'Holiday Baking Championship's' Filming Schedule Might Be to Blame for Duff's Abrupt Exit

Although Food Network shows like Holiday Baking Championship are filmed well in advance of the holiday season, they are filmed with the idea in mind that the judges and contestants are in it for the duration of the episodes. So when Duff Goldman left during one of the last handful of episodes of Holiday Baking Championship in Season 12, viewers were left wondering what happened.

So, why did Duff leave the show, and does he return at some point before the end of the season? When he left mid-episode, host Jesse Palmer joked that Duff had to leave to attend a "Chrismukkah party." However, no other explanation was given. There are some clues, though, that might point to why Duff left and why he might be out for the rest of the season.

According to Jesse, who spoke with Sports Illustrated about filming the show, they typically shoot episodes in the summer months. A Reddit thread about the filming schedule also confirmed that the contestants and judges film these shows months in advance of them airing. So when Duff left Holiday Baking Championship, it was in the summer of 2025 rather than in December 2025, when his final episode aired.

Although Duff has not publicly shared why he left the show early or what might have happened in his private life, his unexpected exit might have had to do with his personal life. In July 2025, Duff posted on Instagram that he was performing a "one-man show" at San Diego Comic-Con. That could explain why he had to leave, though the idea of Duff leaving mid-episode and without warning is still confusing for many.

If the show had been filmed in June 2025 instead of July, Duff might have also left because of a totally different personal matter. Fellow Food Network celebrity chef Anne Burrell died in June, and Diff shared a heartfelt post about her after he heard the news.

He wrote in the lengthy post, "Anne and I always had a spirited and somewhat acerbic back and forth. I really never knew why our paths drifted, but I always hoped that wherever she was, Anne was doing well and was finding some happiness."

However, Duff has not explained if this loss had anything to do with leaving Holiday Baking Championship early. As of now, it's still not totally clear what prompted him to leave so suddenly.

On a Reddit thread about why Duff left, some fans wondered if it might have something to do with his wife's pregnancy. However, at the time of filming, Duff and his wife, Johnna Goldman, hadn't yet announced her pregnancy.

In November 2025, Diff shared a photo of himself with Johnna and their daughter on Instagram and revealed there was "another bun in the oven."

Timing-wise, it wouldn't make sense for this to be the reason for his exit during the filming of an episode and in subsequent episodes that aired.