Anne Burrell, Food Network star and host of 'Worst Cooks in America,' dies at 55
Anne Burrell, a Food Network star and frequent TODAY guest known as much for her platinum blond hair and signature wit as her talent in the kitchen, has died at age 55.
Burrell died Tuesday at her home at her home in Brooklyn, her team said in a statement.
'With her trademark spiky blonde hair and sparkling personality, Anne Burrell was the hugely popular and fan favorite host of Food Network's hit show, 'Worst Cooks in America,'' the statement said. 'Burrell was an industry veteran and passionate teacher who prided herself on her work in the culinary world.'
A cause of death was not provided.
Her family called Burrell 'a beloved wife, sister, daughter, stepmother, and friend' in a statement, adding that her '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,' they said.
Burrell was a staple of the Food Network for two decades. A former teacher at the Institute of Culinary Education, she started her TV career by appearing as a sous chef on 'Iron Chef America' in 2005 and later launched her own show, the Emmy-nominated 'Secrets of a Restaurant Chef,' which aired from 2008 until 2012.
She appeared regularly on 'Chef Wanted,' 'Chopped,' 'Food Network Star' and others programs before she began hosting 'Worst Cooks in America' in 2010.
She recently competed on Food Network's 'House of Knives,' which premiered in March 2025.
'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,' says a Food Network spokesperson. 'Our thoughts are with Anne's family, friends and fans during this time of tremendous loss.'
Burrell also wrote two bestselling cookbooks, 'Cook Like a Rock Star' and 'Own Your Kitchen: Recipes to Inspire and Empower.'
She is survived by her husband Stuart Claxton, whom she married in 2021, and his son, Javier, along with her mother, Marlene, sister Jane and brother Ben.
Throughout her culinary journey, she often said, 'I feel so lucky to be able to share my true passion in life with others.'
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'From when I was a kid, I don't know why, but I always was like, I am not getting married until I feel like I have something in life to share — until I have accomplished stuff,' she shared. In a bittersweet twist, Burrell had recently appeared on Tori Spelling 's misSPELLING podcast, where she reflected on meeting her husband Stuart Claxton later in life—after living what she called 'the rock star chef life' In her 20s and 30s, Burrell sai dshe embraced the whirlwind of her culinary rise. 'I was living my best life! I was like, living the rock star chef life. I was working a lot, and I had a great social life,' she said. But over time, her priorities began to shift. 'I just started to feel like, all right, you're getting a little old to keep on doing this,' she added, reflecting on what led her to seek something more grounded. That turning point eventually led her to Claxton, whom she married on Oct. 16, 2021. With the marriage, she also stepped into a new role—becoming a stepmother to Claxton's 22-year-old son, Javier. 'Kids were never on my radar, really,' the chef admitted. 'I love being an aunt. I have nieces and nephews. So I'm like, [being a stepmom] is the perfect amount of parenting for me.' The resrufaced interview comes after Burrell's friend and chef Elizabeth Falkner claimed that Burrell was in 'pretty decent shape' when she last saw her on June 9 at dinner in New York City. In an exclusive interview with Daily Mail, Falkner, 59, revealed, 'I think Anne looks like she's in pretty decent shape these days, so it's kind of surprising to me.' Not being able to comment specifically on any health issues, if any, she might've battled before her death, she did find her passing 'so sudden and shocking.' 'I know it is very personal to me what happened, and I can't believe somebody even younger than me has just passed away. It's close to home for all of us,' she said. 'The culinary family is like family, so this hurts a lot of us. We just all feel it.' The shock comes from seeing her a few days ago at an intimate dinner she hosted - which she of course was the chef for the 'fun night' - at Soho House on June 9. 'I've seen [her] over all these years, not just on television competitions and shows, but at different parties and events and stuff, and we've always been friendly. 'But just in the last month we've been texting. I said, "Come to my dinner at Soho House, it'll be great to see you." And she brought her husband and we just had such a good time,' she shared about how the famous chefs reconnected. 'It was just so sweet. So this is just really so sudden and shocking.' Burrell even texted her the following day on June 10 to let her know that she and her husband, Stuart Claxton, had a great time. 'She's like, "Thanks so much for inviting us. It was a truly lovely time and very delicious. Please send me some pics so I can post." Falkner paid tribute to Anne on her Instagram after hearing about the shocking news 'And I said, "It was so great to see you, Anne."' The pals even made a pact to 'talk more often.' 'We were like, "Let's just make a point of talking and texting more often,"' Falkner shared, while noting that she is 'very grateful' to have had a special night with the beloved chef and other guests last week. 'I'm just bummed. I feel like [our friendship] just got cut really short fast,' she added. The Worst Cooks in America alum spoke highly about being a mother. 'When she came to the dinner at Soho House, she said that she was very much enjoying being a stepmother,' Falkner said, referring to the star's stepson Javier, 20. 'And her husband's so sweet. She just seemed to be in such a good place. That's the best way for me to describe it. Because being a chef and being a television personality is two major full-time jobs, but enjoying your life outside of that can be challenging. And I think she was definitely enjoying her life outside of that whole world of the networks and all that stuff.' Burrell spoke exclusively with Daily Mail back in April about marital bliss. Her and Stuart got married in 2021 after meeting on a dating app in 2018. 'October will be four years,' she said at the City Harvest gala. 'It seems like it's been four minutes. I don't know if it's a honeymoon [phase], but I feel like it's settled into married life days which I really enjoy.' Falkner told Daily Mail, 'I'm just bummed. I feel like [our friendship] just got cut really short fast' (pictured is an exclusive photo of Falkner with her pal at Burrell's former Brooklyn restaurant, Phil And Anne's Good Time Lounge, shared with Daily Mail) Falkner, who appeared on cooking shows like Iron Chef and Top Chef, recalled meeting Burrell's husband before they got married in 2021. 'I randomly saw her in Rome outside of a restaurant, and I was like, "Oh my God, that's Anne Burrell walking by!" And we said hey and stuff,' Falkner revealed, noting that she and Stuart were on a 'pre-wedding trip.' Describing her passing 'really unfortunate,' 'so sad,' 'unexpected' and even 'tragic,' Falkner believes Burrell's death is a huge loss to the restaurant community since everyone involved is 'another kind of family.' Falkner, herself, said that being a chef is a 'highly stressful job,' but it was something that Burrell mastered throughout her career. 'The thing about Anne Burrell is she wasn't only a TV chef, she was a really good, really good cook, really good chef. She educated a lot of people,' the James Beard Foundation's board of trustees member told Daily Mail. 'I don't even know how she had the patience to do Worst Cooks in America, because I think that would be a challenging show to do patience wise. But she was the real deal. She could cook a lot. She had mad skills. It was always fun watching her cook. I told her I loved watching her on House of Knives.' She added, 'She's one of those people that's kind of intimidating and certainly hardcore as chefs can be. I mean, you kind of have to be that way. It's the only way to teach people how to deal with ingredients and not to mess it up all the time. But she was definitely very sweet... She had a certain kind of sparkle.'
