Rachael Ray Talks Celebrity Cook-Off

The A.V. Club had the chance to speak to celebrity chef Rachael Ray and the talk show host dished on her latest project, Rachael vs. Guy Celebrity Cook-Off.

"I wasn’t prepared for how intense it was. We went in there thinking we’d be there several hours a day, but we ended up there 12 and 14 hours a day. It was incredibly intense," Ray said. "It wasn’t over-produced: These people did all of their own work, there wasn’t a lot of behind-the-scenes culinary help for them. Everything about this was legit and intense, and these people, our celebs, they worked their guts out. Seriously. It was so hard to watch them and not be able to literally help them. All we could do was coach. We can’t physically touch the food or teach them a technique by allowing them to watch us perform it. They have to use their own skill set. We can only use our words, really, to help them. It’s frustrating."

Aside from the expected drama of reality television, Ray says Celebrity Cook-Off has something for every type of viewer. 

"I thought the celebrity element was hilarious, that you have everybody from rap singers and Olympians to movie actors... literally somebody everybody out there can identify with in one way or another, but none of these people are professional cooks, wanting to basically play Top Chef." 

For more information about Rachael vs. Guy, click here.