Anne Burrell, the chef known for her signature spiky platinum hair, died Tuesday, June 17, at her home in Brooklyn, N.Y. She was 55.
People magazine reported that she is survived by her husband, Stuart Claxton, whom she married Oct. 16, 2021, and his son, Javier; her mother, Marlene; her sister Jane; her 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,” Burrell’s family said in a statement. “Anne’s light radiated far beyond those she knew, touching millions across the world.”
A favorite on the Food Network, Burrell was known as the longtime host of “Worst Cooks in America.”
Burrell was born Sept. 21, 1969, in Cazenovia, N.Y.
She studied English and communication at Canisius College in Buffalo before pursuing a culinary career at the Culinary Institute of America, where she graduated in 1996. Her cooking style was inspired by her mother’s meals and television icon Julia Child.
Burrell’s love of Italian cuisine led her to the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners, where she completed apprenticeships and developed an appreciation for the philosophies of Italian cooking. She later worked at Felidia in New York City under Lidia Bastianich and the Savoy in Soho.
In the early 2000s, Burrell transitioned into teaching at the Institute of Culinary Education and made her way to television.
Food Network audiences first met Burrell as a sous chef on “Iron Chef America” and her own show, “Secrets of a Restaurant Chef,” which premiered in 2008 and ran for nine seasons.
From there, Burrell became a Food Network regular, also appearing on “Chef Wanted,” “Chopped,” “Food Network Star,” and most recently, the competition series, “House of Knives,” which premiered in March 2025.
Burrell wrote two cookbooks: 2011’s “Cook Like a Rock Star” and “Own Your Kitchen: Recipes to Inspire and Empower.”
Outside the kitchen, she was committed to philanthropy. She served on the advisory board of the Garden of Dreams Foundation, was a celebrity ambassador for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and was a member of City Harvest’s Food Council.
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