Rachael Ray makes rare public appearance at NY food festival as chef sparks health concerns and admits to ‘bad falls’

RACHAEL Ray made a rare public appearance at a New York food festival after sparking health concerns and admitting to recent "bad falls."

In video and photos exclusively obtained by The U.S. Sun, Rachael, 56, was seen at the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival in Brooklyn on Friday night. 

The beloved celebrity chef was seen mingling with friends at the booth for her gin company, Staple Gin, and taking the stage to announce winners of the evening's burger contest. 

The chef wore a satin dress with a multi-patterned jacket and sneakers and had her hair straight. 

Rachael gleefully told the crowd, "All of these years and see every single chef that's a former award winner here. These guys are seriously proud of their trophies and their belts, right? They take this seriously.

"I'm glad all of you are here, and I just want to say thank you to everyone here.

"They've become a family to me over all these years, decades now… I love being here, and it's just wonderful to be with all of you and thank you for coming out for us, we appreciate you and your appetite. Have fun. Have a beer and a burger!"

After taking the stage at the start of the night, Rachael made her way to her gin booth where she mingled for a bit.

At the end of the night, Rachael once again took to the stage and told the excited crowd, "We have made it! We made it to the end of our burger bash. It's my thirty-fifth, our seventeenth year. Thank you all for coming out again!"

The winner of the Judge's Choice Award was Mel from Mel's Butcher Box in Tenafly, New Jersey, while the winner from the crowd's votes was Josh Capon from Capon's Burgers in Las Vegas.

The judges included famed butcher Pat LaFrieda, chefs Marc Murphy, Tiffany Derry, Scot Louie, Tess Sinatro and finally Randy Peers from the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce. 

The proceeds for the event go to God's Love We Deliver. 

On Tuesday, Rachael dropped her first podcast and admitted to having some recent bad falls- after fans had expressed concerns about her appearance on social media in recent weeks. 

"BAD FALLS"

The celebrity chef dropped the first episode of her podcast I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead on October 2.

Rachael opened up about being a homemaker while living with her husband John Cusimano, in Lake Luzerne, New York. 

She told her guest, actress Jenny Mollen, “I am a homemaker. I love chores, I love being in the kitchen… I really like chores."

The TV chef continued to say that some people consider making dinners and carrying wood physical work, but she finds enjoyment in the chores.

She told her guest, “I like to help carry in the wood.

"I had a couple of bad falls in the last couple of weeks so I haven’t been doing that in a while."

She went on to say that she makes carrying wood into a game for herself, adding that she asks herself how many pieces of wood her husband carries.

“Can I carry more? I don’t say that to John, I just say that to myself," she added.

'SLURRING'

Rachael admitted to falling after sparking concern on her television show Rachael Ray in Tuscany. 

Fans expressed their worries after she appeared to be slurring her speech in a clip from her show which she posted on Instagram.

Several people commented on the iconic chef's social media post pressing her by asking "What happened?," and "I love you but are you ok? I'm seriously concerned."

The 56-year-old chef has not commented on the concerns and has instead filtered the comments on her videos.

A rep for Rachael declined to comment to TMZ last month.

The chef has continued to post on her Instagram since.

THE PODCAST

The prolific television personality announced her first podcast earlier this month.

She told audiences during the first episode, "This is a podcast about drive, what fuels people who love hard work and what we can learn from one another."

Rachael explained she is at her best "when I am pressed."

That's when "I am being my most productive. That is why I have always said, I’ll sleep when I’m dead."

She then invited her fans to join her for "conversations with people I know and people I want to know better.

"Welcome to I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead.”