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Food Network’s Worst Cooks in America honored late mentor Anne Burrell following her shocking death.
At the end of the season 29 premiere, which aired on Monday, July 28, the show shared a photo of Burrell along with a dedication to the late chef that read, “In Memoriam, Anne Burrell, 1969-2025.” A crisis hotline was also added.
Burrell starred on nearly every season of the hit Food Network series, except for season 28, serving as a mentor to amateur cooks hoping to become capable chefs. She previously rose to stardom for her work as Mario Batali’s sous chef on Iron Chef America in 2005 and appeared on Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, which premiered in 2008 and ran for nine seasons.
“I feel that your food knows how you’re feeling when you cook it and it reacts accordingly. I like to put happy and joy into my food, and it’s not so serious,” Burrell told the Tasting Table in April. “I teach the worst cooks in the world. I mean, you got to know how to do that. So, to me, I want to express to people, ‘Take the fear factor out of it and put the fun factor in.’”
After filming season 29 alongside Gabriele Bertaccini, Burrell died in her Brooklyn home in June. According to the New York City Police Department, Burrell was pronounced dead “at the scene” after authorities responded to a 911 call, which led to the discovery of “an unconscious and unresponsive” 55-year-old female.
Us Weekly confirmed on Thursday, July 24, that Burrell died by suicide. Burrell is survived by her mother, Marlene, and her sister, Jane, along with her husband, Stuart Claxton, and his son, Javier.
Burrell’s loved ones released a statement in her honor earlier this month as news of her death made headlines.
“Anne was a beloved wife, sister, daughter, stepmother, and friend — her smile lit up every room she entered,” their statement read. “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.”
Food Network later paid tribute to Burrell in a separate statement, which read, “We are deeply saddened to share the news that beloved chef, Anne Burrell, passed away this morning. Anne was a remarkable person and culinary talent — teaching, competing and always sharing the importance of food in her life and the joy that a delicious meal can bring. Our thoughts are with Anne’s family, friends and fans during this time of tremendous loss.”
Burrell’s former costar Bertaccini, 39, has since detailed one of his final interactions with Burrell, recalling the gift she gave him before her death.
“It was the finale. Everyone is tired. Weeks and weeks have gone by. We are celebrating the end of the shoot, and I get really sick,” Bertaccini explained in an interview with TV Insider published on Thursday. “I had this cold. I felt like crap. We go through the production meeting, and Anne hands me this card. It said, ‘I hope you feel better.’ In the card, there is this cute little heart that she crocheted. She loved to knit. She would do that while waiting for shooting time. This was relaxing to her.”
He continued: “It was such a beautiful gesture and completely unnecessary. That’s exactly who Anne was. There was no ego or competition. Someone to take a little bit of her time to do something like that for her cohost, it’s special. It’s a great memory that I’ll be taking with me.”
New episodes of Worst Cooks in America air Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on Food Network and are available to stream on HBO Max the following day.
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