The Most Difficult Part Of Shooting Rachael Ray's Italian Dream Home - Exclusive

Renovating a home is difficult for anybody who does it. "When you're in the middle of construction or building or rebuilding your life, it's very stressful," Rachael Ray even agreed during an exclusive interview with The List. Now, imagine having to deal with that stress in front of the whole world. Everyone is able to see her home makeover unfold each week on "Rachael Ray's Italian Dream Home."

When Ray first got down to business building her dream home in Italy, every aspect of the project was exhausting. There were laws she and her husband, John, were ordered to follow for the historical rebuild. The construction crew was made up of mostly men who only spoke Italian. The wrong pieces of furniture had been delivered to her storage unit. She had to replace the stove in her dream kitchen three separate times.

Yet even throughout all these obstacles, there was one surprising aspect that made her home makeover even more challenging. "The fact I'm being shot," Ray admitted. "I'm a very private person."

Rachael Ray considers herself a 'quiet' person behind closed doors

On Rachael Ray's talk show, she loves to tell the audience all kinds of stories about her own life. When she's not on camera, it's an entirely different matter. "I love sharing with people, because I want them to feel like we're really connecting," she told The List. "But when I go home, I'm actually usually quiet." 

When the iconic cook signed up for a reality series all about her Italian home renovation, she instantly opened up her private life to millions of fans. Not only did she open up her doors (literally) to show us all her home, but she showcased her renovation stress on national television, too. "There are very bad moments and a lot of great moments," she said. But in the end, Ray is glad she gave fans a glimpse at every aspect of her home life — especially since many viewers have been stuck inside their own homes throughout the pandemic. 

Is there any part of her life that still is off-limits? "I haven't hit it yet," she told us. "But I probably will at some point."

New episodes of "Rachael Ray's Italian Dream Home" air Monday nights at 9 p.m. on FYI.