Rachael Ray’s Daytime Talk Show Ending After 17 Seasons: ‘My Passions Have Evolved’

usmagazine.com:

All good things must end. Rachael Ray’s daytime talk show, Rachael, is coming to a close after 17 seasons on air.   “In my more than 20 plus years in television I have had 17 wonderful seasons working in daytime television with Rachael,” Ray, 54, told Deadline in a statement on Friday, March 3. “However I’ve made the decision that it’s time for me to move on to the next exciting chapter in my broadcast career.” The Comfort Foods author shared that her “passions have evolved from the talk show format production and syndication model” and she plans to pursue projects that are “unencumbered by the traditional rules” of TV distribution.   “Thank you to all of our  Rachael  daytime show partners, crew, and affiliates, and the wonderful years we all worked together,” she added.

News of Rachael’s cancellation comes just hours after Deadline reported that Ray would be teaming up with Intentional Content to launch a new production company, Free Food Studios, which the New York native said  she will be putting all her “energies” into.

Following news that the program was ending, president of CBS Media Ventures, Steve LoCascio, released a statement praising Ray for her time on the show.  “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,” he told Deadline on Friday. “We’re proud to have produced such a successful show with Rachael and her team for so many years.