The Reason A Former Guest Sued Rachael Ray's Show

Whether you're a diehard fan of Food Network or you watch cooking shows to kill time, you've more than likely heard Rachael Ray's name tossed around. For over two decades, Ray has been synonymous with easy-to-cook meals, countless cookbooks and culinary magazines, and, of course, the show that bares her namesake. Ray has appeared on Oprah Winfrey's talk show, boasts a Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Entertainment for "The Racheal Ray Show," and has even established Yum-O!, a nonprofit organization for helping families in need (via Biography). Suffice to say, she has quite the credentials.

Like so many celebrities, however, Ray isn't totally free from controversy. She's known to allegedly be a poor tipper in the industry (via Business Insider) and the late Anthony Bourdain viewed her as a "freakazoid" and a "bobblehead" (via Thrillist). Now, granted these aren't exactly the most career-ending things in the world. 

In all respect, there are some people who like Ray and other's who simply don't. But for one former guest on Ray's show, she doesn't exactly view Ray in the most positive of lights.

In 2011, teenager Christina Pagliarolo signed up for a weight loss program hosted by "The Rachael Ray Show." The goal, apparently, was to lose 70 pounds before the teenager's prom (via TODAY). According to Pagliarolo, her workout consisted of extreme, overly-intensive exercises, abusive and humiliating tactics, and general negligence by both Ray and the show's staff. Per TMZ, the workouts involved forced hikes, demeaning insults, and forcing Pagliarolo to exert herself to the point of intense injury. At one point, the trainer had cranked up the speed of an exercise machine to the point Pagliarolo was tossed from the machine. 

But according to TODAY, the teen didn't have an airtight case. The claim against her is that, while the treatment she received was admittedly rough, she should have expected it going into the show. Reality shows based around exercise thrive off of drama and stress, and that Pagliaolo's desire to lose 70 pounds in such a short amount of time no doubt encouraged such an extreme regiment.

In response to the case, Ray's show said they full expected to prevail, although it is unclear if they actually did.