Remember when Rachael Ray used to dominate daytime television? She used to get behind the stove and create something worth salivating on the couch over. Then she would also take the opportunity to interview people under the format. It was loose, it was casual, and usually, it would tempt people to bust out their own pots and pans. Nowadays, though, she's pivoted into the world of podcasting. In her experience, that comes with its own rewards and challenges.
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Recently, Rachael Ray spoke with PEOPLE at 2025 South Beach Wine & Food Festival about her podcast 'I'll Sleep When I'm Dead.' There, she details what she likes about the looser, longer format of podcasting versus the stringent work in television. "I never had the format on daytime to do long format with people I truly respect and care about," Ray explains. "I like introducing people to new people, people that are new to my life, but I also reintroducing them to people I already love and respect, and being able to expand and expound on what I wish I had the time to do in formats I couldn't do it in before."
Rachael Ray Talks About The Pros and Cons of Podcasting
Conversely, the TV format only keeps Ray within the bounds of a handful of minutes. Consequently, she never really got to truly lock in with them because they had to keep track of time. "I had people on that are celebrated actors and people that I have known for a real long time, but that I never got to spend more than four or five minutes with," Rachael adds. "It's amazing."
The other side of the coin is that she can churn these interviews and conversations out like it's nothing. However, her team only keeps it to a weekly setup. Therefore, Ray ends up sitting on episodes she's antsy about getting out there. "I beat all of my team up about it all the time," Rachael says when asked about fans pestering for more episodes. "I've already done several that haven't been released yet. The challenge is waiting for their asses to put it on air. I'm pissed at how long it takes them to put it up."
