What Happened To Melissa d'Arabian After Food Network?

Melissa d'Arabian scored relatability points with busy moms everywhere after winning season five of "Food Network Star," and hosting her subsequent show, "Ten Dollar Dinners," for seven seasons. During her time on Food Network, she positioned herself as a champion of family budgeting and simplicity, frequently referencing her four children while sharing easy recipes made with everyday products, like her secret ingredient, soy sauce. However, in April 2023, d'Arabian announced a huge change in her life — sharing with friends and followers on Instagram that she'd be enrolling in Columbia University and relocating to New York City to pursue an MFA in Theatre Management and Producing.

In a previous roundup of "Next Food Network Star" winners who left the network, we noted that following her show, "Ten Dollar Dinners," d'Arabian starred in a few Food Network web series, made cross-channel appearances, and published three food-related books: "Ten Dollar Dinners," "Supermarket Healthy," and "Tasting Grace."

To help her followers understand her decision to leave the food industry after building a successful career to pursue a new path through theatre school, she wrote on her Instagram: "I can take all that with me into my next era, circling back to my first love; the place where I feel most generous, alive, and whole: theatre and live performance."

In a September 2023 Instagram photo collage, d'Arabian shared images taken inside her dorm room in New York City, along with a photo of her proudly holding up a sign that read, "First Day of School, 49^th Grade." 

Her social media has provided glimpses of her life as a student over the last three years. On her Instagram, she's shared how she helped produce an off-Broadway musical called "White Rose the Musical," shared a meal with fellow students to celebrate the Chinese New Year, and later completed a fellowship at the La Jolla Playhouse. She frequently traveled between New York City and her home in California and occasionally caught up with friends and her four daughters. 

Now in her third year and sixth semester at Columbia University, d'Arabian is set to graduate soon. In an Instagram post from January 2026, she shared a look-back and reflection on her return to school, noting that she loved almost every minute of the experience. "Going back to school is inherently an optimistic act," she wrote. "At my age, we can sometimes forget about delighting and surprising and investing in future me."