# Anne Burrell
**Anne Burrell** (born 1969, Cazenovia, New York; died June 17, 2025) was an American chef, television host, and cookbook author best known as the longtime host of [Food Network](https://www.edgepedia.org/food-network)'s *Worst Cooks in America* and the star of *Secrets of a Restaurant Chef*. Trained at the Culinary Institute of America and in Italy, she built a restaurant career in New York City before a two-decade television career that began as [Mario Batali](https://www.edgepedia.org/mario-batali)'s sous chef on *Iron Chef America*.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born / died | Born 1969 in Cazenovia, New York; died June 17, 2025 at her home in Brooklyn, age 55[1](https://apnews.com/article/0689944f991c7958a70c2cf37aa5f93d) |
| Cause of death | The New York medical examiner determined she died by suicide with acute intoxication[2](https://abcnews.com/culture/story/food-network-chef-anne-burrell-died-suicide-acute/?id=124040384) |
| Education | English and communications degree from Canisius College; Culinary Arts major at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), Hyde Park, class of 1996[3](https://www.ciachef.edu/cia-bios/anne-burrell/) |
| Signature shows | *Secrets of a Restaurant Chef* (nine seasons, from 2008) and *Worst Cooks in America* (host from its 2010 debut through 27 seasons, last appearance 2024)[4](https://www.thedailybeast.com/food-network-star-anne-burrell-dies-at-55/) • [1](https://apnews.com/article/0689944f991c7958a70c2cf37aa5f93d) |
| Restaurants | Sous chef at Felidia, chef at Savoy, executive chef at Lumi and Centro Vinoteca; opened Phil & Anne's Good Time Lounge in 2017[3](https://www.ciachef.edu/cia-bios/anne-burrell/) • [4](https://www.thedailybeast.com/food-network-star-anne-burrell-dies-at-55/) |
| Cookbooks | *Cook Like a Rock Star* (2011), a New York Times bestseller, and *Own Your Kitchen: Recipes to Inspire & Empower* (2013)[5](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2025-06-17/anne-burrell-dead-food-network-worst-cooks-in-america) |
| Competition record | Won the fourth *Chopped All-Stars* Tournament in 2015, donating her $75,000 prize to Breakthrough T1D[3](https://www.ciachef.edu/cia-bios/anne-burrell/) |
## Early life and training
Burrell grew up in upstate New York in the 1970s and developed a love of cooking early, spending time in the kitchen with her mother, whom she remembered as a great cook; her parents ran a flower store in Cazenovia[6](https://www.foodnetwork.com/profiles/talent/anne-burrell?soc=sharepin) • [1](https://apnews.com/article/0689944f991c7958a70c2cf37aa5f93d). She earned a degree in English and communications from Canisius College in Buffalo and first worked in a restaurant while a student there[3](https://www.ciachef.edu/cia-bios/anne-burrell/) • [7](https://www.foodreference.com/html/w613-anne-burrell.html). After a job as a headhunter that she said she hated, she enrolled in the Culinary Institute of America, graduating in 1996 with a Culinary Arts major[1](https://apnews.com/article/0689944f991c7958a70c2cf37aa5f93d) • [3](https://www.ciachef.edu/cia-bios/anne-burrell/).
**Italy.** After graduating she spent a year at the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners, working at La Taverna del Lupo in Umbria and La Bottega del '30, a one-Michelin-star, 30-seat restaurant in Tuscany[3](https://www.ciachef.edu/cia-bios/anne-burrell/) • [7](https://www.foodreference.com/html/w613-anne-burrell.html). She credited her time in Italy with shaping her culinary point of view, a preference for rustic food made with pure, simple ingredients with intense flavors[3](https://www.ciachef.edu/cia-bios/anne-burrell/).
