Anne Burrell, the Food Network darling and Worst Cooks in America host, has died. She was 55.
Burrell died in her New York home Tuesday morning, her family confirmed in a statement to People.
“Anne was a beloved wife, sister, daughter, stepmother, and friend — her smile lit up every room she entered,” her family said. “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.”
In 1996, she graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and went on to study at the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners in Asti, Italy. Burrell continued to work as a chef in Italy before returning to the States to work as a sous chef at celebrity chef Lidia Bastianich’s Felidia.
Burrell made her TV debut in 2005 on The Next Iron Chef. From there, she went on to appear in numerous Food Network programs, including her first hosting gig with 2008’s Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, which ran until 2012.
The first season of Worst Cooks in America debuted in 2010, and she hosted alongside Beau MacMillan. Burrell was a part of the series for 27 seasons, becoming a mainstay Food Network personality.
Additional programs she’s appeared in on the network include Chopped, Celebrity Food Fight, Cutthroat Kitchen, Cooks vs. Cons, Food Network Star, The Kitchen, Beat Bobby Flay, Wildcard Kitchen and House of Knives.
Survivors include her husband, Stuart Claxton; her step-son, Javier; her mother Marlene; and her sister, Jane.
