Why Gabrielle Reyes Is Glad She Lost Supermarket Stakeout - Exclusive
Gabrielle Reyes is a person full of sunshine and light. At least, that's the impression you get from her TikTok page, One Great Vegan, which features popular videos of her singing the recipes for the colorful, tropical vegan dishes she creates. She seems like someone who wouldn't want to deal with the intense competition of a TV cooking contest, but nevertheless, she appeared on Food Network's "Supermarket Stakeout" (via YouTube). Her sunny disposition and propensity to break out into song survived the competition, but unfortunately, she didn't: She was eliminated in the first round.
Despite impressing the judges with her vegan version of "tuna salad" made with lentils, she ultimately got the boot because she wasn't able to find any bread, which was a serious disadvantage in a round where the competitors were tasked with making stacked sandwiches. Despite her early elimination, Reyes is happy she appeared on the show, which she called "the craziest thing I've ever done." In fact, she wasn't sad to be sent home at all. She revealed why in an exclusive interview with Mashed.
For Reyes, it was never really about the competition
For most people, the point of going on a TV food competition show is to try to win. Gabrielle Reyes wasn't trying to lose, but she's also not a big fan of being competitive. As she put it, "I don't care about proving myself to other chefs. I don't care about winning $10,000 ... I'm here to have a good time."
In addition to not really being invested in winning "Supermarket Stakeout," Reyes said she was actually relieved to be sent home early because the shoot was so uncomfortable. The competitors were all cooking in the parking lot of a supermarket, and apparently, the sun was beating down. "It was very hot, and they had to be out there all day. When I got eliminated, my cute little self was like, 'All right, y'all. Thanks. Bye.'"
Despite not emerging victorious in the episode, Reyes views her appearance on the show as a win overall. She might not have gained $10,000, but she did earn one famous fan: Alex Guarnaschelli. According to Reyes, Guarnaschelli now follows her on her social media channels, and she said the "Supermarket Stakeout" host was also very supportive on set, encouraging her to cook as fast as possible. "She was like, 'Girl, you got this, but you got to go, girl. You got to hurry up now,'" Reyes said.
You can buy Gabrielle Reyes' cookbook, "Colorful Home Cooking," on her website, One Great Vegan. Her new album, "Blessed By Grace," is available from multiple streaming platforms. She's also appearing in "Tulsa King," a TV series debuting on Paramount+ on November 13.