Boxing Champion Laila Ali Jumps into the Ring as Host of Food Network’s Chef Grudge Match Where Culinary Rivals Battle to Settle Old Scores

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Boxing legend Laila Ali is trading her boxing gloves for a chef's apron as she takes on hosting duties for Food Network's explosive new series, Chef Grudge Match. This high-stakes culinary competition sees top chefs from around the world battle it out to settle long-standing feuds and bitter rivalries. From sous chefs who've been wronged by their bosses to restaurateurs defending their businesses from copycats, these culinary professionals put their prized knives and reputations on the line for a chance to win $10,000 cash, their rival's most treasured knife, and ultimate bragging rights.

 

The series premieres on Tuesday, 19 August 2025 at 17:00 CAT on Food Network (DStv channel 175) and will be available for streaming on DStv's Catch Up service. "I'm thrilled to be joining the Food Network family," said Ali. "As someone who's always been passionate about both competition and delicious food, Chef Grudge Match is the perfect fit. From the ring to the kitchen, I've never shied away from a challenge and now I get to have fun while bringing that same intensity to a show where culinary rivalries are settled once and for all!"

 

The premiere episode features Gabe Bertaccini, a Food Network favourite who has harboured a 15-year grudge against his protégé, Tyler Romine, who left Gabe's catering business with only three days' notice. The second match showcases Taylor Frankel from Vail, Colorado, who has a bone to pick with her former Sous chef, Maria Busato, after she opened a rival catering company in the same small town.

 

Throughout the eight-episode season, viewers can expect heated battles over business disputes, recipe rivalries, student-teacher conflicts, and even husband versus wife showdowns, all taking place in front of a live studio audience with the electric atmosphere of a boxing match.

Resident judge Jet Tila is joined by an impressive lineup of guest judges throughout the season, including Eric Adjepong, Maneet Chauhan, Adrienne Cheatham, Tiffani Faison, Stephanie Izard, Eddie Jackson, Chris Oh, and Claudette Zepeda.

 

"With reputations and livelihoods on the line, competition in the food world has heightened stakes which have produced legendary grudges and rivalries," said Betsy Ayala, Head of Content, Food, Warner Bros. Discovery. "Chef Grudge Match brings these grievances to a head in front of a studio audience, with all the energy of a live boxing match, and Laila Ali is the perfect ringmaster to oversee these battles for ultimate bragging rights."

 

Chef Grudge Match premieres on Food Network Africa on Tuesday, 19 August @ 17:00 CAT on DStv channel 175 and GOtv channel 104 (Kenya, Malawi) and 404 (Uganda).

Celebrate Mother's Day With Some Fabulous Recipes

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Wistful recollections of our childhood usually centre around food and baking. Nothing conjures up feelings of nostalgia better than the image of a little child, nose-pressed-to-the-oven door on a cold Sunday afternoon. With nostrils giddy with the scent of melted chocolate and eyes bigger than dinner plates, their delicate hands’ are poised, ready to grab a freshly baked cookie as soon as mom carefully plates them.

Grace Stevens, award-winning TV chef, confectionery connoisseur, and fellow mum, shares some delectable ways to ensure this Mother’s Day is the most special one yet.

 

Here Are Her Top 3 Tips:

Give the gift of food  

Food shared with loved ones always creates memorable moments. There is something wonderfully unforgettable about making and gifting special edible treats for those we love, and more so for our mums, as they do it all the time for us. Mother’s Day is the perfect opportunity to treat mum to treasured cakes and bakes passed down from previous generations, over a steaming pot of fresh tea or coffee.

Bring the family together 

It is so special when Moms can be celebrated by spending quality time with their families, catching up, and sharing fond memories. A delightful alternative to taking mum out for a meal is to recreate her favourite restaurant dinner at home, with all the family. We absolutely love making homemade pizza together. It’s a lovely way of getting the whole family involved. From kneading the dough to roasting the tomato paste, grating the cheese, and chopping up toppings to scatter over, there is something every member of the family can do, irrespective of their age.

 

Make mum the focus 

Mother’s Day is all about spending quality time with your mom and making her feel special. Set aside time to just hang out with your mom and do something that she enjoys. Doing a craft class, helping with some gardening, or going on an outing together is a great way to spend precious time together. If you have more than one sibling, divide up the weekend and take your mom on a few different outings. This way she can relax and not be stressed with having to try and catch up with everyone at one time. 

