Valerie Anne Bertinelli was born on April 23, 1960, in Wilmington, Delaware, to Nancy and Andrew Bertinelli, a General Motors executive. Her family relocated frequently due to her father’s career, eventually settling in Van Nuys, California. There she enrolled at the Tami Lynn School of Artists, whose founder launched her career with the 1974 CBS series Apple’s Way. The following year, at just 15, she was cast as Barbara Cooper in Norman Lear’s One Day at a Time.

After One Day at a Time, Bertinelli built a successful acting career across films, miniseries, and sitcoms. From 2010 to 2015, she starred as Melanie Moretti in TV Land’s Hot in Cleveland alongside Betty White and Wendie Malick. In 2015, she transitioned to hosting, on Food Network’s Valerie’s Home Cooking, a culinary series that ran 14 seasons before its cancellation in 2023. 

Bertinelli has also co-hosted Kids Baking Championship with Duff Goldman and, in April 2025, launched Bingo Blitz on GSN. She serves as a lifestyle contributor on The Drew Barrymore Show (2024–2025). Additionally,  in 2026, she launched Valerie’s Place, a subscription digital platform featuring cooking shows, live events, and podcasts.