Paula Deen's fans are expressing tremendous outrage to the Food Network for its decision to dump the Southern comfort food queen after she acknowledged using racial slurs in the past, according to ABC News.

Outside Deen's Savannah restaurant The Lady & Sons on Saturday, fan Marilynne Wilson said she's stunned that the cable network "jumped the gun" by announcing it wouldn't renew the celebrity cook's contract about an hour after she apologized in an online video Friday.

Meanwhile, Food Network's Facebook page is bombarded by comments from angry Deen fans promising they'll change the channel for good, reported ABC.

Deen's critics also have been outspoken online, making #PaulaDeenTVShows a trending topic on Twitter by posting satirical twists on familiar titles. Earlier in the week, they tweeted satirical names for recipes using #PaulasBestDishes.

The 66-year-old Savannah kitchen celebrity has been swamped in controversy since court documents filed this week revealed Deen told an attorney questioning her under oath last month that she has used the N-word. "Yes, of course," Deen said, though she added, "It's been a very long time."

The Food Network, which made Deen a star with "Paula's Home Cooking" in 2002 and later "Paula's Home Cooking" in 2008, weighed in with a terse statement Friday afternoon.

"Food Network will not renew Paula Deen's contract when it expires at the end of this month," the statement said. Network representatives declined further comment. A representative for Deen did not immediately return phone and email messages seeking comment on the decision.

The news came as Deen worked to repair the damage to her image, which has spawned a vast empire of cookbooks, a bimonthly cooking magazine, a full line of cookware, food items like spices and even furniture.

She abruptly canceled a scheduled interview on NBC's "Today" show Friday morning, instead opting for a direct appeal via online video - one that allowed her and her staff complete control of what she said and how she said it.

"Inappropriate, hurtful language is totally, totally unacceptable," Deen said in the first 45-second video posted on YouTube. "I've made plenty of mistakes along the way but I beg you, my children, my team, my fans, my partners - I beg for your forgiveness."

Deen initially planned to give her first interview on the controversy Friday to the "Today" show, which promoted her scheduled appearance as a live exclusive. Instead, host Matt Lauer ended up telling viewers that Deen's representatives pulled the plug because she was exhausted after her flight to New York. Deen said in her video she was "physically not able" to appear.