Entertainment
Food Network Star Dies at 55
Anne Burrell, the limitlessly talented cook and “Food Network” host who rose on fame training some of the most poorly performing chefs to compete on TV, died at 55, her family announced.
The beloved chef, whose flair for the dramatic was part and parcel of her work in the kitchen, passed away on Tuesday morning at her home in Brooklyn, New York, their statement said. No cause of death was mentioned.
“Though she is no longer with us, her warmth, spirit, and boundless love remain eternal,” read the note by Burrell’s family.
“Anne was a beloved wife, sister, daughter, stepmother, and friend — her smile lit up every room she entered,” it goes on. “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.”
Burrell was a fan favorite on “Worst Cooks in America” and easy to spot in an undulating sea of white chef uniforms crisscrossing the studio cooking set. Her trademark white, spiky hair only hardened her image as a chef willing to take risks and make hard choices.
In addition, her signature laugh was a constant presence in the background as she urged her terrible contestants to try their best.
Born on Sept. 21, 1969, in Cazenovia, New York, Burrell grew up by the side of her mother, who taught her how to prepare some of the family’s best-kept recipes and home-cooked meals, according to People.
She graduated from Canisius College in Buffalo with a degree in English and Communications before transitioning back to her first passion. She landed a spot at the Culinary Institute of America where she received her degree in 1996.
Known for her devotion to Italian cuisine, she later arrived in Italy to attend the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners, completing apprenticeships while harnessing the lessons she learned to return statewide with a well-founded philosophy guiding her into roles as executive chef at some of the country’s top restaurants.
She worked at both Felidia under Lidia Bastianich and Savoy, both of New York, with the latter known for its exceptional Mediterranean fare.
For a brief time, Burrell taught at the Institute of Culinary Education in the early 2000s. She landed her first role at Food Network after winning recognition as a contestant on the generationally popular “Iron Chef” program.
She became a mainstay in 2008, launching “Secrets of a Restaurant Chef” and winning an Emmy Award for her perseverance.
Her dexterity and comfort in front of the camera allowed Burrell to move horizontally across the network, slotting in to host or make guest appearances on “Chef Wanted,” “Chopped,” and “Food Network Star.” She had just begun participating in one of the network’s newest shows, “House of Knives,” which launched in March 2025.
The Brooklyn native was fond of repeating her tagline on TV: “I feel so lucky to be able to share my true passion in life with others.”
Outside the kitchen, she was a frequent philanthropist, raising funds for the Garden of Dreams Foundation, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and advising the City Harvest’s Food Council for New York.
She is survived by her husband Stuart Claxton, whom she married in 2021.
