What will Oprah Winfrey talk about when she helps to kick off the new Rachael Ray talk show next month? You’ll have to tune in to find out – but expect a few references to how straight Gayle King’s best friend is.
On August 3, Oprah made a surprise stop at the New York City set of Ray’s show, where she hung out for the entire taping, met the audience, got a full tour of the set and shared some on-air coffee talk with Ray.
From there, Winfrey – who rarely appears on other people’s shows – headed to the airport for a flight to South Africa, where she is working on her Leadership Academy for Girls, due to open in January.
Ray’s hour-long syndicated program, The Rachael Ray Show, premieres September 18. The episode with Winfrey will air during its first week.
Don’t expect an influx of celebrities on the program, however. Sorry, Kevin Federline, you’ll have to go elsewhere to beg for attention. Ray, 36, says she expects guests, including her husband, lawyer and musician John Cusimano, to relax and get their hands dirty by cooking with her or playing foosball.
So, Rachael, what advice did Oprah offer?
“She tells me to be myself. She doesn’t chime in or call up and say, ‘This is how you can be more like Oprah.’ She’s pretty busy with her own job,” Ray said.