You butter believe it — Paula Deen is taking her show on the road! The former Food Network chef, 67, is set to embark on a multi-city nationwide tour as part of her comeback following last year's racial discrimination scandal, Paula Deen Ventures announced on Monday, April 28.
According to a press release, the 90-minute show, titled Paula Deen Live!, will feature a mix of cooking demonstrations, personal stories, and interactive games. Her first stop is on Saturday, June 21, in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, which is the future home of Paula Deen's Family Kitchen, a new restaurant slated to open later this year. (It's also where Dolly Parton's Dollywood theme park is located.)
Five other cities have been announced for the first seven shows, and an additional 13 shows are expected to be announced in Southern cities including Florida's Jacksonville, Pensacola, Orlando, and Clearwater.
"When I step out onstage, it's the most amazing feeling, y'all," Deen told the Miami New Times' Short Order blog. "I feel so alive when I walk on that stage, and I love that kind of adrenaline rush. By going on tour, I can see all my amazing fans in different cities across the United States."
Joining her on the tour is her husband of 10 years, Michael Groover. "The crowd just loves him," the Southern chef gushed to Short Order. "He's an integral part of the show. And he will put me in my place in a New York minute! We have so much fun bantering back and forth with each other."
Deen's tour comes nearly a year after she was fired from her job at the Food Network amid accusations of racial discrimination from a former employee. As a result of the scandal — and her deposition for the lawsuit, in which she admitted to having used a racial slur in the past — several of the celeb chef's business partners severed ties with her brand.
Months later, the charges against Deen were dropped. "I am confident that those who truly know how I live my life know that I believe in kindness and fairness for everyone," she said in a statement at the time. "Moving forward, my team and I are working to review the workplace environment issues that were raised in this matter and to retool all of my business operations. I look forward to getting back to doing what I love."
