Rachael Ray Looks So Different In Pre-Transformation Throwback Pic With Anthony Bourdain

Rachael Ray has made quite a culinary career for herself, even with no formal training. The celebrity cook helmed her eponymous syndicated talk show, "The Rachael Ray Show," for nearly 20 years before retiring from daytime TV in 2023. Her bubbly personality and lax attitude are exactly why she's a food industry great next to celebrated names like Gordon Ramsey, Martha Stewart, and Anthony Bourdain. But that long of a career can really change a person. A throwback photo of Ray and Bourdain is a reminder of how different Ray looks today.

Ray's unrecognizable appearance has been the topic of conversation in recent years, as it has left fans concerned about her well-being. Clips of her slurred speech on social media caused rumors to swirl that Ray is struggling with health issues. The image Ray posted on Instagram in 2019 of herself and Bourdain as a tribute to the chef, who died in 2018, really highlights Ray's transformation. In all fairness, much of her transformation could be due to natural aging, given that the image of Ray and Bourdain is from his comedy roast in 2012.

Critics of Ray have used the comment section of her Instagram to diagnose the "Meals in Minutes" star with speculated illnesses and even alcoholism, citing her flush skin and round cheeks as indicators of something wrong. One has to wonder what Bourdain would've said about Ray's strange behavior and new appearance, knowing he was one of her biggest detractors.

Anthony Bourdain was never coy about his opinions, no matter if it created conflict. "A man who hated me more than anybody on the planet Earth was Tony Bourdain," Rachael Ray told Appetito Magazine. The author and TV personality once called Ray "evil" for her endorsement deal with the coffee and breakfast giant Dunkin' (then-Dunkin' Donuts), comparing her advertisements for the company to "peddling crack to kids," per ABC News. Bourdain even criticized Ray for the format of her show "30-Minute Meals," calling her approval of pre-chopped onions the catalyst for the attitude that, "I could cook, but [instead] I'll finish this bag of Cheetos and that gallon of Diet Pepsi before dying of diabetes" (via Delish).

However, according to Ray, she and Bourdain went from enemies to "friendly" before his death. She told Appetito that one joke Ray made melted the ice in Bourdain's heart. "The next time I saw him, he bent way down and gave me a kiss on my cheek," she said, adding, "I burst into tears." No matter the circumstances between them, Ray has always voiced her respect for the culinary pundit. Her resilience from hate, like what Bourdain said about her, could certainly come in handy as the internet continues to speculate about her health.