Here are Grace’s beloved treats to create for Mum: 

Lemon and Blueberry Cake

Nothing beats sitting down to indulge in a delicate slice of cake for afternoon tea. I absolutely love a moist cake with light fluffy sponge layers, a citrus zing, and fresh bursts of fruits. The great thing about cakes is that they are easy to make, they taste even better after a day or two when the flavours have had a chance to mingle, and the little ones can go to town with the decorating.

 

Click here for the recipe: Blueberry & Lemon Cake - Grace Stevens

Shortbread

Shortbread is notable for its crumbly texture and butter-rich taste. My quick and easy recipe for candied orange peel shortbread packs a punch of flavour and is ideal for this time of year. They make the perfect food gift if you’re popping round to Mum for a cup of tea. Simply wrap them up in brown paper and tie them with a pretty ribbon to take with you. 

Click here for the recipe: Candied Orange Peel Shortbread - Grace Stevens 

Chocolate Chip Cookies 

Who doesn’t love to walk into a house that smells like cookies baking? I adore cookies and perfectly sweet and undeniably delectable chocolate chip ones are my favourite. The perfect cookie is crispy and firm on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside, and tastes scrumptious, served with a large cup of warmed hot chocolate. I love to keep a tin full of these in the house and serve them as an after-dinner treat, or late evening snack. You’ll look like a domestic goddess with minimal effort on your part.

Click here for the recipe: Choc Chip Heart Cookies - Grace Stevens 

Mother’s Day is all about taking the time out of our busy schedules to appreciate the selfless sacrifices and limitless compassion of our mum, which actually merits more than just one day of recognition. So, this Mother’s Day, let’s make our moms feel extra special by baking some delicious memories that will last a lifetime. 

 

For more delectable recipes, online tutorials, shop, and live classes visit www.gracestevens.co.za or follow her on Grace_stevenschef or Facebook grace_stevenschef

TV Chef And Cookbook Author Grace Stevens Shares Her Valentine's Recipe Available To Download

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Valentine’s Day - The Sweetest Love

Love is amongst the most treasured elements of the human experience. It fills us with joy and peace and can be as exhilarating as it is tranquil. Luckily, despite love sometimes being complicated, there are endless flavours through which we can express it. On this Valentine’s Day, we honour all forms of love. From the romance of first encounters accompanied by silky chocolate to the golden delight of love in our families and perhaps to the most valuable love of all is love for oneself. 

For the award-winning TV chef, cookbook author, marvellous mom and wonderful wife - Grace Stevens - creating delicious treats to share on Valentine’s Day offers an opportunity to play with how we express our love for those around us.

Here are her top scrumptious suggestions for this Valentine’s Day.

For the enamoured couples

After a challenging time, many who have managed to become a couple during the pandemic are understandably looking to explore the outside world through exhilarating new food experiences.  If you are a couple of social butterflies, signing up for a cooking or cocktail class to take together is a wonderful way to make a new memory and learn a lot - about both the food and your lover.

For those of us who appreciate the intimacy of our homes, making a special dinner together, or even just dessert, reminds us how attractive it is to have so much focus and attention paid to us by the ones we love. My favourite recipe for couples is my Mocha Coffee French Crullers. They are just fancy enough to be special but foolproof enough to make sure you stay focused on each other and not on stressing about the food. Add to this recipe a playlist full of special songs to cook to and things will heat up in your kitchen.

For the fabulous families

My favourite thing about celebrating Valentine's day with my husband and kids is we have witnessed each other’s lives and shared the triumphs, joys and lessons that only years together can teach. As a family, we love to make a cup of tea or coffee for each other and often send encouragement via WhatsApp during the day. I also write encouraging messages on my kids' mirrors with a marker to make sure they are reminded of how loved they are.

I love how my family will conspire with one another to make me happy. One year, after I’d seen a beautiful handbag while out shopping, my eldest told my husband and he surprised me with it as a gift. It was so thoughtful and proves that even in our pandemic bound ‘new reality’ it’s still the small things we do for each other that matter the most.

