Rachael Ray is harder to find but hardly slowing down

Rachael Ray Embraces New Chapter After Stepping Away from Daytime TV

Rachael Ray isn’t sick. Her marriage is healthy. And contrary to swirling rumors, the culinary personality who brought 30-minute meals into American homes hasn’t disappeared from television.

Three years after stepping away from the Food Network and her syndicated daytime talk show, the 56-year-old is embracing what she calls her “third act” – one that returns her to her cooking roots while shedding the corporate constraints that had increasingly defined her career.

“It can be hard to find me,” Ray acknowledged during a recent interview at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival in Miami, where she continues to draw enthusiastic crowds at her signature events.

The woman who turned phrases like “EVOO” (extra virgin olive oil) and “garbage bowls” into household terms built a media empire on making cooking accessible to everyone. Her approach was deliberately unpretentious – cooking as pop music rather than classical composition.

“That was the message I wanted to bring to people. Don’t be scared of this,” she explained. “If it doesn’t come out all right, who cares? It’s just dinner.”

Ray’s departure from network television in 2023 after 17 seasons of her daytime show surprised many fans. But the decision had been brewing for years, driven by her growing frustration with the corporate structure surrounding her work.

“I just didn’t want to do that anymore. I didn’t want to live by committee,” she said. “I wanted to focus more on food the way I want to teach it, talking to people I want to talk to, and being just me.”

To casual observers, Ray seemed to vanish from public life. Personal challenges compounded this perception – a fire destroyed her home in upstate New York, and flooding ruined her New York City apartment, prompting her to relocate much of her life to Italy. These events, combined with her reduced mainstream television presence, fueled speculation about her health and marriage.

Ray dismisses these rumors with characteristic candor. “We’re very volatile people. We’re loud, and then we’re lovey dovey, and I think we confuse a lot of folks because of that,” she said of her marriage to musician and lawyer John Cusimano. “I have a great marriage. My health is fine. I lift weights every morning, 4 o’clock. I’m doing just fine.”

Far from slowing down, Ray has simply redirected her energy. After ending her daytime show – admitting the only thing she misses is the energy of the live audience – she established Free Food Studios, her own production company. This venture allows her to control her content without navigating layers of network executives and lawyers. A&E Networks quickly recognized the value, acquiring a 50% stake and ordering hundreds of episodes across multiple series starring Ray.

“People tell me on the plane or at the airport or at the grocery store, ‘Oh, I miss your show so much!’ And I’m like, I have many! Look on YouTube or look at A&E or look at Disney or Hulu,” she said. “It rotates through different platforms now, so it’s harder for people to find.”

Her current projects include “Meals in Minutes,” recently renewed for more than 100 new episodes, plus two additional shows featuring other culinary talents. Beyond television, she’s planning her eighth humanitarian trip to Ukraine – collaborating with chef José Andrés since early in the conflict – and recently launched her own gin brand. Her line of cookware and pet foods continues to thrive, with the latter helping fund The Rachael Ray Foundation, which has donated $140 million to animal welfare and nutritional advocacy groups.

Ray’s career trajectory reflects broader changes in food media. The criticisms she once faced – that she wasn’t a “real chef” with formal training – seem outdated in today’s landscape where culinary pedigree is no longer a prerequisite for food celebrity. She welcomes how social media has democratized entry into food entertainment, noting that newcomers don’t need money, connections, culinary degrees or blind luck to build an audience.

What hasn’t changed is the scrutiny directed at women, particularly as they age in the public eye. Ray’s appearance has generated commentary in recent years, but she remains committed to aging authentically. “I tried Botox here,” she said, pointing to her eyebrows, “years ago. And I just looked sort of shocked or something. And I thought, this isn’t you.”

At this year’s South Beach festival’s Burger Bash, which Ray has hosted for two decades, fans approached her with stories of growing up watching her shows and cooking her recipes. The following evening, attendees paid $500 each for an intimate dinner where she served pasta alle vongole while sharing family stories as Cusimano mixed cocktails.

“I love the fact that it’s still relevant that I come here,” Ray reflected. “I’m a woman in her mid-50s that’s still employed, still making programming, and still can book an event and have thousands of people come out. That means a lot to me.”

As for what comes next, Ray embraces the uncertainty. “I like not knowing,” she said. “I like watching things evolve and discovering what’s next for myself. So there’s no plan. There’s no road map.”