Food Network star and beloved chef Anne Burrell has died unexpectedly at the age of 55.
Burrell, who was most well-known for her 30 (thirty!) seasons as head of Worst Cooks in America, was found unresponsive the morning of June 17th in her Brooklyn, New York home, and was soon pronounced dead.
The cause of death is still unknown, but Burrell was recently posting about how excited she was about new ventures in her life, including joining an Improv class whose first performance was earlier in the night Burrell passed.
An outpouring of condolences and memories have come from those who loved Burrell, from household name chefs to those who she taught to cook at home.
Mario Batali, to whom Burrell was sous chef on Iron Chef, posted a memorial picture on his Instagram.
Guy Fieri also paid tribute in his Instagram story, saying simply "Rest Easy, Chef."
Bobby Flay thanked her for being in his life, and shared a sweet story about a non-food part of their friendship.
"The greatest gift I got from AB was turning me on to a world of Marine Coon Cats (including Nacho)... a gift that I'll have forever. #unforgettable."
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Rachel Ray, another Food Network star and one of Burrell's bridesmaids, also shared her heartbreak in a tribute on Instagram, remarking:
"I’ll miss her friendship deeply. Everyone whose life she touched will miss her."
Burrell's career at the Food Network was prolific, most memorable for her role as host of Worst Cooks in America, a cooking instruction slash competition show that took self-proclaimed "terrible cooks," trained them up, and then pitted them against each other in teams, Iron Chef-style.
She also appeared on many other shows during her time on the network, including Iron Chef America, Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, Chef Wanted, and more.
Today Show co-host Carson Daly expressed what many who followed Burrell in her career were feeling.
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As did Carson Kressley, who shared many of the same spaces as Burrell in the reality television sphere.
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She was certainly influential and well-loved in the restaurant industry and beyond.
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Many people commented on the Food Network post, sharing their memories of how Burrell influenced their own cooking adventures.
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Some even credited her show with making their own food at home actually taste good.
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Truly, through her highly prolific career, Burrell touched many.
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Burrell is survived by her husband Stuart, his child Javier, her mother Marlene, siblings Jane and Ben, and their children.
