Rachael Ray’s ending her longtime talk show after more than a decade, but food content will still be her meat and potatoes.
CBS announced Friday that the “30 Minute Meals” star will conclude her self-titled talk show after its current 17th season.
“In my more than 20 plus years in television I have had 17 wonderful seasons working in daytime television with ‘Rachael,’” she said in a press release. “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.”
Ray’s announcement came hours after Deadline revealed Friday that the Food Network personality would launch Free Food Studios, a production company.
According to its website, Free Food Studios will focus on “original content in the food space.” In Friday’s announcement, Ray said her “passions have evolved” to a platform she says is “unencumbered by the traditional rules of distribution.”
Ray said she also intends to “develop new and upcoming epicurean talent.”
The cooking guru‘s daytime show debuted on Sept. 18, 2006. In its 17 years on air, “Rachael Ray” earned more than 30 Daytime Emmy nominations, and won outstanding talk show three times.
CBS has not yet revealed when the final episode of Ray’s show will air, but the longtime television host gave her fans something to look forward to.
“We still have more new shows this year and more smiles yet to come,” she captioned an Instagram photo on Tuesday. The pic was of Ray embracing husband and singer John Cusimano.
Ray’s announcement comes a month after CBS announced that Dr. Phil McGraw is also ending his daytime TV run.
“I have been blessed with over 25 wonderful years in daytime television,” McGraw, 72, said in the statement. “With this show, we have helped thousands of guests and millions of viewers through everything from addiction and marriage to mental wellness and raising children. This has been an incredible chapter of my life and career, but while I’m moving on from daytime, there is so much more I wish to do.”
