TERRY CREWS GETS EMOTIONAL ABOUT HIS CHILDHOOD PIZZA NIGHTS & I'M GOING TO NEED A TISSUE

For Terry Crews, pizza isn’t just a childhood staple. It’s tied to one of his happiest memories of his parents.

On the latest episode of SNACKS!, Crews reflects on growing up in Michigan, where eating out felt like a major event. McDonald’s was a special occasion, and seeing the golden arches as a kid felt exciting. But the food memory that stayed with him most came from a small pizza place down the street.

Crews explains that his father was a gambler who played an illegal lottery. Whenever he won, or “hit the number,” he would bring pizza home to the family.

“Every time he brought home one of those pizzas, that means he hit the number,” Crews says. “So I have literally tied in, like, a big win with my pizza.”

He remembered ripping open the paper covering the box, watching the steam rise, and eating pizza with his family at 2 a.m. while his father emptied money from his pockets onto the table.

“That was the first time I saw my mother and father really kiss,” Crews says, tearing up. “It was so special.”

Food carried complicated memories for Crews. He speaks candidly about the domestic violence in his childhood home and watching his mother cook for his father out of obligation rather than joy. As a teenager, Crews began cooking to change that association. He learned to make bread pudding for his mother because he wanted to give her something that made her happy.

“I wanted to show my love to my mother through the food that I cooked,” he says.

Crews also credits his great-aunt, Mama Z, with showing him another side of home cooking. She made grilled cheese with real butter, chicken soup from homemade stock, and fried chicken in well-seasoned cast-iron pans.

Those experiences later shaped the way he approached hosting Food Network’s 100 Cooks. Crews says the contestants weren’t only interested in winning money. They wanted to know that someone enjoyed the food they made.

He also shares a few lighter favorites, including Garrett Mix popcorn and Rusty’s plain salted potato chips, which he orders by the box.

“If I don’t get a crunch in the day, I feel like I haven’t eaten,” he says.

You can listen to full episodes of SNACKS! on Spotify and Apple or watch them on YouTube. And make sure to follow SNACKS! on Instagram and TikTok for updates on new episodes every week.

2026-07-15T13:08:52Z