What Happened To Man V. Food's Adam Richman?
The most recent season of "Man v. Food" documented a restaurant industry that, unbeknownst to most at the time the series was filming, was on the brink of having to adapt to a global pandemic. Soon, restaurants all over the country would be forced to switch to a delivery-only business model to maintain their customer base. Having to do so, of course, was imperative to mitigating the spread of the COVID-19 virus. As a result, series like "Man v. Food," contingent upon gathering a large number of people into a restaurant space to witness or participate in an eating challenge, had to go on hiatus along with many other films and TV shows.
In each episode of "Man v. Food," a man — the host of the show (and sometimes others should a team be required) — attempts to eat a difficult and/or difficult amount of food as per a set of rules specified by the restaurant hosting said challenge. Depending on whether or not the series' host is able to do so, each episode concludes by awarding that day's victory to Man or Food.
"Man v. Food" changed in one significant way a few years before the ongoing pandemic affected its production. As of Season 5, "Man v. Food" was hosted by relative newcomer to television Casey Webb. He was a replacement for Adam Richman, who initially fell out of the good graces of a significant percentage of his audience following, as these sorts of things often do, a controversial incident online.
How not to be famous on the internet
Adam Richman's departure from the public eye began when he shared a photo to Instagram with the hashtag #thinspiration. Based on a subsequent explanation by Richman, he grew up with body image issues and intended for the post to celebrate a milestone in his personal efforts to lose weight. That said, the hashtag has a dark history, and it's unclear whether or not Richman was fully aware of its full implications when he first decided to use it. Due to the fact that #thinspiration has been associated with content glamorizing or encouraging disordered eating, its use is banned on many major social media platforms, including Instagram and Tumblr (via Time).
After commenters decried Richman's use of the hashtag, he doubled down and began to outright insult some of his critics. Though the network didn't specify a reason, this controversy was most likely responsible for Travel Channel significantly delaying the release of a subsequent show hosted by Richman titled first "Man Finds Food" and later "Secret Eats." When the show did ultimately see the light of day, it simply wasn't a success to the same degree as his prior work on "Man v. Food."
Given that "Man Finds Food" was ultimately released, Richman's work for the Travel Channel could seemingly have continued in spite of his internet controversy. That said, Richman has since explained that he felt his time on "Man v. Food" had come to a natural end point (via The Guardian). By his estimation, he series was both taking a toll on his physical health and losing some of its novelty.
Richman still works in media, albeit in a reduced capacity
Though Richman no longer works a regular hosting gig in the food TV world, he has popped up from time to time as a food expert on morning shows like "Today" and "Good Morning America." In the latter appearance, Richman seemed to demonstrate a new commitment to healthy eating in a marked departure from the types of things he would once eat on "Man v. Food."
Richman is also an avid soccer fan and has turned that into a pillar of his ongoing career. He currently is the primary benefactor of Broadley FC. The club doubles as a sort of charity initiative, raising money for blood cancer research in the United Kingdom.
Finally, Richman made a concerted effort in the years following his departure from the Travel Channel to support victims of sexual violence. Richman partnered with RAINN, or the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, and ultimately starred in a stage play at the London Theater telling the story of one man's reckoning with his sexual assault.
While Richman may no longer work in as public a capacity as his stint on "Man v. Food," his career has since become a mix of occasional food gigs and marked support for various philanthropic endeavors.