Carla Hall — to watch her is to love her. She’s known for her unparalleled eyewear collection, her warm personality and, of course, her mouthwatering comfort food dishes. The beloved Nashville native is a multitalented chef, an author, a podcaster, a philanthropist and an Emmy-winning talk show host with decades of culinary and television experience under her toque blanche. Carla is a mainstay on Food Network, where she’s judged and hosted several shows, including Halloween Baking Championship, Holiday Baking Championship, Best Baker in America, Worst Cooks in America, Beat Bobby Flay and, most recently, as a magical judge on Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking.

History and Background

Carla was born in Nashville, Tennessee, and grew up surrounded by soul food and Southern cuisine. After graduating from Hillsboro High School, Carla packed her bags for Washington, DC, and attended the prestigious Howard University, where she earned an accounting degree. She became a Certified Public Accountant shortly after graduation, but after a couple of years behind a desk, she decided corporate America wasn’t her calling.

She pivoted from crunching numbers to strutting catwalks and spent her mid-20s as a working model in Paris, Milan and London. She enjoyed diverse cuisine during her modeling years, but ultimately, she yearned for the flavors of home. In an interview with Jessica B. Harris for Garden & Gun, Carla shares, “Paris ended up being the bridge between what I knew I didn’t want to do and what I eventually wanted to do.

“I was homesick. And it was wanting that connection to home that got me into cooking.”

She returned to the States and started her culinary journey by going door to door selling sandwiches to local offices and salons. After hustling for five years, Carla decided to pursue formal culinary education at L’Academie de Cuisine in Maryland. She was 30 years old at the time.

After graduation, Carla’s culinary chops led her to snag the sous chef position at the Henley Park Hotel in Washington before working as executive chef at The Washington Club and The State Plaza Hotel. She eventually opened a Maryland-based catering company, Alchemy Caterers, in 2001 before making her big television break in 2008 on Bravo’s Top Chef: New York. She captivated audiences with her warm, quirky personality and impressed big names like Jacques Pépin and Emeril Lagasse with her standout dishes. She returned to compete in Top Chef: All-Stars Season 8 and earned the coveted title of “Fan Favorite.”

In 2011, Carla worked as one of the five co-hosts on ABC’s The Chew. She was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award three times while on The Chew and ultimately brought home the trophy for Outstanding Informative Talk Show Host in 2015. She remained in her role there until its final season in 2018.

She began working with Food Network in 2015, serving as a judge on Halloween Baking Championship Season 1. From there, Carla became a friendly face on Food Network as the host and judge of several shows.

Family Life

Carla lives in Washington, DC, with her husband of nearly 20 years, Matthew Lyons. The couple met through an online dating site and, in an interview with Parade, Lyons shared that it only took one date for them to fall for each other. “I remember as soon as I saw her, my immediate thought was, ‘I’m done.’”

Carla's Food Network Shows

She’s brought her bubbly personality and culinary know-how to your screen as a welcoming host and discerning judge on bingeable shows, including Halloween Baking Championship, Holiday Baking Championship, Best Baker in America, Worst Cooks in America, Beat Bobby Flay and the ever-magical Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking.

Holiday Baking Championship

Carla joins Nancy Fuller and Duff Goldman to eat (and judge) festive holiday treats made by 12 top-tier bakers. Her discerning palate plays a role in deciding who takes home the glittering gift of $25,000, a feature in Food Network Magazine and the title of Holiday Baking Champion.

Summer Baking Championship

Carla sits around the judges’ table with Duff Goldman and Damaris Phillips to judge fresh and fruity summer eats at the Summer Baking Championship. Each season features 10 top bakers competing for a chance to go home with major bragging rights and a delicious $25,000 grand prize.

Halloween Baking Championship

Tune in to see Carla dressed to kill as a judge on Halloween Baking Championship. Along with her fellow judges Zac Young and Stephanie Boswell, Carla evaluates sinfully sweet eats by 10 talented bakers over the course of seven episodes to determine who has what it takes to snag the $25,000 prize and title of Halloween Baking Champion.

Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking

Carla secured her seat on the Hogwarts Express and is returning to the magical competition kitchen to judge alongside Jozef Youssef on Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking Season 2. The sequel season, hosted by the Weasley twins James and Oliver Phelps, returns Sunday, November 2 at 8 p.m. EST on Food Network, with next-day streaming on HBO Max and discovery+.

Best Baker in America

Carla hosted Best Baker in America Season 4. The reality baking show showcased diverse and talented bakers from across the United States competing for a chance to win the title of Best Baker in America and $25,000.

Beat Bobby Flay

Carla has put her professional palate to work and appeared on Beat Bobby Flay as a chef recruiter and judge on several occasions.

Carla's TV + Movie Work

Along with Food Network programs, Carla has worked on other noteworthy television and film projects. In 2017, she made a comedic cameo in Girls Trip and hosted a segment called “Snack Chat” on Sesame Street.

Carla's Books

Carla published her first cookbook, Cooking With Love: Comfort Food That Hugs You, in November 2012. She went on to publish two additional cookbooks, Carla’s Comfort Food: Favorite Dishes From Around the World in 2014 and Carla Hall’s Soul Food: Everyday and Celebration in 2018. Carla poured her passion for soul food and Southern flavor into the pages of her books, plus a few intimate stories along the way. Along with three traditional cookbooks, Carla has written two children’s books, Carla and the Tin Can Cake Party and Carla and the Christmas Cornbread, filled with stunning artwork by illustrator Cherise Harris.

Sweet Heritage Magazine

Carla unveiled her latest heartfelt project — Sweet Heritage Magazine — on January 1, 2025. The dynamic chef serves as editor in chief of the digital magazine, and each edition features a mix of encouraging anecdotes, life advice and playful sections, like “Recipes for Your Enneagram Type.”

Fun Facts

• Her birthday is May 12, making her a Taurus.
• Her personal mantra? “Say yes. Adventure follows, then growth.”
• On Cherry Bombe, she shared that she's an Enneagram Type 7: The Adventurer.
• She's known for her statement eyewear and recently shared that she owns approximately 85 pairs of glasses.
• Her famed catchphrase, "hootie hoo!," originated as a way for her and her husband to locate each other when separated in public.
• She worked as a Certified Public Accountant and model before starting her culinary career at 30 years old.

Carla's Philanthropic Work

Known for her generous spirit, it comes as no surprise that Carla has made philanthropy a part of her legacy. Carla is actively involved in several charitable foundations and nonprofit organizations for children, serving as a board member for 4H, Pajama Program, GenYouth and Helen Keller International, which aims to improve the lives of those living with blindness. She also donates her time and promotes other organizations such as the James Beard Foundation, FEED America, the Jacques Pepin Foundation and the Smithsonian Institution.

Carla's Recipes