Rachael Ray's Bad Habit Won't Do Anything To Help Her Fading Star Power

Rachael Ray's downfall from fame is a stark contrast to her indelible contributions to the food and television industries. For a time, Ray was cooking up delicious meals in front of hundreds of grinning fans in her "Rachael Ray Show" live studio audience, and millions of more drooling viewers at home. But lately, her actions have sparked outrage and even concern for her well-being. The celebrity cook's health problems have seemingly made more headlines than any new career ventures — e.g., her collaboration with the FYI Network for her shows "Rachael Ray in Tuscany" and "Meals in Minutes." However, Ray's worrisome behavior can't be all to blame for her descent from stardom. 

Ironically, one of the biggest grievances aired about Ray's worst habits is that she is a notoriously lousy tipper. Ray — who was briefly a restaurateur herself— seemingly isn't that empathetic to restaurant employees. According to Business Insider, some wait staff have noted that the Food Network star only tips around 10%, which was reportedly her budget-friendly model for saving cents on her show, "$40 a Day." One Reddit user, who said they waited on many celebs at a restaurant in Philadelphia, even asserted that they "Got stiffed by Rachel Ray and she was a total b***h. Just the worst."

As more intel on the cook comes to light, the more her dwindling popularity makes sense. Following a New York City bottle signing event for Rachael Ray's gin brand, Staple Gin, in July 2025, a source told the Daily Mail that only 20 fans showed up and paid for the $50 RSVP fee. Not only was Ray 20 minutes late, but the source revealed that the event, which was supposed to go on for two hours, concluded within an hour. "Around halfway through the event, there was no line outside," the insider said. "Organizers were then standing outside telling random people about Rachael Ray doing a bottle signing."

Ever since the "Rachael Ray Show's" final days, Ray has appeared to have fallen on hard times. Though she remains on television, the culinary personality hasn't drawn the same audience that her eponymous talk show used to bring. The ratings for her "Meals in Minutes" show are only in the tens of thousands. In contrast, her syndicated time on ABC would reach two million viewers in 2012. She seems to be getting more attention on her social media, with some Instagram Reels reaching millions of views, but Ray's presence online is mainly landing her in hot water.