Hannah Hart speaks to us about her new show “I Hart Food,” and teases a rom-com about lesbians falling in love
Hannah Hart is a woman of many talents, so much so that even her talents have talents. She is the creator and star of the award-winning YouTube series My Drunk Kitchen, which paved the way for Hannah’s multidimensional career, one followed by over 5 million people across her social channels. On top of that, Hannah has a cookbook, a collection of essays, an initiative that’s been recognized by the White House, three movies, an adorable cat named Charles, and now? Hannah Hart is co-creating, producing, and starring in a new Food Network show called I Hart Food.
Premiering today, August 14th (at 10/9c), I Hart Food is a series that follows Hannah across America as she experiences the signature dishes in each city. Food, travel, and sunshine-turned-human Hannah Hart? Count us in.
To learn more, and to make sure we would automatically have a great day, we spoke to Hannah herself about this new venture.
HelloGiggles (HG): Aside from it being delicious and all that good stuff, what is it that you love most about food?
Hannah Hart (HH): You know, I think that, honestly, what I love about food is that it is something that really unifies us. Right? All people need to eat, and some of us love to eat. I fall into that category. I love to eat. I love to talk about food. I love to share the experience…Sharing a meal is like going to a concert. You’re both going through the same event.
HG: What have you learned during your time creating, producing, and starring in I Hart Food?
HH: What I learned during that time is that Food Network is an awesome network to work with. They really love their jobs…It always makes things more fun when someone else really loves what they do. You know, I Hart Food is about going to different cities and seeing how people use the same local resource and highlight it in different ways. And so, it’s really exciting to meet people who put their creativity and their ingenuity into what they do with their life and their work. And it’s even better…because I get to eat it.
HG: Did you learn anything about food, specifically, that surprised you?
HH: I learned a lot! I learned a lot about every kind of region that we went to…When you’re talking about food, it gives you a sense of calm, but also a sense of the past and a sense of the future. [We met] people who are bringing in traditional recipes from their families and their backgrounds, and then putting their unique spin on it that they think [works] in today’s culture.
HG: Do you have a favorite memory from your time creating the show?
HH: Count my learning. I mean, it’s hard to say because each of the cities that we went to came with their own unique memories. So, it’s hard to pick a favorite…I mean, I learned how to make beer. I just never had any concept of where beer comes from, from start to finish. And it was actually really, really fascinating. So I guess that’s one of my faves.
HG: You have a successful YouTube channel, books, movies, a new TV show, and so much more. What would you say is the key to success?
HH: Okay. The key to success is knowing it’s not just about you.
I’m able to have written the books I’ve written because my team will have these times when I am like, “Hey guys, I need to be completely off the grid right now because I am deep in writing, and I trust that you guys can handle some stuff without me.” You know? The key to success is team building. It’s being surrounded by people you like, people you respect, and also people you trust.
HG: Though you’ve been tackling new ventures for a while now, I’m wondering, what would you say is the most difficult part of transitioning out of the YouTube realm?
HH: The most difficult part about transitioning out of the YouTube realm has been being away from my cat, I guess. I really love my cat. And I just want to be with him all the time.
But honestly, people say, “Oh, what’s the transition like?” It just feels like it’s a very natural extension of growing in a career…It feels really natural to me.
HG: In the future, what is one thing you hope to do on your show?
HH: Something I hope to do on my show, in the future…You know, I want to work in a restaurant. And it might be fun to go through what it’s like to be on the floor in a restaurant for an hour. [Those are] the people who work in the service industry day in, day out…I’ve never had that experience. I’ve never worked in a restaurant…It seems like the kind of environment that I would have a great time in. ‘Cause it’s like, “We’ve gotta get this to table six, blah, blah, blah.” Like, it’s really about the problem solving.
You know how there’s Guy’s Grocery Games? Maybe that’ll be my Food Network spin-off — Hannah Ruins Restaurant.
HG: What can we expect from you, personally, in the future? Do you have any other projects coming out?
HH: I am actually in development, right now, with Lionsgate for a rom-com. It’s always been one of my goals to make a rom-com that, frankly, is about lesbians. And is happy and fun and funny and light. Because I feel like so much of the programming that you see today out in the community is all based around heavy stuff. Or, sometimes it’s just like, queerbaiting.
I’m really looking forward to making, exclusively, a rom-com that’s a funny, happy film about a relationship starting.
HG: Lastly, what would you say is the one food that can cure all of life’s problems?
HH: It’s not a food. But, it makes up the majority of our planet and our bodies. And it’s water! I’m a big believer in water and a lot of times, people feel fatigue or people feel low energy or, you know, generally not at the forefront of their health.
Some people just need to drink more water, man. I’m a really big believer in drinking enough water. So, as plain and boring as that answer is, I really stand by it. If there was a food that could cure all of life’s problems, it would be having more water.
You can watch the premiere of I Hart Food tonight, August 14th, at 10/9c.
