Carla Hall is reportedly stepping away from Halloween Baking Championship, marking the end of an era for one of Food Network’s longest-running seasonal competitions.
According to an exclusive report from The U.S. Sun, the 62-year-old chef will not return for the upcoming season after serving as the show’s only constant judge since its launch in 2015. While the judging panel has changed several times over the years, Hall remained a familiar presence throughout the series’ entire run.
Her departure is particularly significant for longtime viewers who have come to associate the competition with Hall’s colorful personality, playful fashion and thoughtful critiques of the contestants’ creations.
A source told The U.S. Sun that Hall does not have an exclusive contract with Food Network, allowing her to pursue opportunities with other networks and projects.
“She doesn’t want to be tied to one network so she can freely explore other opportunities,” the source reportedly said, pointing to Hall’s recent appearance on Fox’s Next Level Baker as an example.
The decision, however, reportedly has nothing to do with a feud between Hall and Food Network.
“There is no bad blood between Carla and Food Network,” the source claimed. Instead, filming schedules and Hall’s other personal and professional commitments reportedly led both sides to agree that she would not return for this year’s Halloween Baking Championship.
Hall has had a particularly long relationship with Food Network’s seasonal baking franchises. She joined Holiday Baking Championship in 2020, replacing Lorraine Pascale, and later became a familiar face on several other baking competitions.
She also appeared on Summer Baking Championship when the series premiered in 2023, alongside Duff Goldman and Damaris Phillips.
Her history with Halloween Baking Championship stretches back to the beginning. The series premiered in 2015 and has now completed 11 seasons, with Hall appearing as the sole constant member of its judging lineup.
At one point, Hall even stepped into a dual role as both host and judge during Season 6 in 2020 when John Henson was absent.
Last year, Hall judged alongside Zac Young and Stephanie Boswell, while Henson returned as host. Together, the panel guided contestants through increasingly elaborate Halloween-themed baking challenges set inside the show’s signature haunted mansion.
With Hall now reportedly gone, Food Network has yet to officially reveal the judging lineup for the next season, leaving a major question mark over who will replace her.
Her departure also highlights how much Hall has expanded beyond Food Network in recent years. She has appeared on programs including Best Baker in America, Worst Cooks in America, Beat Bobby Flay and Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking.
Most recently, she joined Gordon Ramsay and Candace Nelson as a judge on Fox’s Next Level Baker, a three-week holiday-themed spinoff of Next Level Chef.
Hall has also been busy outside television, promoting her cookbook Carla Bakes and embarking on a nationwide tour.
Despite her exit from Halloween Baking Championship, the source stressed that Hall’s relationship with Food Network is not necessarily over.
Her next television move remains unknown, but one thing is clear: after 11 seasons, Halloween Baking Championship is about to enter a very different era without the judge who had been there from the beginning.
