Fall TV Blog

First, Rachael Ray had to fight tabloid rumors about her marriage. Now she’s shooting down a report that her talk show could be canceled.

A rep for Ray denied Thursday’s New York Post reports that there’s talk of replacing the show, possibly with Marie Osmond’s upcoming chat fest.

“Page Six’s report of the demise of Rachael Ray is completely false,” a spokesman told PEOPLE. “In fact, our show is growing and renewed through 2010. Last season our show averaged 2,552,00 viewers per show. So far this season we are up — averaging 2,593,000 viewers per show.” –Liza Hamm

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It’s well established that Rachael Ray can take the heat of any kitchen — but what about the cold of a frozen kitchen? Not a problem. On an episode airing Thursday, Ray put her entire talk show on ice, complete with a Zamboni ride, visits from cool guy Denis Leary, Emily Hughes and New York Ranger Adam Graves, an ice-carved couch, waddling penguins and even a stove made of ice, which Rachael used to cook potato soup to warm up with.

We chatted with the talk show host – and her husband John Cusimano – to find out why she decided to chill out out for a day, how she’ll spend Valentine’s Day and why she first thought her husband was gay:

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What does 30 Minute Meals diva Rachael Ray have in common with The Little Mermaid’s Ariel and Scott Hamilton? She’s about to get her own ice show! Yes, America’s favorite chatterbox will be putting her E.V.O.O. in deep freeze when she moves her entire daytime cooking-talkfest, The Rachael Ray Show, to New York’s Bryant Park Ice Rink on Friday, Jan. 18.

Along with furniture sculpted out of ice and a custom-made ice cook top for Rachael to make dinner on (maybe she’ll make chili dogs. Get it? Chili Dogs?), Rachael herself will be arriving to the winterized set on a Zamboni machine and her celeb guests (who will be announced at a later date) will be on skates.

Be sure to tune in, if only to see if someone falls squarely on their behind and to find out what The Rach will cook up in the cold. –Caryn Midler

LFI

Now that Jenn Thomas is the winner of Rachael Ray’s first on-air cooking contest, she’s ready to celebrate. “I’m going to drink something besides Mylanta,” laughs Thomas, 25, a bartender and floral designer from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, who despite a huge case of nerves, beat four other finalists (and thousands of video applicants) to take top honors in the talk show’s “So You Think You Can Cook?!” competition.

By all accounts, Thomas started out as the underdog. “Everyone considered Jenn the long shot because she didn’t seem very sure of herself,” says Ray. What ultimately helped convince the judges? Ray (who chose not to vote because she couldn’t stand the pressure) credits Thomas’s tenacity.
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