Martha Stewart seems pretty chill these days, thanks to her self-professed habit of popping her own CBD gummies like candy. But before she discovered cannabis-induced bliss, her sharp tongue sometimes got the better of her. Remember the culinary catfight she started with Rachael Ray? Stewart came for the Food Network darling with knives out—and left with her tail between her legs. Find out what happened between the two food personalities, and how the beef was settled.
Martha Stewart Said Rachael Ray ‘Cannot Bake’
Martha Stewart may have built her reputation on being a proper homemaker, but don’t expect a chapter on manners in any of her books. In a 2009 interview with ABC’s Nightline, the doyenne of domesticity took aim at fellow cooking and talk show host Rachael Ray—and she didn’t mince words.
“Well, to me, she professed that she could—cannot bake,” said Stewart. “She just did a new cookbook which is just a re-edit of a lot of her old recipes… and that’s not good enough for me. I mean, I really want to write a book that is a unique and lasting thing. Something that will really fulfill a need in someone’s library. So, she’s different… she’s more of an entertainer than she is, with her bu9bly personality, than she is a teacher, like me. That’s not what she’s professing to be.”
Stewart is known for being matter-of-fact (and unapologetic about it), but the remarks seemed like an act of unprovoked aggression. Was there more to the story than we know?
This Wasn’t The First Time Martha Stewart Took A Shot A Rachael Ray
It turns out Stewart has taken issue with Ray in the past. In November 2006, the then-competing talk show hosts had the awkward situation of featuring the same guest, Barry Manilow, on the same day.
Since Ray’s show was pre-taped and Stewart’s was a live broadcast, it was a questionable move by Ray’s producers. And Stewart made sure to mention it in her monologue.
“I’ve never actually met Rachael Ray,” she explained to her live audience. “I think she’s very fun…lively…uh…young woman. She has Barry on her show today… Now that’s kinda weird. I don’t know… I think it’s not… great for the artist.”
A rep for Ray told TMZ that it was just the nature of the business. “We wanted to lead our sweeps with the best show we had in the can, and that was Barry Manilow.”
Perhaps it was retaliation for a situation that took place two months earlier. In September 2006, four Martha Stewart staffers were caught trying to sneak into a taping of Ray’s show.
“[The spies] were kicked out because they lied about their names. Otherwise, they would have been welcome to stop by,” a source told Page Six. Stewart’s camp didn’t comment on the nature of their visit but said they were asked to leave by a Ray staffer who used to work for the competing show.
Rachael Ray Seemed To Take The High Road In The Feud
Ray refused to take part in the drama. When asked to comment on Stewart’s take on her, she shrugged things off.
“Why would it make me mad?” Ray asked Nightline. “Her skill set is far beyond mine. That’s simply the reality of it. That doesn’t mean that what I do isn’t important too… I don’t consider it needling. I really just think she’s being honest. She does have a better skill set than I do when it comes to producing a beautiful, perfect, high-quality meal. I’d rather eat Martha’s than mine, too.”
And in an interview with Bloomberg, she summed things up by saying, “I don’t work for Martha; I work for my viewers.” Check out a clip where she addresses the feud below:
Martha Stewart Eventually Apologized
Whether you love or hate Martha Stewart, you have to admit she’s a great businesswoman. A week after her ABC interview, she knew that she’d have to do some damage control to help her brand. With chef Emeril Lagasse at her side, she issued the following apology:
“I just want to take this opportunity just to address some comments that are circulating on the Internet regarding me and Rachael Ray. And just for the record, there are no bad feelings between us, nor have there ever been. I truly believe that Rachael has done a terrific job bringing people, many people who would have never have even stepped into the kitchen or made a dish to cook. I applaud Rachel for her enthusiastic approach to cooking and I really had a great time being a guest on her show and it was a lot of fun to have her on this show making pie with me to. Come on back Rachael, anytime you want and I hope you have a Yum-o Thanksgiving.”
Sounds like they’re on good terms now, but we don’t expect them to kick back and share CBD treats together anytime soon.
