Claire Saffitz, one of the most popular hosts of Bon Appétit’s YouTube channel — who headlined the Gourmet Makes series, in which she recreated from scratch gourmet versions of popular junk foods — is leaving the Condé Nast-owned publication in the wake of its larger reckoning with racism that has seen the departures of seven other video hosts.
“My formal relationship with Condé Nast Entertainment ended in May of this year, and I’ve decided not to continue the relationship,” Saffitz wrote on Instagram. “I’m going to do my own thing.”
Saffitz is the latest YouTube channel departee, after a June firestorm including the reemergence of a photo of former editor-in-chief Adam Rapoport donning brownface as well as allegations of racially-charged pay disparity and a lack of diversity within the ‘Test Kitchen’ video crew. While some former YouTube hosts are staying on at the magazine in an editorial or freelance capacity, Saffitz appears to be departing entirely. In the meantime, she said she plans to return to social media to promote the release of her debut cookbook, Dessert Person, on Oct. 20.
“Bon Appétit’s new leadership, coupled with the incredible hard work and dedication of the staff, make me confident that it will be a more equitable, inclusive, and dynamic place in the future,” Saffitz said. The new leadership she’s referring to likely includes just-tapped editor-in-chief Dawn Davis, advisor and guest editor Marcus Samuelsson, and executive editor Sonia Chopra.
Asked whether Gourmet Makes would live on with a new host, and about the future of its YouTube channel, a Condé Nast rep tells Tubefilter, “We will have more information on the channel to share soon.”
Despite the aforementioned executive appointments and acknowledging that its compensation systems were confusing, Condé Nast’s chief people officer, Stan Duncan, said in August that ‘Test Kitchen’ staffers were being paid fairly, and denied allegations of racially-charged disparities. He also said that production on Bon Appétit’s YouTube channel — with new and returning hosts — would resume in September.
The hosts who have departed Bon Appétit video to date include: Sohla El-Waylly (who has gone on to partner with YouTube luminary Binging With Babish on a new series on his channel titled Stump Sohla), Priya Krishna, Rick Martinez, Gaby Melian, Molly Baz, Carla Lalli Music, and Amiel Stanek.
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