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Anne Burrell

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Anne Burrell
Burrell in 2024
Born(1969-09-21)September 21, 1969
Cazenovia, New York, U.S.
DiedJune 17, 2025(2025-06-17) (aged 55)
Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.
EducationThe Culinary Institute of America
Canisius College
Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners
Occupations
  • Chef
  • television personality
  • instructor
Spouse
Stuart Claxton
​
(m. 2021)​
Culinary career
Previous restaurant(s)
  • Centro Vinoteca
    Savoy
    Felidia
Television show(s)

Anne W. Burrell (September 21, 1969 – June 17, 2025) was an American chef, television personality, and instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education. She hosted the Food Network show Secrets of a Restaurant Chef and co-host of Worst Cooks in America. She was also one of Mario Batali's sous chefs in the Iron Chef America series and appeared on other programs on the network such as The Best Thing I Ever Ate.

Early life, family and education

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Burrell was born in Cazenovia, New York, on September 21, 1969.[1][2] She first took interest in cooking at the age of three after watching fellow American chef Julia Child, and by noticing her mother's homemade foods.[3][4] Her mother, Marlene, owned a flower shop.[5] Meanwhile, her father was initially not supportive of her taking a career in cooking; he later gave his support.[4] Burrell's first job was at a restaurant in downtown Syracuse, New York.[6] She later attended Canisius College in Buffalo, New York, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in English and Communications in 1991.[2]

A year later, Burrell enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America, eventually graduating in 1996 with an Associate in Occupational Studies (A.O.S.).[7] She also studied at the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners (ICIF) in Asti in the Piedmont region, Italy.[8]

Career

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Restaurants

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After her ICIF experience, Burrell remained in Italy, working in various restaurants for nine months.[2] She worked at La Bottega del '30, a small restaurant in Tuscany, Italy, with one seating each night.[9] Burrell returned to the US as a sous chef at Felidia, owned by celebrity chef Lidia Bastianich.[2] She became the chef at Savoy, a small prix fixe dining room. After Savoy, Burrell began teaching at the Institute of Culinary Education. Lidia Bastianich's son and restaurateur, Joe Bastianich, and Chef Mario Batali named Burrell the chef for Italian Wine Merchants, their New York wine store.[2]

She later became the executive chef of Centro Vinoteca,[10] an Italian restaurant in New York City's West Village area which opened in 2007. She left the restaurant in September 2008 due to her busy schedule and many commitments.[11] The departure also meant that she would not start at Gusto Ristorante,[12][13] as both of the restaurants are part of Mangia Hospitality Group. Burrell planned to open her first restaurant in 2010 in New York City.[14] Burrell opened her restaurant, Phil & Anne's Good Time Lounge, in Brooklyn in spring 2017, though as of April 2018, the restaurant had closed.[15]

Television

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In 2005, Iron Chef Mario Batali asked Burrell to serve as one of his sous chefs, along with chef and restaurateur Mark Ladner, for a pilot taping of Food Network's Iron Chef America series. She continued to serve as his sous chef during his tenure with the show.[16] Burrell's Food Network series Secrets of a Restaurant Chef debuted June 29, 2008.[3][17] In 2009, she appeared on another Food Network show, The Best Thing I Ever Ate, in which chefs recount their favorite dishes.[18]

In 2010, Burrell and Chef Beau MacMillan hosted Worst Cooks in America, a Food Network reality TV series.[19] Burrell and her co-host led contestants through a "culinary boot camp" on their journey to become better cooks. The first season premiered on January 3, 2010. Chef Burrell won the challenge when her recruit, Rachel Coleman, edged out MacMillan's recruit, Jenny Cross.[20] The second season premiered on January 2, 2011, with Chef MacMillan being replaced by Chef Robert Irvine. To raise the stakes, Irvine and Burrell made a side bet, in which Burrell risked losing her signature hair and Irvine risked going platinum. Chef Burrell won both the competition and the side-bet, when her recruit, Joshie Berger, edged out Irvine's recruit, Georg Coleman.[21]

Also in 2011, Burrell became the fourth runner up in the culinary competition The Next Iron Chef on the Food Network, being eliminated in week six of the competition.[22][23] The third season of Worst Cooks in America premiered on February 12, 2012.[24] Chef Bobby Flay was the new co-host/chef for season three.[3][24] Chef Burrell again won the competition, when her recruit Kelli Powers edged out Flay's recruit, Vinnie Caligiuri.[25] Season four started on February 17, 2013.[26] Season four concluded with Flay's team finally defeating Burrell's team, when his recruit, Alina Bolshakova, edged out Burrell's recruit, Rasheeda Brown.[27] She was also a contestant on the first season of Chopped All-Stars tournament, where she placed second runner up to Nate Appleman (winner) and Aarón Sanchez.[28] In 2015, Burrell won the fourth installment of the Chopped All-Stars tournament, winning $75,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.[29][30]

