Former Meals Community character Darnell Ferguson is formally again in entrance of the digital camera—and this time, he says the main focus is shifting away from competitors and again to what many Meals Community viewers say they miss most: studying the way to cook dinner.
The Louisville-based chef, identified to followers as “Superchef,” filmed a pilot for a brand new cooking collection over the weekend at a neighborhood Louisville grocery retailer, marking his first main on-camera mission since stepping away from Meals Community. Ferguson describes the upcoming collection as a spin-off of his YouTube mission Superchef vs. Grocery store, however with a a lot greater mission.
“It’s not a contest present,” Ferguson instructed the Louisville Courier Journal. “It’s a present that’s all concerning the viewers and exhibiting folks the way to cook dinner at residence, the way to store at residence, how to consider their food regimen in a different way, the way to eat in a different way.”
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Ferguson has repeatedly referred to the mission because the “most essential cooking present ever,” each on social media and in his interview with the Courier Journal, due to its deal with educating folks and serving to them perceive gadgets within the grocery retailer they could be unfamiliar with.
“The vitality’s gonna be loopy, the training’s gonna be inspiring and if you see the significance of this present, you will perceive why we’re calling it The Most Necessary Cooking Present Ever,” stated Ferguson in a video posted to Fb.
A Stay Viewers — and a Huge Response
The pilot was filmed Saturday, Jan. 10, contained in the domestically owned Valu Market on Louisville’s Outer Loop, which was reworked into a short lived TV set. The occasion bought out forward of time, providing each free standing-room tickets and paid seated tickets, with proceeds benefiting the Louisville nonprofit Sowing Seeds With Religion.
Following the taping, Ferguson shared video of the group on social media, exhibiting viewers members on their toes, cheering as he ready to take the stage.
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“The gang will at all times let when they’re prepared so that you can come out!!! I’m so grateful!!!” he wrote.
In earlier posts, Ferguson emphasised how significant it was to launch the mission within the metropolis he calls residence, noting that having a dwell viewers for a cooking present taping is more and more uncommon in in the present day’s tv panorama.
A Completely different Sort of Meals Present
In response to Ferguson, the brand new collection is designed to really feel nearer in spirit to basic tutorial meals tv, reasonably than fashionable elimination-style codecs.
“We’ve heard everyone ask, ‘No competitions, extra cooking,’” he stated in a video filmed contained in the grocery retailer forward of the taping. “Nicely, I inform you, you about to be cookin’ — and also you get to be within the viewers.”
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Whereas the present’s official title has not but been introduced, Ferguson confirmed that the mission is hooked up to a streaming platform. If the pilot is picked up, he plans to take the present on the highway, filming episodes with dwell audiences in grocery shops across the nation.
“It’s going to energise folks, it’s going to encourage folks, it’s going to coach folks,” Ferguson instructed the Courier Journal. “It’s going to reveal folks to meals they haven’t been cooking, or issues within the grocery retailer they cross up as a result of they don’t know the way to use them.”
Ferguson additionally instructed the VIPP Report, “That is crucial cooking present that has been out. I can not wait to incorporate Louisville within the manufacturing. I’m excited concerning the potential of this present.”
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Why Ferguson Is No Longer With Meals Community
Ferguson beforehand hosted Meals Community’s Superchef Grudge Match and appeared throughout the community on reveals together with Worst Cooks in America, Man’s Grocery Video games, Chopped, and Match of Champions. Nevertheless, Superchef Grudge Match didn’t return for a 3rd season following his 2024 arrest linked to a home incident involving his spouse.
In Might 2025, Ferguson pleaded responsible to misdemeanor costs of second-degree prison mischief and harassment. A decide conditionally discharged a 12-month sentence, which means he won’t serve jail time so long as he stays out of authorized bother for 2 years. He was additionally ordered to pay a $250 wonderful. The unique felony costs within the case had been dismissed.
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Two years later, Ferguson says he’s prepared to maneuver ahead.
“That’s carried out and over,” he instructed the Courier Journal. “I really feel like I’m higher than ever.”
For now, the following step is seeing whether or not his new present takes off—however judging by the packed grocery retailer and roaring crowd, Ferguson’s return to meals tv is already drawing consideration.
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