TOO MANY COOKS

Reply All Podcast Abandons ‘Test Kitchen’ After Allegations That Hosts Created Toxic Work Culture

The Bon Appetit discrimination investigation was two episodes into a four-episode series when ex workmates of its hosts went public with their own allegations.

The podcast Reply All is abandoning its “Test Kitchen” series—which gave firsthand accounts of discrimination inside food magazine Bon Appétit—one week after its hosts apologized over claims that they had contributed to their own toxic working culture. “Test Kitchen” was two episodes into a four-episode series when former workmates of two of its hosts—P.J. Vogt and Sruthi Pinnamaneni—went public with allegations that they had been hostile toward unionization efforts at Gimlet Media, which produces the Reply All podcast. Both apologized and stepped back from their roles on the podcast, and it was announced Thursday morning that the “Test Kitchen” series won’t be continuing. Another host, Alex Goldman, released an audio clip to say: “We now understand that we should never have published this series as reported and the fact that we did was a systemic editorial failure. We are not going to be continuing this series, and P.J. and Sruthi have both decided to leave the ‘Reply All’ team.” Goldman added: “We’re very sorry for our many failings.”