Rachael Ray, 56, feels ‘time might be shorter’ as she grows older amid health concerns

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Celebrity chef Rachael Ray, 56, recently opened up about feeling "time might be shorter" as she gets older. 

In a candid conversation with her longtime friend and 'The Biggest Loser' trainer Bob Harper, 59, on her new podcast 'I'll Sleep When I'm Dead', the two reflected on life, aging, and the comfort they’ve found in their pets.

Rachael Ray feels 'time might be shorter' as she gets older

Rachael Ray shared that she wakes up early, at 4 am, to make the most of her time as she is worried about the time she has left.

"I've gotten worse as I've gotten older, because I feel like time might be shorter, and I want my time to be more, every minute of it," she explained to Harper.

The discussion turned to their choice not to have children, with both expressing gratitude for the bond they share with their dogs, per The US Sun.

“God love all the people that have kids,” Harper said, while Ray, who is married to musician John Cusimano, acknowledged, “Me too. And boy, did I get bashed for it over the decades!”

Their pets, they both agreed, bring them “unconditional love” and have been a source of strength through difficult moments.

“If I have the absolute worst day or I’m sick as a dog, the thing that makes me feel best is to go home and literally climb into bed under a blanket with my dog," said Ray.

Ray and Cusimano tied the knot in Italy in 2005 and renewed their vows in 2015 but have no children together. 

Rachael Ray sparks health concerns after slurry video

At 56 years old, Rachael Ray is at a point in her life where health concerns can become a big issue. Ray's fans have voiced concerns in recent months over her well-being after a video she shared on Instagram showed her slurring her words while talking about her late friend, Tony Bennett.

The video, a clip from her 'Rachael Ray in Tuscany' show, prompted some to ask, “Omg is she ok? What happened?" according to The US Sun.

While fans debated the reason, with some suggesting she was simply emotional or perhaps dealing with a health issue, Ray hasn’t addressed the comments directly but has limited comments on her social media posts since then.

Ray’s resilience has been tested by several personal hardships in recent years.

In 2020, she lost her beloved dog, Isaboo, and just a few months later, her upstate New York home was destroyed by a devastating fire.

Recalling the incident, Ray told her talk show audience, “On August 9, my house burned… 15 years of memories. 40 years of notebooks, drawings, thoughts, my life's work.”

Fortunately, Ray and her husband, Cusimano, escaped unharmed.

Fans also voiced concerns in August over Ray’s health following a video where she prepared bacon and meat for burgers, leaving some shocked by her appearance.

Although there were rumors of a throat cancer scare in 2008, her representative clarified she undewent "minor surgery" for a benign cyst on her vocal cord.

The representative reassured People, saying, “Rachael is the picture of health."

"It’s a common in-and-out procedure" that won’t disrupt her show tapings, the representative said at that time.

“[Rachael’s] totally fine... She hasn’t been feeling ill.”