Rachael Ray, Anne Burrell's bridesmaid, remembers Food Network star
Food Network star and celebrity chef Anne Burrell's death has saddened her fans, friends and peers, including Burrell's own bridesmaid Rachael Ray, who is mourning the loss of her close friend.
The TV personality and former "Rachel Ray Show" host took to social media one day after Burrell's July 17 death to tell fans that "the news about Anne has truly shaken us," adding that her husband "John (Cusimano) and I are heartbroken."
Ray was a bridesmaid during Burrell's 2021 fall-themed wedding to Stuart Claxton. The celebrity chef expressed that she "can't quite believe" the news and praised her friend in the post. She called Burrell "a strong, vibrant, fearless woman," who was "so full of life and love" and "gone so soon."
Burrell, known for her buoyant personality on numerous Food Network appearances including as host of "Worst Cooks," died earlier this week at her home in New York, the Food Network confirmed. A cause was not disclosed and is currently under investigation by the city's Office of the Medical Examiner.
The "Worst Cooks in America" franchise star's sudden death sent shockwaves through the tight-knit culinary fan community and shook her fellow celebrities including Bobby Flay, Gigi Hadid, Tyler Florence and Carla Hall.
"Anne was a rockstar! I came to know her well through multiple seasons of 'Worst Cooks' on Food Network, and she became so much more than a colleague," Ray wrote. "Anne honored me by asking me to be her bridesmaid, something I'd only done once before for my sister."
Ray, who is not a trained chef, said that "despite being surrounded by incredible chefs, she never once made me feel self-conscious about not being one — she always treated me as one of the gang."
"When we hosted Worst Cooks together, we had the most incredible laughs. She even cooked for me and my guests at my wedding anniversary in Italy," Ray said. "I'll never forget walking into our dressing rooms at Food Network studios early in the morning and hearing her blasting the song of the moment down the hall."
Ray concluded the caption: "I'll miss her friendship deeply. Everyone whose life she touched will miss her. Sending love to Stuart and everyone who knew and loved Anne. We've lost someone truly special."
Contributing: Brendan Morrow, Kelly Lawler
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Anne Burrell's death under investigation as possible drug overdose: report
New details of Food Network star Anne Burrell's shocking passing have emerged. The New York Police Department is reportedly investigating Burrell's sudden death as a possible drug overdose, according to a document viewed by The New York Times on Friday. The internal document reportedly said that Burrell was 'discovered in the shower unconscious and unresponsive surrounded by approximately (100) assorted pills.' The New York Police Department is reportedly investigating Burrell's sudden death as a possible drug overdose. Getty Images for DuJour A spokesperson for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner also confirmed on Friday that Burrell's autopsy had been completed, but any findings connected to the cause and manner of her death were still pending. On Thursday, as the NYPD continued to investigate Burrell's sudden and unexplained death, sources told The Post that the Food Network host's body had been discovered next to dozens of pills inside her Brooklyn home. Burrell, who was perhaps most popular for hosting the Food Network shows 'Worst Cooks in America' and 'Secrets of a Restaurant Chef,' passed away on Tuesday, June 17, at the age of 55. Her loved ones were the first to confirm the shocking news in a statement that afternoon. 'Anne was a beloved wife, sister, daughter, stepmother, and friend – her smile lit up every room she entered,' Burrell's family said. 'Anne's light radiated far beyond those she knew, touching millions across the world,' they added. 'Though she is no longer with us, her warmth, spirit, and boundless love remain eternal.'
