Anne Burrell, a Food Network chef known for her ebullient on-screen personality and shock of spiky platinum hair, has died.
Burrell, 55, was found “unconscious and unresponsive” early Tuesday at her home in Brooklyn, New York, according to People.
Emergency responders pronounced her dead at the scene.
Parade said Burrell’s husband, Stuart Claxton, discovered her on the shower floor, between six and seven hours after he last saw her alive.
The cause of the chef’s death has yet to be announced, but entertainment news outlet TMZ said police reported “a large quantity” of pills were found at the scene.
Fellow Food Network star Bobby Flay praised Burrell’s work.
“‘Worst Cooks in America’ was the funnest show on TV. All of your co-hosts (me included) were just alongside for the Anne Burrell ride,” Flay wrote on social media, according to USA Today.
Bobby Flay reveals ‘greatest gift’ Anne Burrell gave him before her tragic death at 55 https://t.co/HbThSRfEwW pic.twitter.com/dqyeZEjUSV
— New York Post (@nypost) June 19, 2025
“The greatest gift I got from AB was turning me on to a world of Maine Coon Cats (including Nacho)… a gift that I’ll have forever,” he said, including a photo of Burrell with her two cats.
Fellow TV personality Rachael Ray, who was a bridesmaid in Burrell’s 2021 wedding to Claxton, expressed disbelief at the loss of her friend.
“The news about Anne has truly shaken us,” Ray wrote. “John and I are heartbroken. I can’t quite believe it — such a strong, vibrant, fearless woman, so full of life and love, could be gone so soon.”
The news about Anne has truly shaken us. John and I are heartbroken. I can’t quite believe it — such a strong, vibrant, fearless woman, so full of life and love, could be gone so soon.
Anne was a rockstar! I came to know her well through multiple seasons of Worst Cooks on Food… pic.twitter.com/gUWcwaLNeB
— Rachael Ray (@rachaelray) June 18, 2025
Robert Irvine, host of Food Network’s “Restaurant: Impossible,” also posted a tribute to his friend and fellow chef.
I am stunned and deeply saddened by the news of the passing of Anne Burrell.
Anne wasn’t just a fiery chef. She was a radiant spirit who lit up every room she entered. From the very beginning on Worst Cooks in America, our friendly rivalry was fueled by mutual respect: I’d risk… pic.twitter.com/3UG7rOgIPn
— Robert Irvine (@RobertIrvine) June 17, 2025
“I am stunned and deeply saddened” by Burrell’s sudden passing, he wrote.
“Anne wasn’t just a fiery chef. She was a radiant spirit who lit up every room she entered.”
He called her “a generous and supportive colleague and an even better friend” who had an “unwavering dedication, not just to food, but to lifting others up. She believed in nurturing culinary potential and celebrating small victories, whether in an amateur cook or on a charity fundraiser.”
Burrell taught at the Institute of Culinary Education in the early 2000s, according to People.
Besides “Worst Cooks,” she also appeared on “Iron Chef America,” “Chef Wanted,” “Chopped,” and “House of Knives.”
Burrell was the author of two cookbooks: “Cook Like a Rock Star” — a New York Times bestseller — and “Own Your Kitchen: Recipes to Inspire and Empower.”
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
