Christmas’ will take its place this week and next.”

Iuzzini’s self-defense

Iuzzini sent Mic a personal statement earlier, admitting he was “shattered and heartbroken” at the thought his actions left members of his team members “feeling hurt or degraded.” However, he denied all the allegations.

“While I understand ABC felt pressured to make this difficult decision, I am extremely disappointed and saddened that the show will not continue to air as scheduled,” Iuzzini told BakeryandSnacks through his personal manager Lonny Sweet.

“I feel terrible for the bakers, fans of the show, the cast and everyone else involved in the production. I stand by my apology for some unprofessional behavior eight to 10 years ago, but the sexual harassment allegations and many other reports against me were sensationalized and simply not true,” he said.

“My friends, family and those close to me can attest that over the last several years I have worked hard on improving myself and made many positive contributions to the industry in which I dedicated my life,” Iuzzini added.

“Nonetheless, I will use this experience as another opportunity in my life to listen, learn and continue growing as a friend, family member, chef, mentor, and as a human being.”