Rachael Ray Explains Why She’s Taken Some ‘Bad Falls’ Lately

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Rachael Ray seemingly addressed her health for the first time since she posted a video on Instagram that had fans worried for her back in September.

Ray, 56, premiered the first episode of her new podcast called I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead on Tuesday October 22, accompanied by actress Jenny Mollen. In the podcast, the Food Network star talked about her home life with her husband, John Cusmino, in Lake Luzerne, New York and revealed that she had to put physically demanding chores on hold for a while.

“I am a homemaker. I love chores, I love being in the kitchen… I really like chores,” she told her listeners. “What people consider physical work… I like making dinners, planning dinners, making lists,” she added. She later explained that “[she likes] to help carry in the wood,” but “[she] had a couple of bad falls in the last couple of weeks so [she hasn’t] been doing that in a while.” The podcast host did not specify the reason why she took the tumbles or if it had anything to do with the concerns fans had about her health in the video she had posted in September.

In the initial video that sparked fan’s concern — which was posted on September 2 — Ray appeared to be slurring her words. Some fans crassly commented that she looked “puffy.” When the star’s reps were asked about the video they replied, “no comment,” according to reports by TMZ.

One fan took to the comment section of the post and wrote, “I think it’s a mini stroke. Part of her mouth seems sinking. When was this????,” while a second added “It’s obvious something going on and I’d say alcohol based on swollen face and body.” A third was more understanding and wrote, “She’s aging like the rest of us. Maybe she has a medical condition, maybe she is on medication. Regardless, no need to be mean.”

On September 9, one week after the alarming video, the New York native shared another clip for the Instagram series in which she looked and sounded fine. Despite speaking on her health, the TV star has not addressed any concerns her fans raised.