Rachael Ray has expressed a preference for residing in her Tuscan villa over living in the United States, amid ongoing concerns about her health.

The 57-year-old culinary star has admitted that her affection for New York is waning.

During a conversation with UsWeekly, she shared, “My husband, John Cusimano, loves New York. I tell him, ‘Feel free to go as often as you’d like and stay as long as you want.’ I visit New York and upstate when work demands, but I prefer being in Italy.”

The reasons for her preference are straightforward: “It’s peaceful. My dog is significantly happier. She detests New York City. Bella is just not a city dog.”

“For Bella’s sake, I spend as much time in Italy as possible,” Ray explained.

In Italy, her dog enjoys a swimming pool and 66 hectares of space to explore, according to the Food Network personality. “Everything is calm, the air is fresh, and we have expansive gardens, a vineyard, and olive trees. I simply prefer that lifestyle,” she added.

Ray has also been seen in army green in a new cooking video shared to Instagram where she looked healthy despite recent fan concerns about her wellbeing.

Rachael Ray has said she prefers to live in her villa in Tuscany, Italy, than in the United States – amid widespread concerns about her health 

Ray wore army green in a new cooking video shared to Instagram where she looked healthy despite recent fan concerns about her wellbeing

Ray also told UsWeekly about how she and her husband Cusimano, 58, celebrated 20 years of marriage on September 24 in Italy.

‘We went to see some of our friends and [went] to our favorite restaurants in Florence and Rome,’ Ray said.

‘We live in Tuscany, so we can bop back and forth to both of those places pretty quickly. So we just… we were very chill this year. 

‘We had parties for 60 to 100 people over the decade, but this year we just went with us. Two nights in Florence, two nights in Rome.’

Ray is not the only star to feel the draw of living overseas. 

Actress Eva Longoria and her family split their time between Mexico and Spain.

While some reports framed this as a political move following the 2024 election, Longoria later clarified that the decision was not directly tied to the election results. 

Her main reason for leaving the US is she wanted a different lifestyle for her son.

Ellen DeGeneres said Donald Trump’s re-election was the reason she left the US and moved to the UK. The comedienne and her wife, actress Portia de Rossi, bought a house in the Cotswolds, England.

‘My husband [John Cusimano] loves being in New York. And I tell him, “Hey, go as often as you like, stay as long as you want.” I come to New York and upstate New York when I have work, I prefer Italy,’ Ray told UsWeekly; seen in June 

Eva Longoria, left, moved to Spain, and Ellen DeGeneres, right, now calls England home

‘It’s quiet. The dog is much happier. She hates New York City. Bella is not a New Yorker at all. So, for the dog’s sake, I spend as much time [in Italy] as I can,’ she said of her better life in Italy; seen in June in NYC

Ray has been in NYC this week.

She was there to tape The Drew Barrymore Show and to appear at the 18th annual New York Wine and Food Festival on Friday.

The star is also cohosting the Blue Moon Burger Bash 2.0, presented by Pat LaFrieda Meats, with Brooklyn Beckham. There will also be a special performance by DJ Cassidy. 

The festival began on Wednesday, October 15, and will run until Sunday, October 19, at the new Invesco QQQ Festival Campus in the historic Seaport in NYC’s Lower Manhattan.

Meanwhile, there have been concerns this year about Ray’s health.

On Mother’s Day, the TV star shared an Instagram clip which left fans concerned. In the video, her words sounded garbled as she leaned heavily on the stove in front of her.

Last October, Ray had shared that she’d suffered ‘a couple of bad falls’ while carrying wood for a fire. But that, it seemed, was only part of the story.

As an insider exclusively told the Daily Mail in May, Ray’s family have been left worried for her wellbeing.

‘Those close to Rachael are so concerned,’ the insider said. ‘She has shut people out and lives a very secluded life. 

‘She seems lost and when anyone reaches out to her she doesn’t respond,’ the source added.

In February Ray posted a clip of herself cooking fajitas, but some of her comments throughout the video left her fans extremely worried about her health

‘Rachael was always so meticulous about her appearance, and it is very telling and concerning that she now just doesn’t care. It is indicative of a bigger issue.’ 

It has not helped that she has suffered a string of career setbacks.

Her hit eponymous syndicated cooking show – The Rachael Ray Show – which premiered in 2006 and ran unhindered for 17 seasons dramatically concluded in 2023.

She subsequently launched a new program Meals in Minutes in April 2024; the third season for which was released in May.

However, the cancellation of the show that made her name no doubt came as a blow.

As an insider previously told the Daily Mail, Ray ‘has not had the easiest time’ since the show ended. 

It was her ‘pride and joy, and it was her life for so many years,’ that insider said.