Rachael Ray has no time for the haters. The celeb chef, who has been a recent topic of conversation for “concerned” fans, is speaking out about the online chatter that’s plagued her for years—and whether she even tunes into it.
While speaking with fellow Food Network star Anne Burrell on Burrell’s podcast, I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead, Ray indirectly opened up about the rumors surrounding her health by admitting she doesn’t even read them in the first place.
“Do you ever think about the way people think about you? I don’t,” Ray told Burrell, before adding that she “never look[s] at anything” about her online. “I’m, like, afraid to, quite frankly.”
“There was a site called ‘I Hate Rachael Ray’ for years, and I’m like, well, at least they’re watching,” Ray said. Burrell quickly chimed in. “I remember that!” she admitted. “Who would take the time to do that? F*cking loser.”
And while, sure, some might find an entire website dedicated to hating them offensive, Ray has different feelings about her internet trolls. “I loved it,” she said. “They watched every day!” Hey, a view is a view.
The close pals also discussed their personas as “strong” women. “You are thought of as a badass in life, and you are,” Ray told Burrell. “You’re tough. You’re strong.”
However, Burrell admitted that with those traits come challenges for women. “I think that it’s kind of funny that because you’re a tough, strong woman, that you can’t be kind and nice at the same time or feminine,” she added. “Like, why can’t it just be all of those things? And why does it have to feel like a novel concept to have a woman that is all of those kind of things?”
In fact, Burrell said that’s the very reason she chooses to wear skirts in the kitchen: “It was a way always to sort of maintain my femininity. Yeah, I’m a badass girl chef and I won that and I love that, but I’m also a woman.”
When in doubt, we’re officially channeling Ray and Burrell’s badass chef (in a skirt) attitude.
Megan Schaltegger is an NYC-based writer. She loves strong coffee, eating her way through the Manhattan food scene, and her dog, Murray. She promises not to talk about herself in third person IRL.