Florence Pugh and Melissa McCarthy support canceled Tiny Chef Show as creators launch fundraising campaign

The creators of The Tiny Chef Show are receiving overwhelming support from fans and celebrities following Nickelodeon’s decision to cancel the Emmy and Annie Award-winning series after three seasons. In a recent interview with Vulture, co-creators Ozi Akturk and Rachel Larsen shared insights into the show's unexpected cancellation and the response that followed.

“We didn’t expect this kind of attention,” said Akturk, noting that the show’s YouTube comment count surged from under 100 to over a thousand. “People who didn’t know Chef were coming from Twitter and BuzzFeed to see what’s happening.”

Larsen expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support, saying the show has connected with a new audience. “We’re getting people saying, ‘I just found you, but I want to support you.’ It’s resonating,” she said. “We want Chef to feel real. He’s such a lovable, wholesome, funny little fella. The stop-motion is just a tool to give people permission to play along that he’s real.”

Among those showing support are actors Florence Pugh and Melissa McCarthy, both of whom publicly engaged with the show’s content. Indie studio A24 also reached out to the creators.

In response to the cancellation, the team quickly turned to creative storytelling to keep Chef’s spirit alive. They produced a video imagining Tiny Chef receiving the cancellation call. The project took three weeks to complete, from scripting and recording to animation and editing.

To sustain the character independently, the team launched a fundraising campaign that has brought in approximately $80,000 through one-time donations and fan-club memberships.

As the creators continue exploring Chef’s next chapter, they remain hopeful that this wave of support might pave a new way forward — not just for Tiny Chef, but for other shows in similar positions. “We can make good stuff no matter what,” Larsen said. “People should stay tuned and watch his journey.”