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Anne Burrell Shared Possible New Career Plans After Stepping Back from 'Worst Cooks' Shortly Before Death
Anne Burrell appeared on the March 13 episode of Tori Spelling's misSPELLING podcast Burrell said she felt she had "more to do" in her life beyond her culinary and TV careers The late chef shared that she had begun taking an improv class and was "excited" about the experienceAnne Burrell was exploring new creative paths shortly before her sudden death. In a March 13 episode of Tori Spelling's misSPELLING podcast, the celebrity chef addressed stepping away from her longtime Food Network gig as a mentor on Worst Cooks in America. 'I can cook, yes, I can do TV, but also, what else? I've got more to do in my life, I feel like,' she told Spelling. 'Interestingly, I just started taking acting classes," Burrell shared. "It's like, an improv for actors class. I got there and it's like, eight people in the class. I'm the oldest one. Every other person is like, 'Oh, I have a master's in fine arts in theater.' ' Spelling was encouraging, even as Burrell voiced her doubts, admitting that she was "just dipping my toe" into the artistic outlet but felt "very excited" about the experience. 'I'm like, 'Okay, I've never taken an acting class. I don't know, this is new to me.' I wonder if these delightful and super-talented kids look at me and they're like, 'What's this old lady doing here?'' she said with a laugh. Burrell got her start on Food Network as Mario Batali's sous chef on Iron Chef. She appeared on many other programs on the network, but was a mainstay on Worst Cooks. The New York native served as a mentor on the cooking competition show for 27 seasons, from 2010 to 2024. Each season, Burrell mentored the Blue Team, while another famous chef — names like Bobby Flay, Rachael Ray, Tyler Florence, Alex Guarnaschelli and more— captained the opposing Red Team. The goal was to put their group of "worst cooks in America" through culinary boot camp, with one team ultimately winning the final challenge: cooking a restaurant-quality, three-course meal for three professional food critics. Burrell's team won 15 of her 27 seasons. However, for the most recent season, which aired from January to February of 2025, Burrell stepped away from the show, and Antonia Lofaso took the reins for the Blue Team. Burrell kept things vague when Spelling asked about a possible Worst Cooks return in the future, noting that she was exploring new possibilities. 'I've got a few other things that I'm working on as well, which I'm not quite ready to share yet," she said. "Hopefully, exciting things [are] coming.' On the podcast, Burrell also opened up about meeting husband Stuart Claxton on Bumble after deciding to finally try out dating apps in her late 40s. "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 said of finding love later in life. In her 20s and 30s, she said, "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. But I just started to feel like, all right, you're getting a little old to keep on doing this." She and Claxton tied the knot on Oct. 16, 2021, and she became a stepmother to his 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." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Burrell died on the morning of Tuesday, June 17, at her home in Brooklyn, N.Y. She was 55. She is survived by Claxton and Javier, as well as her mother, Marlene, and sister, Jane, plus Jane's children Isabella, Amelia and Nicolas and her brother, Ben. "Anne was a beloved wife, sister, daughter, stepmother, and friend — her smile lit up every room she entered," her family said in a statement. "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." Read the original article on People
New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
At a Memorial for Anne Burrell, a Karaoke Tribute to Her Bold Style
As friends, relatives and colleagues filed into a memorial service for the Food Network host Anne Burrell in Manhattan on Friday afternoon, they noticed that somebody had placed on each chair a sheet of Billy Joel's lyrics to 'Only the Good Die Young.' At the end of the event, they learned why. Ms. Burrell's husband, Stuart Claxton, urged them to 'give her a big send-off' in a karaoke-style singalong joined by Food Network executives and hosts including Scott Conant, Amanda Freitag, Marc Forgione and Geoffrey Zakarian. 'We've got one shot at this, so let's make it count,' Mr. Claxton said as the opening lines flashed on two large screens on either side of the closed coffin in the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel on the Upper East Side. The city's medical examiner has not yet determined a cause of death for Ms. Burrell, who was found unresponsive in the shower at her Brooklyn home on Tuesday morning. According to an internal document viewed by The New York Times, Ms. Burrell, who was 55, was 'surrounded by approximately (100) assorted pills.' Emergency medical workers who responded to a 911 call pronounced her dead at the scene. But any clouds of mystery were determinedly kept at bay during the service, which was a celebration of a woman who, by all accounts, rarely passed up an occasion to celebrate. She had spent the night before she died performing at an improv club in Brooklyn. Her manager, Scott Feldman, recalled that Ms. Burrell invariably introduced him as 'my dad' when he went out with her in the evenings. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
