Ariel Winter Announced As Demi Lovato's Replacement For NBC's 'Hungry'

Barely a week after Demi Lovato's shocking exit from the NBC series, "Hungry," a replacement has been announced. Last week, the "Heart Attack" singer suddenly dropped out from filming the multi-camera comedy pilot.

As The Blast previously covered, Lovato stepped down from starring in the "Hungry" pilot on March 3 just as production was about to begin.

Per reports, although the singer had been attached as a star in the series for about a year, they couldn't continue because of scheduling issues.

Nevertheless, Lovato's hands aren't completely washed off the project as they remain an executive producer for the show alongside Scooter Braun, Scott Manson, James Shin, Sean Hayes, and Todd Milliner.

At the time of the announcement, it was revealed that the show's creators were looking for an immediate replacement to ensure the pilot stayed on schedule.

Lovato hasn't publicly commented on their sudden exit, leaving some fans confused.

The creators of "Hungry" have now found a replacement for Lovato in a matter of days. As reported by Deadline, actress Ariel Winter has signed on to take up the lead role from the "Camp Rock" star.

As you might know, Winter starred as regular Alex Dunphy for 11 seasons of the ABC series "Modern Family." Winter played the role of Alex, the second daughter of Phil and Claire Dunphy and the most intelligent of the three siblings.

For her exceptional performance in "Modern Family," Winter win a Young Artist Award for Outstanding Young Ensemble in a TV Series. She also took home four Screen Actors Guild Awards alongside her co-stars.

Since "Modern Family" came to an end in April 2020, this is Winter's first return to television as a lead character. However, Winter is wasting no time jumping on board as production continues this week with a table read slated for Tuesday.

"Hungry," written by Suzanne Martin, follows the lives of a group of friends who belong to a food issues group. Fans will see as the friends help one another navigate love, career success, and finding the perfect comfort food.

Initially, "Hungry" was slated to debut its pilot in April 2021, but in May, NBC announced it would be rolled over to the 2021-2022 TV season or the 2022-2023 season.

It remains unsure when the comedy series will premiere, but fans can keep their fingers crossed with production already in progress.

Winter will star alongside Rory O'Malley, Valerie Bertinelli, Ryan McPartlin, Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias, Alex Brightman, and Ashley D. Kelley.

Last October, Winter made headlines for a touching tribute she paid to actress Mariska Hargitay in celebration of the 500th episode of "Law & Order: SVU."

The 24-year-old, who is a die-hard fan of the show, took to Instagram to talk about the strong positive impact the series had on her. "L&O: SVU has been my favorite show ever since I saw a marathon playing after I got home from HS," she wrote.

Winter explained that she became interested in the show because of the lead character Detective Olivia Benson, played by Hargitay.

A strong, empowering female character that was and is unlike any else. Over the years I wanted to learn more about the inspiring actress behind Benson Mariska Hargitay (also AN EXEC PRODUCER AND DIRECTOR!!! YES TO WOMEN KICKING A—!!!)

Winter then praised Hargitay for mirroring Benson's dedication to getting justice for victims of A/SA in real life, calling her an inspiration.

The younger actress also recalled the first time she served as a guest-star on the show, writing, "I feel so much pride that I was invited to guest star on season 21."

Winter shared that although she was nervous, it was a "beautiful" experience. She particularly touched on working alongside Hargitay, calling it "life changing."

"I leaned so much personally and professionally from her in the 2 weeks I was there and I am forever grateful for that opportunity," Winter gushed.

She even joked that her therapist was grateful for the breakthrough a feature on the show brought about before declaring her immense pride at being "a teensy, tiny itty bitty part of this legacy."