Estimated Net Worth: $5 million
Restaurant: Centro Vinoteca, Savoy, Felidia
As Seen On: Iron Chef America
Anne Burrell has an impressive resume. In addition to being one of Mario Batali’s sous chefs in “Iron Chef America,” she has had several of her own shows on the Food Network and frequently appears as a guest on other shows. She was the host of the show “Secrets of a Restaurant Chef” and co-host of “Worst Cooks in America.” But, in 2009 this mega-talented boss lady ran into trouble after she was sued for allegedly discriminating against females at Centro Vinoteca, the restaurant where she worked as a chef.
She was accused of calling employees derogatory names, making comments regarding their bodies, and openly discussing their private lives. When the women originally made these accusations, Burell reacted by firing them. They apparently settled outside of court, but further details are unknown.
Joshua Adam Garcia
Estimated Net Worth: N/A
Restaurant: Jag's, Tavern on the Square
As Seen On: Next Food Network Star
In the third season of "Next Food Network Star," there was a contestant named Joshua Adam Garcia, or “JAG” for short. In the middle of the contest, he was forced to pull out, as it had been revealed that he had lied about his background. An imposture chef! On his resume, he wrote that he graduated from the New York Restaurant School and had served in the United States Military.
In reality, he never served in combat, was most definitely not a standing corporal, and was discharged for unspecified reasons. His website, however, does specify that he got his training as a chef in the military. He has since started working on a book titled “Hispano” which will explore Hispanic cuisine and culture through time.
John Besh
Estimated Net Worth: $8 million
Restaurant: August, Borgne, Domenica, and more
As Seen On: Inedible to Incredible and more
Chef and restaurateur, Josh Besh, made his TV debut in 2005 and has since been at least somewhat involved in every food show on TV. He was meant to appear in 2018's "Iron Chef" too. However, before the show's release, 25 different employees at his various restaurants came forward alleging that he had maintained a culture of sexual misconduct. Besh apologized, sharing that he was sorry for having a relationship with a worker of his while he was married. He added that he has been working with his wife on their relationship and that he cares deeply about his family and his Catholic faith.
One employee made another claim; that she and Besh had had an affair. She claimed that Besh, who was married at the time, had been the one to urge the relationship on. All of these accusations led the Food Network to let Besh go from Iron Chef. Meanwhile, Bravo’s Top Chef also gave him the boot.
Ree Drummond
Estimated Net Worth: $8 million
Restaurant: The Mercantile, The Pioneer Woman Bed & Breakfast
As Seen On: The Pioneer Woman
Ree Drummond had her start as the writer of "The Pioneer Woman," a successful food blog that developed into a full-on TV show starring her. In an episode of the second season, Drummond made a racist comment on the show. In the episode, Drummond prepared hot wings for her family and friends. When she took them out of the oven, her diners were all clearly confused by the fact that they were Asian hot wings and not Buffalo wings. They asked her "where are the real wings?" Another person said, "I don't trust 'em."
Ree replied, saying that she was just joking and wouldn't pull that kind of swap on her friends. She then pulled out the promised American buffalo wings. You can be sure that the show received a lot of backlash for these remarks. The episode aired in 2012 but wasn't pulled from the air until 2017, a whole five years after its release. The incident didn't affect Drommond's future earnings and she went on to write a children's book and start a bed & breakfast.
Gina Neely
Estimated Net Worth: $2 million
Restaurant: N/A
As Seen On: Down Home with the Neelys and Road Tasted with the Neelys
Pat and Gina Neely were everybody's favorite Food Network couple that hosted "Down Home With the Neelys," which started in 2008. Despite their lovable relationship on camera, reports claimed that the pair actually hated each other during the filming of the entire show. After 23 years of marriage, Gina filed for divorce from Pat in 2014. She told People, “I never wanted to be a TV chef. I was a branch manager at a bank. I was going to divorce Pat prior to the show.” She also told People that the affectionate relationship they displayed on TV “wasn’t healthy or happy.”
Pat, on the other hand, seems to have felt starkly different in that area. He shared that he really did have a blast on the show. He said that he will always value "Down Home With the Neelys" as it allowed him to come on TV every day and share his home with viewers. He appreciates that he was able to share this experience with his high school sweetheart, a woman whom he loved. He also loves that he never had to act or put on a facade on the show.