A booking photo of Ariel Robinson, who has been charged with homicide by child abuse.
(Simpsonville Police Department)
Worst Cooks in America Season Pulled After Winner's Arrest for Child Murder
Nick Caruso
Sat, January 23, 2021, 5:59 PM·1 min read
Food Network has pulled all content related to Season 20 of Worst Cooks in America, following the arrest of winner Ariel Robinson for a child’s death.
Robinson, 29, along with husband Jerry Robinson, 34, face counts of homicide by child abuse for the death of their adopted three-year-old daughter, reports TV news station WHNS. The child, identified as Victoria Smith, was found unresponsive on Jan. 14 at the couple’s home in Simpsonville, S.C., having died as a result of blunt force injuries, according to a medical examination.
Since the arrest was made, Season 20’s episodes and all clips related to it have disappeared from the Food Network’s Discovery+, Hulu and YouTube pages. The network has yet to comment on the situation.
Robinson won $25,000 in the last edition of Worst Cooks in America, which follows contestants with admittedly bad cooking skills as they compete for the grand prize. The cast members endure a cooking boot camp under celebrity chef supervision, all while trying to serve up the best of the worst to avoid elimination.
Hosted by chefs Anne Burrell and Alex Guarnaschelli, Season 20 originally aired in the summer of 2020. Robinson was declared the winner during its Aug. 2 finale. Season 21, featuring Burrell and guest mentor Carla Hall, premiered on the Food Network Jan. 3, 2021.