## Restaurant career
Returning to New York City, Burrell was hired as a sous chef at Felidia, working with chef [Lidia Bastianich](https://www.edgepedia.org/lidia-bastianich), and then served as chef at Savoy, where she cooked over an open wood fire[3](https://www.ciachef.edu/cia-bios/anne-burrell/). She became executive chef at Lumi, then special events chef at the Italian Wine Merchants, where she worked for Mario Batali[3](https://www.ciachef.edu/cia-bios/anne-burrell/) • [8](https://www.tvtango.com/news/detail/id/501/exclusive-interview-with-anne-burrell-of-chef-wanted-and-worst-cooks-in-america). In 2007 she became executive chef at Centro Vinoteca in Manhattan's West Village, running its kitchen from the restaurant's July 2007 opening through June 2008[3](https://www.ciachef.edu/cia-bios/anne-burrell/) • [7](https://www.foodreference.com/html/w613-anne-burrell.html). She later opened her own restaurant, Phil & Anne's Good Time Lounge, in 2017; it closed the following year[4](https://www.thedailybeast.com/food-network-star-anne-burrell-dies-at-55/). New York Times food critic [Frank Bruni](https://www.edgepedia.org/frank-bruni) wrote in a 2007 review, "Anytime Anne Burrell gets near hot oil, I want to be around"[1](https://apnews.com/article/0689944f991c7958a70c2cf37aa5f93d).
## Television career
**Iron Chef America.** Burrell began her television career as a sous chef on Food Network's *Iron Chef America*, working beside Mario Batali in roughly 30 battles, a role she took up around 2005[1](https://apnews.com/article/0689944f991c7958a70c2cf37aa5f93d) • [8](https://www.tvtango.com/news/detail/id/501/exclusive-interview-with-anne-burrell-of-chef-wanted-and-worst-cooks-in-america).
**Secrets of a Restaurant Chef.** Her own Food Network debut came as the star of *Secrets of a Restaurant Chef*, which premiered in 2008 and ran for nine seasons; the show aimed to remove the intimidation of restaurant dishes by showing concise, easy-to-master techniques for the home cook[3](https://www.ciachef.edu/cia-bios/anne-burrell/) • [5](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2025-06-17/anne-burrell-dead-food-network-worst-cooks-in-america).
**Worst Cooks in America.** The show with which she was most closely associated debuted in January 2010; its first episode drew four million viewers and made it, at the time, the highest-rated, most-watched night in Food Network history[7](https://www.foodreference.com/html/w613-anne-burrell.html). Burrell and rotating co-hosts led teams of kitchen-challenged contestants through a culinary boot camp, and she remained on the series through 27 seasons, making her last appearance in 2024[1](https://apnews.com/article/0689944f991c7958a70c2cf37aa5f93d). She also hosted *Worst Cooks in America: Celebrity Edition* from its September 2015 premiere[9](https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8179951-food-network-worst-cooks-in-america-2018-celebrity-edition/docs/AnneBurrellBio_1520638025819-454176861.pdf). "If people want to learn, I absolutely love to teach them," she said in 2020[1](https://apnews.com/article/0689944f991c7958a70c2cf37aa5f93d).
**Other appearances.** She competed on *The Next Iron Chef* and *Iron Chef America* and *House of Knives*, won the fourth *Chopped All-Stars* Tournament in 2015, served as a judge on *Chef Wanted with Anne Burrell*, hosted *Vegas Chef Prizefight*, and appeared regularly on *Beat Bobby Flay*, *Chopped*, and *Food Network Star*[7](https://www.foodreference.com/html/w613-anne-burrell.html) • [3](https://www.ciachef.edu/cia-bios/anne-burrell/) • [6](https://www.foodnetwork.com/profiles/talent/anne-burrell?soc=sharepin). Her final television appearances came in spring 2025, including the first season of the competition series *House of Knives* and a *Today* show segment in April making chicken Milanese[1](https://apnews.com/article/0689944f991c7958a70c2cf37aa5f93d).
