Martha Stewart ‘Especially’ Concerned for Rachael Ray ‘Despite Their Previous Feuding’

Rachael Ray has people, including Martha Stewart, worried after she looked unrecognizable in a video posted earlier this month in which she appeared to slur her speech.

“Rachael looks bloated, and she’s gained weight since ending her talk show,” an insider exclusively tells Closer of the former Rachael Ray Show host, 56. “People are wondering what’s going on with her.”

On September 2, the celebrity chef appeared in a video clip from her show Rachael Ray in Tuscany and recalled a memorable dinner with late friend Tony Bennett, during which they ate Osso Bucco, but Rachael thought she accidentally “killed” him when he fell to the floor after hitting his head.

Though the late Grammy Award winner — who died July 21, 2023, at age 96 — was fine at Rachael’s dinner, fans of the businesswoman and author noticed that something was off about her in the video.

“Anyone could see she came close to tears talking about Tony Bennett in the cooking video, so her emotional state has come under scrutiny as well,” the source says.

“Everyone’s worried for her,” reveals the source, and that includes her former cooking rival Martha.

The source explains the Martha Stewart Living founder is “especially” concerned for Rachael “despite their previous feuding.”

In fact, the source says Martha has “mellowed out in recent years and stopped looking at Rachael as a rival long ago,” adding that the lifestyle guru “wants to make sure [Rachael is] okay.”

Things were much different years ago, when Martha reportedly told ABC’s Nightline in 2009 that what Rachael does is “not good enough for me.”

“She’s different. She’s — she’s more of an entertainer … with her bubbly personality, than she is a teacher, like me,” Martha said. “That’s not what she’s professing to be … She’s just a totally different kind of cook than I am.”

At the time, Rachael responded, “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.”

Making matters worse for Rachael these days, Closer‘s source says, she “doesn’t have the same lust for life she used to.”

The insider adds, “It’s a real mystery what’s going on with Rachael, and the hope is she comes out of this. When she does, she’ll have a large support system [with] Martha leading the pack. Martha could give her some health tips.”

Rachael has struggled with her voice throughout the years. Though her team shot down rumors that she had throat cancer in 2008, Rachael was actually going under the knife for a minor vocal cord surgery.

“Rachael is the picture of health. She is having very minor surgery to remove a benign cyst on her vocal cord,” a spokesman for the star told People in October 2008. “It’s a common in-and-out procedure that she will have in early December and it will not adversely effect any of her daytime show or Food Network tapings.”

In July 2009, Rachael reportedly underwent minor surgery for the issue.