Other projects

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In 2009, Burrell appeared with fellow Food Network personality Guy Fieri on the Guy Fieri Roadshow.[31][32] Burrell, along with fellow Food Network personalities Sunny Anderson and Claire Robinson, appeared in the 2009 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on the Food Network float.[33] Burrell hosted an 11-day Food Network cruise throughout the Mediterranean and across the Atlantic aboard the brand new Celebrity Silhouette in late 2011.[34] From June 2012 through October 2013, Burrell hosted Chef Wanted with Anne Burrell on the Food Network. The show ran for three seasons and 36 episodes.[35][36][37]

Burrell's two cookbooks with Suzanne Lenzer, Cook Like a Rock Star (2011; ISBN 9780307886750) and Own Your Kitchen: Recipes to Inspire and Empower (2013; ISBN 9780385345576), were New York Times bestsellers.[9]

Burrell had been studying improvisational comedy at The Second City in Brooklyn, and had performed there on the evening before her death.[38]

Personal life and death

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Burrell released a statement in 2012 confirming that she had been in a relationship with her girlfriend, chef Koren Grieveson, for two years after cookbook author Ted Allen seemingly outed her on a radio show.[39][40] Burrell disputed the notion she had been outed, saying she had not kept her sexuality a secret.[40] On December 31, 2012, Burrell tweeted that she was engaged[41] to Grieveson,[42] but the two would later break up.

In 2018, she met Stuart Claxton through the dating app Bumble.[43] On April 21, 2020, Burrell announced that she and Claxton were engaged.[44] The two married on October 16, 2021.[45]

Burrell died at her apartment in Brooklyn, on June 17, 2025, at the age of 55.[46] She was found unconscious and unresponsive at approximately 7:50 a.m., and emergency responders pronounced her dead at the scene.[46][46] Authorities say the New York City Fire Department received a 911 call that suggested she had gone into cardiac arrest, but an official cause of death could not be confirmed before an autopsy with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.[47][46][48] On June 20, it was reported that autopsy results were pending, though police were investigating the death as a potential overdose, as a number of pills were found next to her when she died.[38]