## Cookbooks and honors
Burrell wrote two cookbooks: *Cook Like a Rock Star*, published in October 2011 and a New York Times bestseller, and *Own Your Kitchen: Recipes to Inspire & Empower*, published in 2013[7](https://www.foodreference.com/html/w613-anne-burrell.html) • [5](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2025-06-17/anne-burrell-dead-food-network-worst-cooks-in-america). Her Chopped All-Stars winnings of $75,000 went to Breakthrough T1D, formerly the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, for which she was a celebrity ambassador in recognition of her nephew Luke, who lives with type 1 diabetes[3](https://www.ciachef.edu/cia-bios/anne-burrell/). She also served on the advisory board of the Garden of Dreams Foundation and worked with the City Harvest Food Council[3](https://www.ciachef.edu/cia-bios/anne-burrell/) • [4](https://www.thedailybeast.com/food-network-star-anne-burrell-dies-at-55/). In 2018 the Culinary Institute of America honored her with an Augie Award[3](https://www.ciachef.edu/cia-bios/anne-burrell/).
## Death
Burrell died on June 17, 2025, at her home in Brooklyn. Police were called before 8 a.m. and found an unresponsive woman who was soon pronounced dead; she was 55[1](https://apnews.com/article/0689944f991c7958a70c2cf37aa5f93d). The New York medical examiner later determined that she had died by suicide with acute intoxication[2](https://abcnews.com/culture/story/food-network-chef-anne-burrell-died-suicide-acute/?id=124040384). Food Network confirmed the death and paid tribute to her as "a remarkable person and culinary talent"[1](https://apnews.com/article/0689944f991c7958a70c2cf37aa5f93d). A final season of *Worst Cooks in America* featuring Burrell, subtitled *[Talented & Terrible](https://www.edgepedia.org/worst-cooks-in-america-season-29)*, premiered on Food Network in July 2025[10](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/pressrepublican.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/3/69/369a08d9-dcc0-4f90-b8e5-9f2f3c3dd0e0/6883fff0379d6.pdf.pdf).
She is survived by her husband, Stuart Claxton, whom she married in 2021 after the two connected on the dating app Bumble in 2018; his son; her mother; and her two siblings[1](https://apnews.com/article/0689944f991c7958a70c2cf37aa5f93d) • [4](https://www.thedailybeast.com/food-network-star-anne-burrell-dies-at-55/).
## References
1. [Anne Burrell, TV chef who coached the 'Worst Cooks in America,' dies at 55, Associated Press](https://apnews.com/article/0689944f991c7958a70c2cf37aa5f93d)
2. [Food Network chef Anne Burrell died by suicide, acute intoxication, medical examiner confirms, ABC News](https://abcnews.com/culture/story/food-network-chef-anne-burrell-died-suicide-acute/?id=124040384)
3. [Anne Burrell '96, CIA Alumni Bio, Culinary Institute of America](https://www.ciachef.edu/cia-bios/anne-burrell/)
4. ['Iron Chef America' Star Dies Suddenly at 55, The Daily Beast](https://www.thedailybeast.com/food-network-star-anne-burrell-dies-at-55/)
5. [Anne Burrell, Food Network star and 'Worst Cooks in America' host, dies at 55, Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2025-06-17/anne-burrell-dead-food-network-worst-cooks-in-america)
6. [All About Anne Burrell, Food Network](https://www.foodnetwork.com/profiles/talent/anne-burrell?soc=sharepin)
7. [Chef Anne Burrell: Who's Who in the World of Food, FoodReference.com](https://www.foodreference.com/html/w613-anne-burrell.html)
8. [Exclusive Interview with Anne Burrell of Chef Wanted and Worst Cooks in America, TV Tango](https://www.tvtango.com/news/detail/id/501/exclusive-interview-with-anne-burrell-of-chef-wanted-and-worst-cooks-in-america)
9. [Anne Burrell biography, Food Network press materials (2018)](https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8179951-food-network-worst-cooks-in-america-2018-celebrity-edition/docs/AnneBurrellBio_1520638025819-454176861.pdf)
10. ['Worst Cooks in America' bids farewell to Anne Burrell, Press-Republican](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/pressrepublican.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/3/69/369a08d9-dcc0-4f90-b8e5-9f2f3c3dd0e0/6883fff0379d6.pdf.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Food, customs, and everyday culture › Food, cooking and hospitality › Restaurants, chefs, and culinary practice › Chefs, culinary professions, and hospitality › Television and celebrity chefs › American television chefs*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license