Kardea Brown

Kardea Brown is an award-winning American chef, TV host, and cookbook author from Charleston, South Carolina. She is best known as the host of Food Network’s Delicious Miss Brown, which celebrates her Gullah/Geechee culinary heritage. In 2025, she made history as the first African American woman to win Daytime Emmy Awards in both the Outstanding Culinary Host and Outstanding Culinary Instructional Series categories.

Overview

Kardea Brown's Profile

Kardea Brown was born on November 16, 1987, in Charleston, South Carolina. She is of Gullah/Geechee descent, a community whose roots trace back to West Africa, and her grandmother, who is from nearby Wadmalaw Island, played a major role in shaping her love of food. She initially pursued a career in social work after earning a psychology degree, before deciding to pursue her culinary passion.

Her TV journey began in 2015, when a then-boyfriend submitted an audition tape to Food Network on her behalf. Though she didn’t land a role right away, the network later invited her back. Kardea returned to Charleston, launched the New Gullah Supper Club — a pop-up dining experience celebrating traditional coastal cuisine — and in 2019 debuted her own show, Delicious Miss Brown, on Food Network.

Today, Kardea remains a cornerstone of Food Network’s lineup. She co-hosts Kids Baking Championship alongside Duff Goldman and co-hosted Baking Championship: Next Gen, which aired in early 2026. Beyond television, she opened her first restaurant, Kardea Brown’s Southern Kitchen, at the Charleston Airport in April 2025, and has published multiple cookbooks, including the 2025 release Make Do with What You Have.

Quick Facts

3
Shows Hosted

[tvhost_current_show_count]
Shows Currently Hosting
Post type: tv_hosts
Host ID: 503316
Shows field: Array
(
    [0] => 501675
    [1] => 501635
    [2] => 503957
)

20
Years Active

50
Awards Won

TV Shows​

A list of television shows hosted by this host, including current programs and previous presenting roles.

Networks

A list of Networks that this host has worked for.

Personal Life

Family, relationships and background

  • Marriage Bryon Smith from 2025 to (They first met in 2016 and briefly parted ways before reconnecting during the COVID-19 pandemic. Smith proposed on New Year's Eve 2023.)

    Education

    Educational background and qualifications

    • Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Oglethorpe University, Atlanta, Georgia

    Net Worth & Income

    Income sources, net worth, and properties.

    • Primary income from her Food Network’s TV hosting roles, including Delicious Miss Brown, Kids Baking Championship, and Baking Championship: Next Gen.
    • Royalties from her cookbooks, The Way Home (2022) and Make Do with What You Have (2025).
    • Owns a Kardea Brown's Southern Kitchen restaurant at Charleston International Airport, opened April 2025.
    • Income from her Delicious Eats frozen food line, available at Walmart nationwide since 2023.

    Awards

    Awards & recognition

    • Daytime Emmy Award — Outstanding Culinary Host (2025)
    • Daytime Emmy Award — Outstanding Culinary Instructional Series for Delicious Miss Brown (2025)