Anne Burrell, a well-known television chef and longtime mentor on the cooking show Worst Cooks in America, passed away Tuesday at the age of 55 at her home in New York.
The network where she launched her television career confirmed her death. The cause has not yet been determined, and an autopsy will be conducted, according to officials. Police were called to the residence shortly before 8:00 a.m., where they found an unresponsive woman who was later pronounced dead. Public records link the address to Burrell.
Burrell had a television career spanning over two decades, appearing on shows such as Iron Chef America, House of Knives, and the Today show. She was admired for her bold but approachable cooking style and her signature platinum-blonde hairstyle.
From 2010 to 2024, she appeared in 27 seasons of Worst Cooks in America, where she helped contestants with limited cooking experience develop their skills. In a previous interview, Burrell said, “If people want to learn, I absolutely love to teach them.”
Born on September 21, 1969, in Cazenovia, New York, Burrell was raised by parents who owned a flower shop. After earning a degree in English and communications, she decided to pursue her passion for food. She graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 1996, later completing additional culinary training in Italy. She went on to work in several top restaurants in New York City before focusing on television.
In addition to her media career, Burrell authored two cookbooks and supported several charitable initiatives, including food banks and juvenile diabetes awareness.
She is survived by her husband, Stuart Claxton, whom she married in 2021, his son, her mother, and her two siblings.
In a statement, her family said, “Anne’s light reached far beyond those who knew her personally, touching millions of lives around the world.”
