Why Rachael Ray Has The Best Green Room In Show Business, According To Buddy Valastro - Exclusive

Buddy Valastro first rose to fame because of his show "Cake Boss" (named after himself, naturally), but he's got an impressive list of credits on IMDb, appearing in almost every food-related show you could imagine — and several non-food shows as well. He moves in rarefied air in the food world and hobnobs with the highest tier of food celebrities.

Other than "Cake Boss," the show that Buddy has appeared on the most is "Rachael Ray." At the time of publishing, he's shown up as a guest on an impressive 72 episodes of Rachael Ray's eponymous talk show. He often makes cakes on the show, of course, but Ray has also had him do things outside of his area of expertise, like putting him behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car.

Buddy Valastro recently partnered with Klondike to make a cake for the brand's 100th birthday, and he sat down with Mashed for an exclusive interview to talk about his work with Klondike and his lengthy TV career. We took the opportunity to ask him what it's like to work with Rachael Ray, and he shared some of his favorite memories of his fellow food icon.

Buddy Valastro had nothing but nice things to say about Rachael Ray. In fact, he said she was like family to him: "She's like my cousin. I've been on her show so much we are like family, and she's always so sweet." That's high praise from Buddy, who is a family man through and through.

While Rachael and Buddy may have a special relationship since they've worked together so many times, everyone who appears on "Rachael Ray" gets treated like a VIP. According to Valastro, Ray serves the best green room food of any TV Show, and it's not even close. "You go [to Rachael's green room] and it's like, 'Oh, we have butternut squash soup, and it's perfectly made, grilled cheese with prosciutto on it, and a little dessert.'" His tip for anyone who's going to be on "Rachael Ray" is to "go hungry."

The green room food isn't the only way Rachael Ray is killing the TV host game. According to Buddy, she's the hardest-working, most professional TV personality out there: "When I'm on camera with her, I feel like I've got to up my game. That's how good she is."

Now through July 16, 2022, fans can enter to win their own Klondike 100th birthday cake by posting a photo or video on Instagram of themselves completing a decades-themed "What Would You Do for a Klondike" challenge with #4aKlondike100Sweepstakes and tagging @klondikebar in the caption. More information can be found here.

You can try out Buddy Valastro's baking at Carlo's Bakery, which also ships nationally.