NEW YORK, NY – September 11, 2014 – CBS Television Distribution’s Emmy® Award-winning talk show RACHAEL RAY kicks off its premiere week on Monday, September 15, with an inspiring campaign to help end hunger in America. The #9MillionMeals campaign will unite the show with national hunger nonprofit organizations Feeding America and No Kid Hungry, as well as Rachael’s Yum-O! organization, to help generate the equivalent of 9 million meals. This will be done through the efforts of Feeding America’s nationwide food bank network and No Kid Hungry’s work to change the way communities feed their children – with the help of celebrity guests, audience members and viewers at home.

Throughout season nine, viewers can log on to 9MillionMeals.com and make a donation to Feeding America or No Kid Hungry, with an option to direct their donation to support hunger-relief efforts in their local community. During the season nine kickoff show with Michael Strahan, the entire audience will cook a meal together that will be delivered to a New York City food pantry and mark the first 1,000 meals toward the 9 million.

OTHER SEASON NINE HIGHLIGHTS:

RACHAEL RAY is also delivering a big dose of inspiration as the show teams up with former NFL star Tony Gonzalez to give one youth football program in Los Angeles the surprise of a lifetime. And, Rachael’s challenging an entire audience to lose weight with the help of “Biggest Loser” trainer Bob Harper, who will join Rachael as a regular co-host in season nine and develop a weight loss and exercise program viewers can follow throughout the season. Plus, we’re serving up even more inspiration when Michael Strahan brings his parents to our show so they can embark on their own weight loss journey with Michael’s family friend and our buddy, Dr. Ian Smith.

More of RACHAEL RAY’s favorites will join the show all season long, with confirmed guests Neil Patrick Harris, Bob Harper, Katharine McPhee, Dr. Phil McGraw, Tom Selleck, Cat Deeley, Kate Walsh, Jessica Simpson, Chelsea Handler, Nick Lachey and Tom Bergeron.

Guests and programming for the premiere week of September 15th include: Michael Strahan and the kick-off of the season-long 9 Million Meals Campaign (will air Monday, 9/15); Bob Harper’s weight loss challenge for our audience (will air Wednesday, 9/17); former NFL star and CBS “Thursday Night Football” analyst Tony Gonzalez co-hosts with Rachael and teams up with her to give one deserving youth football program a huge surprise (will air Thursday, 9/18); and Neil Patrick Harris hangs out with Rach (will air Friday, 9/19).

RACHAEL RAY, the 2008 and 2009 Emmy® Award-winning Outstanding Talk Show,is distributed and produced by CBS Television Distribution in association with Harpo Productions, Scripps Networks and Watch Entertainment.  Janet Annino is the Executive Producer. CBS Television Distribution is a unit of CBS Corp.

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PUBLICITY CONTACTS:

Lauren Nowell                                                                       Paige Landsem
VP, Communications – CBS TV Distribution East Coast         Publicity Coordinator, RACHAEL RAY
(917) 332-3156                                                                     (917) 332-3155
Lauren.Nowell@cbs.com                                                      Paige.Landsem@cbs.com