CBS Distribution/Everett Collection
EXCLUSIVE: CBS Media Ventures’ nationally syndicated daytime talk show Rachael Ray will be coming to an end after its current 17th season when it will stop original production.
“In my more than 20 plus years in television I have had 17 wonderful seasons working in daytime television with Rachael,” Ray said in a statement to Deadline. “However I’ve made the decision that’s it’s time for me to move on to the next exciting chapter in my broadcast career.”
It’s been a year of seismic changes in the increasingly challenging daytime syndication landscape, with Dr. Phil, Judge Mathis and The People’s Court also set to wrap their runs this season and fellow stalwarts The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Wendy Williams Show, Maury, Dr. Oz as well as The Real ending within the past 12 months. CBS Television Distribution, which distributes Rachael Ray, also is behind Dr. Phil and two other syndicated programs that came to an end over the last year, The Doctors and Daily Mail TV.
News of the latest cancellation comes on the same day Deadline reported exclusively that Ray had teamed with Intentional Content to launch a new production company Free Food Studios.
“My passions have evolved from the talk show format production and syndication model to a platform unencumbered by the traditional rules of distribution… That is why I am looking forward to putting all my energies into my recently announced production arm, Free Food Studios,” Ray said. “Thank you to all of our Rachael daytime show partners, crew, and affiliates, and the wonderful years we all worked together.”
Hosted by Ray, Rachael features Ray’s culinary skills, as well as celebrity interviews, tips from health and lifestyle experts, make-over segments and musical performances. It debuted in syndication in September 2006, finishing its first season as the No. 1 syndicated strip launched in the 2006-2007 season. Over the course of 17 years, Rachael has been nominated for 37 Daytime Emmys, winning for Outstanding Talk Show three times.
Rachael Ray was one of the first entertainment programs to resume filming during the pandemic as Ray did the show from her upstate New York house, with her husband, musician John Cusimano, as her sidekick. The two made headlines in summer 2020 when their house burnt down; Ray spoke about the fire on the show as she moved taping to the guest house on the property. The main dwelling has since been rebuilt.
“When Rachael debuted her show 17 years ago, she was a game-changer in the daytime space. She made cooking accessible to the masses, taught viewers simple solutions on how to improve their lives and coaxed great stories out of celebrity guests with her relatable down-to-earth demeanor,” said Steve LoCascio, president of CBS Media Ventures. “We’re proud to have produced such a successful show with Rachael and her team for so many years. We’ll miss Rachael on the air every day, but we’ll always be family.”
Rachael Ray is distributed and produced by CBS Media Ventures in association with Harpo Productions, Scripps Networks and Watch Entertainment. Janet Annino serves as executive producer.
CBS Media Ventures’ daytime talker The Drew Barrymore Showwas recently renewed. The company has found success with the Judge Judy library, which has been drawing strong ratings, and has been trying to do the same with old Dr. Phil episodes, which are being shopped.