Anne Burrell, co-host of Worst Cooks in America on Food Network, passed away aged 55 on June 17th 2025.
Burrel was found unconscious at her home in Brooklyn, New York, and a cause of death has not yet been determined.
Paying tribute to the 'beloved wife, sister, daughter, stepmother, and friend', a family statement read: “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.”
With her final season of Worst Cooks in America already filmed, it will air posthumously from July 28th on Food Network.
The show, which Burrell co-hosted with Gabe Bertaccini, follows the two celebrity chefs as they lead team of amateurs in various cooking contests. An amateur ‘recruit’ is eliminated by the end of each episode, with the last person standing being crowned champion and receiving $25,000 (£18,362) in prize money.
Burrell co-hosted the show since its 2010 inception. Bertaccini, speaking with People, said she remained ‘so invested in it’. “It was her baby,” he said. “She wasn’t there for the paycheck.”
He continued: “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.”
Bertaccini added that her influence had been essential to his own blossoming as a TV host on the show, saying that he was ‘shaking’ on his first day until Burrell's passion for teaching cooled his nerves.
“It wasn't a co-hosting job, it was mostly like you are on a ride with Anne,” said. “And it was fun.
“One thing that I have to say, the love, the authentic love that she had for the contestants, for the cooks, the love that she had to really teach them. She was there to teach them how to cook, it wasn't just a show," he said.
At present it’s unclear whether Worst Cooks in America will continue past this final season with Burrell, airing from July 28th on Food Network, but the show nevertheless stands testament to her passion and the positive influence she’s had on so many other chefs.
Featured Image Credit: Santiago Felipe / Contributor/Getty ImagesTopics: TV and Film, US Food, Celebrity
Rachael Davis