My older kids knocked it out of the park last year by cooking and serving us a meal in a mock restaurant fit for any food critic. This followed by a quiet family walk around the neighbourhood holding hands, chatting about our day, then a movie night on the couch with my delicious golden homemade caramel popcorn. It was one of the best evenings we have ever spent as a family.

For all the single lovelies

Oscar Wilde once said, "To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance." I think wining and dining yourself should never be underestimated. Celebrate love by baking some sweet treats for your friends. Surprise your best friend with a delicious Chocolate Oreo muffin coffee delivered first thing in the morning to tell her that you care.

Celebrating your Bromance or Galentine's day with dinner and a movie where all involved are allowed to shamelessly indulge in all the dessert and champagne they desire is surprisingly refreshing. 

No matter where you are, who you love or what stage of life you are at, food and flavour are some of the most powerful tools we have to express our love for one another. It is at once child’s play and adult joy. From the extravagant banquets of weddings to the simply toasted cheese sarmies at the end of a long day, food is love and love is food.

Recipes to download:
- Caramel Popcorn
- Chocolate Oreo Muffin Recipe
- Media biography
- Mocha Coffee French Crullers
- Sweetest Love

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Bobby Flay Extends His Contract With Food Network, Joe Gatto Exits Impractical Jokers Due To Personal Issues And New Bleach Anime The Thousand-Year Blood War Arc Debuts In October 2022

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Food Network continues to be The Guy Fieri and Bobby Flay channel

The 56-year-old celebrity chef has signed an exclusive, new three-year contract with the network, Discovery Inc. confirmed in a statement last year:

"I'm thrilled to extend my relationship with Food Network and Discovery," Flay said in the statement. "Although these talks to renew took a little longer than expected, the important thing is that both sides are happy that we can now build on an already rock-solid foundation. Stay tuned for some incredibly exciting new shows as I promise to take food and cooking to places we've never imagined before."

The Beat Bobby Flay has signed on to stay once his current, three-year contract expires at the end of 2021. In October, it was reported that he would be parting ways with Food Network after 27 years, after both parties could not agree on financial terms.

Though Flay's new paycheck remains undisclosed, he will develop new content for the culinary channel and elsewhere within the Discovery portfolio as part of the deal.

"We are thrilled to continue Bobby Flay's long standing relationship with Food Network. He captivates our audience with his incredible culinary skill, fierce competitive spirit and his trademark ability to share a deep passion for food," Courtney White, President of Food Network and Streaming Food Content for Discovery Inc., said in a statement. "Bobby generously invites viewers into his culinary world, sharing his #WeCook philosophy and inspiring everyone in the kitchen. Continuing this creative relationship with such an extraordinary talent is the perfect way to usher in the holidays."

Flay has been a longtime star on Food Network, making his debut in 1994 and co-hosting his own series, Grillin' & Chillin' , by 1996. Since then, the chef has hosted numerous hit shows — including Boy Meets Grill, Beat Bobby Flay, Throwdown! with Bobby Flay, Brunch @ Bobby's, and Iron Chef America.

Impractical Jokers is losing a member

In December 2021, actor and comedian Joe Gatto announced his departure from truTV's Impractical Jokers currently seen on Comedy Central citing personal issues as the reason for his exit.

Joe Gatto was one of the initial members of the hit camera show Impractical Jokers when it first began in 2011. It managed to span 9 seasons with a 10th one currently underway.

Of course, it hasn't been stated if Joe Gatto will make a cameo in the 10th season but he likely won't form part of the new season. All that is known for now is that Impractical Jokers will continue despite his absence.

After 11 years, we're getting more Bleach

In March 2020, Weekly Shōnen Jump and "Bleach 20th Anniversary Project & Tite Kubo New Project Presentation" livestream announced that the manga's last story arc, "Thousand-Year Blood War", will be given a new anime project.

In November 2021, it was announced that the new project would be an anime television series, Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War. The trailer and visual for the series were revealed last month.

The Thousand-Year Blood War arc is set to debut by October 2022. The series will continue from where the original ended with characters from the former series reprising their roles.

Bleach is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tite Kubo. It follows the adventures of the hotheaded teenager Ichigo Kurosaki, who inherits his parents' destiny after he obtains the powers of a Soul Reaper.

The franchise continued to perform well commercially despite its cancellation back in 2012, and had over 120 million tankōbon volumes in circulation worldwide as of 2018, making it the eleventh best-selling manga in history.

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