By Times Staff Writer
Published September 19, 2006
Somebody's getting a little paranoid about life in the daytime talk show world.
Four staff members of The Martha Stewart Show tried to attend a taping of Rachael Ray last week as audience members but were told to leave, the New York Post said Monday. The reason depends on whom you ask.
A Ray representative said they were kicked out because they misidentified themselves. Specifically, the Post said, the four lied about their names, but they were recognized by a security guard who also works for Stewart. Both shows are taped in New York City.
A Stewart spokeswoman denied all that.
"No one from Martha Stewart misrepresented themselves," she said. "In fact, a Rachael staffer who they knew well greeted them warmly, even asked if she could get them better seats. For reasons unknown to us, they were asked to leave by one of Martha's former audience coordinators, not by a security guard. And they did so."
At least in the Tampa Bay area, the shows aren't time slot competitors. The Martha Stewart Show airs at 11 a.m. weekdays on WFTS-Ch. 28.
