Anne Burrell talked about marital bliss and appearing on Meghan Markle’s show in heartbreaking interview weeks before Food Network star’s shock death at 55

Food Network star Anne Burrell talked about her joy at married life as she approached her fourth wedding anniversary just weeks before her shock death.

The beloved TV chef – who became synonymous with her trademark spiky platinum hair – died on Tuesday morning at her home in Brooklyn, New York. She was 55.

Burrell is survived by her husband Stuart Claxton, whom she wed in October 2021 in an autumn-themed ceremony and reception in her hometown of Cazenovia, New York.

In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail in April, she talked animatedly about how much she was enjoying married life, claiming it was so easy that she felt they were still in the honeymoon phase, and also joked about plans to star on Meghan Markle’s Netflix show.

‘October will be four years,’ she said at the City Harvest gala. ‘It seems like it’s been four minutes. I don’t know if it’s a honeymoon [phase], but I feel like it’s settled into married life days which I really enjoy.’

She also revealed how she would make scones for her husband as she discussed Markle’s show.

Food Network star Anne Burrell talked about her joy at married life as she approached her fourth wedding anniversary just weeks before her shock death 

The beloved TV chef – who became synonymous with her trademark spiky platinum hair – died on Tuesday morning at her home in Brooklyn, New York. She was 55

‘Sure, of course. I’d go to the opening of an envelope. Why not cook with Meghan?’ she laughed after being asked if she would want to be a guest.

She disclosed that she had not tried Markle’s controversial As Ever jam.

‘I’m not really a jam girl,’ she said. ‘Occasionally I make them for my husband. I make scones and we have jam then. Other than that, I wouldn’t say I’m super jammy.’

Burrell, best known for starring on the show Worst Cooks in America, frequently shared pictures of her husband and their family – he has a son Javier from a previous relationship – on her Instagram.

In May she posted a video of Claxton smiling as their cat licked his hair. ‘I LOVE this SO much!!!! But I am also WILDLY jelly… I’m about to get the squeezy treats,’ she captioned the clip, adding the hash tag ‘the Claxtons’.

In February, she posted a picture of them both at dinner with a friend at New York celebrity hotspot the Corner Store. ‘A delightful and delicious dinner @thecornerstore with my two favorite guys!! @stuartclaxton and @markymeat,’ she wrote.

Burrell’s family confirmed the devastating news of her death in an emotional statement on Tuesday.

‘Anne was a beloved wife, sister, daughter, stepmother, and friend — her smile lit up every room she entered,’ her family said in a statement.

‘October will be four years,’ she told the Daily Mail in April. ‘It seems like it’s been four minutes. I don’t know if it’s a honeymoon [phase], but I feel like it’s settled into married life days which I really enjoy’

She also revealed how she would make scones for her husband as she discussed Meghan Markle’s Netflix show

‘Sure, of course. I’d go to the opening of an envelope. Why not cook with Meghan?’ she laughed after being asked if she would want to be a guest 

‘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.’

Law enforcement told People that officers from NYPD’s 76th Precinct responded to a call about ‘an unconscious and unresponsive 55-year-old female’ at 7:50 a.m. EST on Tuesday.

Once Emergency Medical Services (EMS) arrived, they ‘pronounced [Burrell] deceased on scene.’

NY Chief Medical Examiner confirmed Burrell’s body will be autopsied to find out her cause of death.

Tributes soon flooded in, with Gigi Hadid, who famously appeared on the cooking competition series Beat Bobby Flay with Burrell, hailing her a ‘legend’.

‘I am heartbroken to hear of the loss of the Great Anne Burrell,’ the supermodel, 30, wrote alongside a photo of them on the reality show in 2023.

‘As a longtime fan, getting to share this day with her was a dream come true. Beat Bobby. Hang. Eat.

NY Chief Medical Examiner confirmed Burrell’s body will be autopsied to find out her cause of death (pictured in 2022) 

Gigi Hadid, who famously appeared on the cooking competition series Beat Bobby Flay with Burrell, led the celebrities expressing their heartbreak over Burrell’s death

‘I wish we could have done it again. She was awesome. Rest in Peace Legend.’

Queer Eye for the Straight Guy star Carson Kressley, who was a close friend of Burrell’s, revealed that he spoke to her just days before her death.

‘Rest easy, Chef Anne,’ he wrote alongside a photo of them. ‘I’m so blessed I was able to work with you, learn from you, laugh with you. So many memories – on screen and off – I cherish this photo of us living our best lives, as the kids say.

‘Anne loved this photo of us so I know she’d be happy I chose this one.’ 

Burrell, who had been taking improv classes in the weeks before her death, developed a passion for cooking at a young age, inspired by her mother’s home-cooked meals and by watching food icon Julia Child on television.

After earning a degree in English and Communications from Canisius College in Buffalo in 1991, she followed her culinary dreams and enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, graduating in 1996.

She worked at a whole host of New York City hotspots including Felidia and Savoy in Soho, where she honed her craft in Mediterranean cuisine.

She was later thrust into the spotlight and became best known as the longtime host of Worst Cooks in America.

The show, which ran for 28 seasons, saw celebrated chefs mentor amateur cooks in an attempt to transform them from rookies to kitchen experts.

She also appeared on Chef Wanted, Chopped, Food Network Star, and most recently, competition series House of Knives – which premiered in March this year – and  penned two of her own cookbooks: Cook Like a Rock Star and Own Your Kitchen: Recipes to Inspire & Empower.