Anne Burrell Reveals 5 Game-Changing Cooking Hacks You’ll Use Tonight

Celebrity chef Anne Burrell, best known as the exuberant host of Food Network’s “Worst Cooks in America,” has died at age 55, her family confirmed Tuesday afternoon in a statement that praised her “warmth, spirit and boundless love.” According to representatives, Burrell passed away Tuesday morning at her home in Brooklyn, New York. A cause of death was not released at press time, and loved ones have asked for privacy while “celebrating the extraordinary life she lived.” A native of Cazenovia, N.Y., Burrell discovered cooking early, inspired by her mother’s meals and TV legend Julia Child. After earning her degree from the Culinary Institute of America in 1996, she sharpened her craft in Italy, then returned to New York to work under Lidia Bastianich at Felidia and at Savoy in SoHo. Her fearless flavors and trademark spiky platinum hair quickly made her a standout in the city’s competitive restaurant scene. Television stardom followed when Burrell appeared as Mario Batali’s sous-chef on “Iron Chef America.” In 2008, she landed her own Emmy-nominated series, “Secrets of a Restaurant Chef,” and later co-created “Chef Wanted with Anne Burrell.” But it was “Worst Cooks in America,” which she hosted for more than 25 seasons, that turned her into a household name. Viewers loved her big laugh, straight-talk coaching style and unshakeable belief that even culinary disasters could learn to “cook like rock stars.” Burrell parlayed her on-air success into two bestselling cookbooks—“Cook Like a Rock Star” (2011) and “Own Your Kitchen” (2013)—as well as countless appearances at food festivals, charity galas and culinary schools nationwide. Most recently she debuted as a judge on the knife-skills competition “House of Knives,” which premiered in March 2025, underscoring her enduring influence on food TV. Beyond the spotlight, Burrell served on the advisory board of the Garden of Dreams Foundation and was a longtime ambassador for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and City Harvest’s Food Council. Colleagues credit her for mentoring dozens of young chefs and for championing women in professional kitchens. Tributes flooded social media within minutes of the news. Fellow Food Network star Bobby Flay tweeted, “Heartbroken to lose my friend Anne Burrell. The culinary world is dimmer without her fire.” Chef Alex Guarnaschelli called her “a force of nature whose joy for food—and life—was contagious.” Hundreds of former “Worst Cooks” contestants posted memories of Burrell’s pep talks, with many saying she changed their relationship to cooking forever. Burrell is survived by her husband, media executive Stuart Claxton, whom she married in a lakeside ceremony near her hometown in 2021, as well as her stepson Javier, her mother Marlene, sister Jane, and brothers Ben and Michael. “I have to say, I love being married,” she told PEOPLE at a 2023 City Harvest gala, adding that she and Claxton thrived on “adventure together.” A public memorial service is expected to be announced in the coming days. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to City Harvest, reflecting Burrell’s lifelong commitment to feeding New Yorkers in need. With her unmistakable hair, infectious cackle and ready-for-anything attitude, Anne Burrell turned kitchen intimidation into empowerment. Her legacy will live on every time a nervous home cook reaches for a whisk, hears her rallying cry—“Brown food tastes good!”—and finds the confidence to own the stove.