Report: Andrew Zimmern's TV shows at risk after controversial comments on Chinese restaurants
Andrew Zimmern is in hot water. Last month, the Bizarre Foods and The Zimmern List host came under fire after making negative comments about Midwestern Chinese restaurants. Now, Page Six reports that Zimmern’s Travel Channel shows have been moved from their primetime slots in response to outcry over his culturally insensitive remarks — something the network denies.
“I think I’m saving the souls of all the people from having to dine at these horses ** * restaurants masquerading as Chinese food that are in the Midwest,” Zimmern said in the fateful Fast Company interview. Zimmern was doing press to promote Lucky Cricket, his new restaurant chain, which serves Sichuan, Xi’an and Hong Kong cuisine. In the process, he was accused of dismissing the Midwest’s diverse culinary options and adopting a “white savior” mentality.
Zimmern’s shows have been bumped by Discovery Inc. into a “graveyard” slot on Saturday mornings to run their course. But in a statement to Yahoo, the Travel Channel says it is not just Zimmern’s programs, but all food-related programs that have received new time slots.
“Travel Channel made the strategic decision to move all food-related series to a Saturday morning programming block beginning Sept. 22,” the statement says. “Any implication that the move of Andrew Zimmern’s programs to a weekend time slot was tied to his remarks is factually incorrect.”
The Zimmern List and Bizarre Foods: Delicious Destinations air on the Travel Channel on Saturday mornings. Bizarre Foods: Delicious Destinations airs on primetime on the Cooking Channel on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. In addition, Zimmern’s series are all available on the Travel Channel app.
Zimmern, meanwhile, made a public apology via Facebook in response to the backlash to his comments.
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