The Untold Truth Of Buddy Vs Duff

Food Network show Buddy vs Duff premiered on March 10, 2019 (via IMDb) and is described as a competition between chefs Buddy Valastro and Duff Goldman to crown the "undisputed king of cake." These two stars each previously had their own television shows, which featured their respective bakery's over-the-top creations. 

TLC's Cake Boss, which films Valastro and his family as they focus on the day to day operations of Carlo's City Hall Bake Shop in Hoboken, New Jersey. Food Network's Ace of Cakes features Goldman's Charm City Cakes in Baltimore, Maryland, which their website describes as a behind the scenes look at an atypical shop staffed by musicians and creatives. 

Fans of both shows never imagined a crossover, due to them being on different channels, but after Discovery's 2018 acquisition of Scripps Networks Interactive, as reported by Deadline, they are now both part of the same family. The Orange County Register claims Buddy vs Duff was the Food Network's biggest hit in 2019, with 14 million viewers tuning in to see the two stars compete.

Unfortunately, not all fans are pleased with this pairing. Reality Blurred complained that the premise of the first season was flimsy, and suggested the show was fixed, as both bakers were essentially tied by the finale. They claim there were issues with production from day one, with the show feeling like nothing was planned ahead of time. After the very first cake judging, Valastro allegedly walked off set and could be seen arguing with the show's executive producer in the background. The reason for this disagreement was not explained and confusingly never addressed by the series. The publication asserts that the narrator, locations, hosts, and judges changed at random, and called the scoring system incoherent. Food Network Gossip agrees, adding that the way the show was edited cast Valastro as the villain, causing many of his fans to actively root against him. 

In an interview with Delish, Valastro stated that the two became good friends throughout the taping, with Goldman adding that they had never really met before the show. 

According to a press release from Discovery, the show's second season premiered on March 15, 2020. It promises bigger, wilder cakes, celebrity guests, and fierce competition between the two rivals. The second season sees the master pastry chefs' wives supporting them as they travel to different locations on both the East and West coasts of the U.S. for each episode. The finale is set to take place in California at Disney's Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge theme park.