Crime & Safety
TV Personality's Sudden Death Stuns Fans, Colleagues: Latest Details
Anne Burrell, celebrity chef and longtime host of Food Network's Worst Cooks in America, has died at the age of 55.
BROOKLYN, NY — Anne Burrell, the spirited chef and television personality known for her signature spiky hair and vibrant presence on the Food Network, has died, the network confirmed. She was 55.
Burrell died Tuesday morning at her home in New York, according to the network. Her family first shared the news in a statement to People magazine that same day.
“Anne was a beloved wife, sister, daughter, stepmother, and friend — her smile lit up every room she entered,” they shared. “Anne’s light radiated far beyond those she knew, touching millions across the world. Though she is no longer with us, her warmth, spirit, and boundless love remain eternal.”
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Here's the latest on what we know:
Police were called to her address before 8 a.m. Tuesday and found an unresponsive woman who was soon pronounced dead. An NYPD spokesperson told Patch that the investigation is ongoing and that her cause of death has not been disclosed. An autopsy is planned.
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Burrell was best known as one of Food Network’s most recognizable stars, appearing in numerous series including "Worst Cooks in America," "Iron Chef America," "Chef Wanted with Anne Burrell," and "The Best Thing I Ever Ate," among others. She also authored two cookbooks: her 2011 release, "Cook Like a Rock Star," which became a New York Times bestseller, and "Own Your Kitchen: Recipes to Inspire and Empower."
"Anne was a remarkable person and culinary talent – teaching, competing and always sharing the importance of food in her life and the joy that a delicious meal can bring. Our thoughts are with Anne’s family, friends and fans during this time of tremendous loss," a representative from the Food Network wrote.
Burrell is survived by her partner, Claxton, and his son, Javier, as well as her mother, Marlene, sister, Jane, and brother, Ben.
The news stunned fans and colleagues, many of whom took to social media to express their condolences.
A number of Food Network stars and friends remembered the late chef in social media posts:
Sandra Lee
"My heart is broken that you're no longer here but I'm so grateful that we had such wonderful moments together," she wrote in an Instagram post.
Tyler Florence
Burrell's co-host on "Worst Cooks" for seven seasons, wrote: "I’m heartbroken. So are Tolan and the kids. She loved our family deeply."
Gigi Hadid
In an Instagram story, Hadid said she was heartbroken. "As a longtime fan, getting to share this day with her was a dream come true," Hadid wrote on top of a photo from their episode. The model added, "I wish we could have done it again. She was awesome. Rest in peace legend."
Robert Irvine
The "Worst Cooks in America" star wrote in an Instagram post that "Anne wasn’t just a fiery chef. She was a radiant spirit who lit up every room she entered."
Known for her bold and flavorful but not overly fancy dishes, and for her spiky platinum-blonde hairdo, Burrell and various co-hosts on “Worst Cooks in America” led teams of kitchen-challenged people through a crash course in savory self-improvement.
On the first show in 2010, contestants presented such unlikely personal specialties as cayenne pepper and peanut butter on cod, and penne pasta with sauce, cheese, olives and pineapple. The accomplished chefs had to taste the dishes to evaluate them, and it was torturous, Burrell confessed in an interview with The Tampa Tribune at the time.
Still, Burrell persisted through 27 seasons, making her last appearance in 2024.
“If people want to learn, I absolutely love to teach them,” she said on ABC's “Good Morning America” in 2020. “It’s just them breaking bad habits and getting out of their own way.”
Burrell was born Sept. 21, 1969, in the central New York town of Cazenovia, where her parents ran a flower store. She earned an English and communications degree from Canisius University and went on to a job as a headhunter but hated it, she said in a 2008 interview with The Post-Standard of Syracuse.
Having always loved cooking, she soon enrolled in the Culinary Institute of America, for which she later taught. She graduated in 1996, spent a year at an Italian culinary school and then worked in upscale New York City restaurants for a time.
“Anytime Anne Burrell gets near hot oil, I want to be around,” Frank Bruni, then-food critic at the New York Times, enthused in a 2007 review.
By the next year, Burrell was hosting her own Food Network show, “Secrets of a Restaurant Chef,” and her TV work became a focus. Over the years she also wrote two cookbooks, “Cook Like a Rock Star” and “Own Your Kitchen: Recipes to Inspire and Empower,” and was involved with food pantries, juvenile diabetes awareness campaigns and other charities.
Burrell's own tastes, she said, ran simple. She told The Post-Standard her favorite food was bacon and her favorite meal was her mother's tuna fish sandwich. “Cooking is fun,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be scary. It’s creating something nurturing.”
The Associated Press contributed reporting.
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