A horrific accident. A tragic loss. The massive programming change. Starting in 2009,
the hit TLC show "Cake Boss" turned star baker Buddy Valastro into a reality TV icon.
So why did "Cake Boss" leave TLC? The answer is heartbreaking.
"This is the crew. Mia familia.
We're gonna take this bakery to the top. They call me Buddy. I'm the Boss."
For Valastro, family has always come first, even when it comes to his job.
Carlo's Bakery was purchased by his father in 1964. Valastro was
a teenager when his father passed, but he promised his family he was going to work
hard to create a successful business out of his family's strong culinary history.
"Went home took my suit off, put my baker's outfit on and I went back to work."
He did that, with help from TLC and "Cake Boss." But sadly,
in 2017 Valastro also lost his mother to Lou Gehrig's disease. On June 27, 2017,
he closed all Carlo's Bakery locations worldwide for a day of remembrance.
"which was tough."
"I said 'I'll always love you.'
And I got to say my piece, I got to say my goodbye to her. Which was tough."
It takes more than a day to recover from the loss of a parent, however,
and according to reports, this is why the original "Cake Boss" run on TLC came to an
end. Buddy needed time after his mother's passing, so he decided to stop filming for
nearly two years, during which time he also focused on his own health.
When "Cake Boss" returned in 2019, though, it was not on TLC but rather on its sister network
Discovery Family. Some have speculated that this decision was also driven by family concerns,
as it's believed that Valastro wanted to make the show more accessible to kids.
"Cake Boss" has always included the star's family members on screen
and he is beginning to consider what the next phase of life looks like for the family business.
Valastro has four children and since they are getting older he is excited to involve them in
potentially taking the reins on the cake empire he and his family have created over the years.
"One day, I do want to take over the business,
I want to be there for my dad. Now that I'm older, I want to learn from him."
Still, Valastro does not show any signs of slowing down as he continues to expand
upon his cake empire. Besides "Cake Boss," he also started two new shows on the Food Network
titled "Buddy vs. Duff" and "Buddy vs. Christmas."
And not even serious injury has been able to keep him away from his cake pans. In 2020,
Valastro injured his hand in a horrific bowling accident,
nearly causing him to miss filming season three of one of his newer shows "Buddy vs. Duff."
Even though he had to undergo five separate reconstructive surgeries, the show must go
on and he was able to film the season as planned. A year after the injury, he told Rachael Ray that
his hand was 95% healed, which was enough for him to resume his unmatched cakery.
"It's definitely been an amazing ride."
And the ride continues. Earlier this year, he opened his fourth restaurant in Las Vegas,
The Boss Cafe at the Linq Hotel + Experience, which is a unique spot that offers a full
mozzarella bar where guests can choose from a full variety of mozzarella cheeses,
different Italian accompaniments, and freshly baked bread.
Adding to his ever-growing brand, in April the TV icon also officially opened Buddy's Jersey Eats,
which is a fun food truck-style eatery featuring foods Valastro grew up eating in Jersey.
And he's also continued to expand his cake empire outside the United States as well.
Just this year he opened a new Carlo's Bakery in Mississauga Ontario, and he has vending machines
selling cake slices in the Ottawa area. And if you're in some other part of Canada,
no worries, as they offer online ordering and nationwide shipping.
And the cake game is also hopping in South America too,
as Valastro's São Paulo location recently celebrated its fifth anniversary.
Fans in Brazil have also been clamoring for a Carlo's Bakery to open in Rio de Janeiro as well.
It just goes to show that no matter what language you speak or what culture you come from,
cake is the universal language - and nobody speaks it as well as the "Cake Boss."
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