Rachael Ray said she posed for FHM in 2003 because she wanted to represent women who did not fit the magazine-model ideal. She described the shoot as frightening and said she was proud she took part. Her answer about doing it again varied by interview: in 2006 she said she would not, while a 2009 report quoted her saying she would do it again tomorrow.
Why did Rachael Ray pose for FHM?
In a September 18, 2006 interview on Larry King Live, Ray said the magazine’s invitation came through her publicity department. She discussed it with her husband and thought it could be “pretty cool” to represent “real chicks.” She described herself as over 35 and not a size 0, contrasting herself with the young models she associated with FHM. “I thought it was pretty cool to go in there and maybe represent for the real chicks, so I did,” she said. Read the Larry King Live transcript.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
FHM Magazine: March/April 2000 (Issue #1) | $24.38 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
FHM Australia 25th January 2026 | $2.71 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
FHM Australia I July 2026 | $2.77 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
FHM Magazine December 2004 | $10.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
FHM Magazine May 2005 (1-502, Mariah carey music's hottest siren shows off more than her voice.) | $14.79 | Buy on Amazon |
Ray was 38 at the time of that interview, according to her own account. Her age and size comments were part of her explanation for why she saw the shoot as a chance to represent women beyond the magazine’s typical image.
How did she describe the experience?
Ray called the shoot “scared, scary, horrible, horrifying, very, very scary” in the 2006 interview. She also said she was proud she had done it. In a December 17, 2009 appearance on The Joy Behar Show, she recalled being extremely nervous, with her hands shaking when she got out of the car. She said she was “still proud to this day” because she wanted to represent real people, and was glad that a woman over 35 had been asked to appear in a publication like FHM. Read the Joy Behar Show transcript.
#1 Best Overall
Did Rachael Ray regret posing for FHM?
Ray repeatedly said she was proud of participating, though her comments about repeating the experience were not identical. In 2006, she told Larry King, “I definitely would never do it again, but I was proud that I did, because I think I represented an every person in there.”
A December 30, 2009 Daily Beast article about FHM’s “100 Sexiest Women” list quoted Ray saying, “It was the most scared I’ve ever been and I wouldn’t change a thing,” and “I’d do it again tomorrow.” That is the wording reported by the Daily Beast; it differs from her 2006 answer and should not be mistaken for a quotation from that interview. The article identifies the FHM spread as appearing in October 2003. Read the Daily Beast report.
Rank #2
What the interview record shows
| Date and source | What Ray said about the shoot | Would she do it again? |
|---|---|---|
| September 18, 2006, Larry King Live | She wanted to represent “real chicks”; she called the experience frightening and said she was proud she did it. | She said she definitely would not. |
| December 17, 2009, The Joy Behar Show | She emphasized representing real people, recalled being very nervous, and said she remained proud. | She did not give a repeat-or-not answer in the cited transcript. |
| December 30, 2009, The Daily Beast report | It quoted her saying she had been extremely scared and would not change a thing. | It quoted her saying, “I’d do it again tomorrow.” |
The consistent thread is her pride in taking part and her stated wish to represent women outside the size-zero, young-model image she associated with the magazine. Her comments about whether she would repeat the shoot changed with the interview and source.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Rank #4
Rank #3
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
Recommended Free Tools
