Rachael Ray and Anthony Carrino's New Show is An Emotional Must-Watch for Home Reno Fans
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After 17 seasons, Rachael Ray's beloved daytime talk show ended on May 24. However this won't be the last you see of Rachael Ray on TV, as she already has a new show premiering on Hulu October 23. The show, Rachael Ray's Rebuild, focuses on helping families rebuild their homes after uncontrollable circumstances like fires and natural disasters turn their lives upside down. The 10-episode season shares the journey of 10 different families trying to rebuild after disaster with the help of Rachael and construction professional Anthony Carrino from HGTV's Kitchen Cousins.
How did Rachael Ray get involved in a home-reno show?
As many fans may remember, in 2020 Rachael Ray's New York home burned down. During this difficult time, Rachael shared her struggle and journey with fans on her talk show and beyond. As Rachael and her husband, John Cusimano, rebuilt their home and mourned the loss of some of their most prized possessions, fans lent their support and shared stories of similar experiences. This experience opened Ray's eyes to the transparent volume of people who could use a helping hand after facing tragedies similar to her own.
"Rachel had a house fire of her own back in 2020 in the middle of the pandemic. So, as she was sharing that with her audience and figuring out that it's actually something that people need help with and this is going to be a TV show, she asked me if I'd be willing to do it and I said 'absolutely!'," Rachael Ray's Rebuild co-host Anthony Carrino told Country Living. Anthony, who has over 25 years of experience working in construction, was happy to help his longtime friend make this dream a reality.
Producers from the show select families in need whose homes were destroyed by fire, tornadoes, and other tragedies, primarily along the East Coast. "A typical client puts themself in the situation of being in a renovation that is stressful and has to have a lot of decisions made and upsets their life. These folks have not made that decision, it's been forced on them," Anthony said.
How does Rachael and her crew help?
At the beginning of each episode, Rachael and Anthony sit down with the homeowners to get a glimpse of the current state of their home and their plans for the rebuild. Generally, the families have already made strides in rebuild process before Rachael's crew gets involved. "Rather than slow the process down and start over, we would work with the team that had already been hired," Anthony explained. With Anthony's extensive experience in construction, he is then able to step in and take much of the emotional and physical load off of the families. He handles everything from managing construction proceedings to duking it out with insurance companies to ensure the rebuild goes as smoothly as possible.
Whenever they can, Anthony, Rachael, and producers contribute to stretch the clients' budgets. With vast connections in construction, Anthony reaches out to brands for free or discounted materials, the network pulls from their budget to chip in when necessary, and Rachael even pulls from her own pocket and leans on her connections in some cases to add pieces she knows the families will cherish. From total destruction to the final walkthrough, each rebuild takes an average of three to four months.
Of course at the end of every successful project there is a big celebration as the family finally sees their finished home for the first time. And, the icing on the cake is that at the end of each episode Rachael makes the family one of her signature home-cooked meals right inside their new kitchen.
"Through all the television that I’ve done, bringing people back into their homes never gets old. You never take it for granted, that look on their faces is fantastic, and then you do it with somebody like Rach where we can add that super special meal to it. On top of that Rachael really touches a lot of lives, she’s been on television a long time, people really relate to her, and she is so great with people. She fully embraces the hugs and takes pictures with everybody, and people are so thrilled to see her in their home. Overall, it’s just a really special moment to be a part of," Anthony described.
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