Anne Burrell, star of Worst Cooks in America and one of the most prominent celebrity chefs appearing on Food Network, passed away aged 55 on June 17th 2025.
Tributes have since poured in for the late TV star, with a family statement reading: “Her smile lit up every room she entered.
“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.”
Gabe Bertaccini, her Worst Cooks in America co-host, said: “We really bonded over food, about my journey, my story. I remember she was so engaged in who I was, where I was from.
“And I really saw a side of Anne that, because until then I just saw her on TV, so I saw a side of Anne that was so human and so interested and so inquisitive, and just smart and quick and fun and witty. She was exactly who you see on TV.
“It doesn't matter if you met her right now or 10 years ago, she was equally generous with her knowledge, her time.”
Burrell leaves behind a lasting legacy and an unfillable hole in Food Network’s star lineup, but fans have been unhappy with the broadcaster’s own tribute to the chef since her untimely passing.
"As a tribute to Anne Burrell, we’ll be celebrating her with a special selection of episodes that will highlight her extraordinary talent as a chef, competitor, and teacher,” said a Food Network Instagram post. “Tune in on Wednesday, June 25 beginning at 10pm ET/PT."
The post then offered details for the forthcoming season of Worst Cooks in America which features Burrell.
Fans wasted no time in sharing their thoughts on what they deemed to be an ill-fitting tribute to one of the network’s biggest stars.
"I’m surprised you guys haven’t been playing reruns since this happened,” said one comment. “She definitely deserves a better time slot than 10 PM.”.
"10 PM? That's no good,” said another. “Please give Chef Anne the celebration she deserves.”
"10 PM feels a bit disrespectful," chimed another disgruntled fan.
Some deemed the tribute window to be too short: "Anne Burrell deserves a full week not just a day. She was one of a kind and she should be remembered properly."
"To be honest you could run a marathon of Chef Anne moments all week long,” added another. “I’ve been a faithful Food Network fan for 20 years and this sucks.”
FOODBible has approached Food Network for comment.
Featured Image Credit: Gustavo Caballero / Staff/Getty ImagesTopics: Celebrity, TV and Film, News
Rachael Davis