References

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  1. ^ Krishna, Priya (June 17, 2025). "Anne Burrell, Chef and Food Network Star, Dies at 55". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 20, 2025. Retrieved June 20, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e Park, Debra S. (Fall 2008). "Secrets of a Restaurant Chef" (PDF). Canisius College Magazine. Canisius College. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 28, 2010. Retrieved November 14, 2009.
  3. ^ a b c Tracy, Brianne (June 24, 2025). "New Details Inside Anne Burrell's 'Bold' Life and Last Days: Friends Remember the 'Force of Nature' (Exclusive)". People. Archived from the original on June 24, 2025. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
  4. ^ a b Burgess, Zack. "Celebrity Chef Anne Burrell". Edge Magazine Online. Archived from the original on June 9, 2025. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
  5. ^ Barnes, Emily (June 18, 2025). "Anne Burrell, celebrity chef and upstate NY native, dies at 55". Democrat and Chronicle. Archived from the original on June 18, 2025. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
  6. ^ Cazentre, Don (June 17, 2025). "Anne Burrell, CNY native who achieved fame as celebrity chef, dies at 55". The Post-Standard. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
  7. ^ "The CIA Spotlight: Anne Burrell '96". ciachef.edu. The Culinary Institute of America. Archived from the original on May 28, 2010. Retrieved June 20, 2025.
  8. ^ Najib, Shafiq (June 17, 2025). "Celebrity chef Anne Burrell, Food Network star, dies at 55". Good Morning America. Archived from the original on June 18, 2025. Retrieved June 17, 2025 – via abc7.com.
  9. ^ a b "FoodTV Star Anne Burrell, Best Known for Worst Cooks in America, Dies at 55". La Voce di New York. Retrieved June 17, 2025.
  10. ^ "Centro Vinoteca". Centro Vinoteca. Archived from the original on May 30, 2013. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
  11. ^ "Breaking Eaterwire Anne Burrell Out at Centro Vinoteca". Eater NY. September 22, 2008. Archived from the original on July 10, 2011. Retrieved November 22, 2009.
  12. ^ "Gusto Ristorante". gustonyc.com. Gusto Ristorante. Archived from the original on December 22, 2013. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
  13. ^ DiGregorio, Sarah (June 25, 2008). "Anne Burrell's 'Secrets,' Plus Resto Reccs and Why Being a Girl Chef isn't a Big Deal – New York Restaurants and Dining – Fork in the Road". Village Voice. Archived from the original (blog) on April 14, 2010. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
  14. ^ "Anne Burrell Boils Over With 'Worst Cooks,' Fast Food". AOL PopEater. Archived from the original on February 3, 2010. Retrieved February 1, 2010.
  15. ^ "Anne Burrell's Brooklyn Restaurant Appears to Be Closed". Eater NY. Archived from the original on April 4, 2018. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
  16. ^ Salkin, Allen (June 18, 2025). "Food Network Star Anne Burrell, Found Dead at 55, Always Knew She Would Be Famous". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 21, 2025. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
  17. ^ "Secrets of a Restaurant Chef: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
  18. ^ Saperstein, Pat (June 17, 2025). "Anne Burrell, Food Network Chef and Host of 'Worst Cooks in America,' Dies at 55". Variety. Archived from the original on June 18, 2025. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
  19. ^ Salamone, Gina (November 11, 2009). "Worst Cooks In America: New reality show will try to whip them into shape". Daily News. New York. Archived from the original on November 15, 2009. Retrieved November 22, 2009.
  20. ^ Morabito, Greg (February 2, 2010). "Best Cook Determined on Worst Cooks In America". Eater. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
  21. ^ "Robert Irvine Bleaches Hair After Losing 'Worst Cooks'". Food Network Humor. February 21, 2011. Archived from the original on December 2, 2013. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
  22. ^ "Next Iron Chef Exit: Burrell". Food Network. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
  23. ^ Stenzel, Wendy (June 17, 2025). "Anne Burrell, host of Food Network's 'Worst Cooks in America,' dies at 55". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on June 19, 2025. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
  24. ^ a b "Worst Cooks in America: Season 3". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on July 29, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
  25. ^ Kellar, Elizabeth (April 11, 2012). "Naples woman overcame stove scare on 'Worst Cooks in America'". Naples Daily News. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
  26. ^ "Worst Cooks in America: Season 4". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on July 29, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
  27. ^ "Worst Cooks in America, Season 4: Top Moments of the Finale". Food Network. Archived from the original on September 28, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
  28. ^ Chung, Gabrielle (June 17, 2025). "Anne Burrell's Food Network Family Speaks Out After Her Death". E! Online. Archived from the original on June 18, 2025. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
  29. ^ "Food Network Celebrity Chef Anne Burrell '96". Culinary Institute of America. May 24, 2011. Archived from the original on May 25, 2025. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
  30. ^ Peacock, Joshua (September 27, 2017). "SmartWomen Luncheon returns for 15th year to feature Chef Anne Burrell". Savannah Morning News. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
  31. ^ Ridley, Jim (November 20, 2009). "Win Free Tickets to the Guy Fieri Roadshow". Nashville Scene. Archived from the original on November 24, 2009. Retrieved November 22, 2009.
  32. ^ Stanley, John (November 10, 2009). "12/18: The Guy Fieri Road Show". azcentral.com. Archived from the original on March 9, 2013. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
  33. ^ Anderson, Sunny (November 24, 2009). "Turkey Links, Sausage Links & Macy's Links!!". Sunny Anderson. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved November 28, 2009.
  34. ^ "Food Network Travel, Upcoming Trip – Featuring Anne Burrell". foodnetworktravel.com. Food Network. November 2, 2011. Archived from the original on March 20, 2012. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
  35. ^ Burrell, Anne [@chefanneburrell] (January 6, 2014). "RT @Rodanthelane @chefanneburrell sadly there will not be any new episodes of chef wanted. When will new episodes of Chef Wanted come on??" (Tweet). Retrieved January 8, 2014 – via Twitter.
  36. ^ "Chef Wanted with Anne Burrell Episodes". Food Network. Archived from the original on October 2, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
  37. ^ "Chef Wanted". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
  38. ^ a b Severson, Kim (June 20, 2025). "Anne Burrell's Death Is Under Investigation as a Possible Drug Overdose". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 20, 2025. Retrieved June 20, 2025.
  39. ^ Le, Brendan (June 18, 2025). "Anne Burrell's Life and Career in Photos". People. Archived from the original on June 19, 2025. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
  40. ^ a b Wong, Curtis (May 25, 2012). "Anne Burrell Comes Out". Huffington Post. Retrieved May 25, 2012.
  41. ^ Burrell, Anne [@chefanneburrell] (December 31, 2012). "Happy new year everyone! Happy and healthy! And I'm engaged!!!!!!!!" (Tweet). Retrieved June 20, 2025 – via Twitter.
  42. ^ Lehner, Marla (January 14, 2013). "NeNe Leakes: Is She Engaged ... to Her Ex Husband?". People. Archived from the original on January 5, 2013. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
  43. ^ Evans, Olivia (June 18, 2025). "Who Is Anne Burrell's Husband Stuart Claxton? A Guide to Her Family". eonline.com. E! News. Retrieved June 19, 2025.
  44. ^ Burrell, Anne. "A tiny bit of good news in these crazy times.... We are engaged!!! @stuartclaxton I am a VERY #luckygirl !!!! #ilovewhatido…". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  45. ^ Ewing, Michelle (October 19, 2021). "Food Network star Anne Burrell marries fiancé Stuart Claxton". kiro7.com. KIRO-TV. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
  46. ^ a b c d Saunders, Angel; Jones, Sarah (June 17, 2025). "Anne Burrell Found 'Unconscious and Unresponsive,' Pronounced Dead at Scene: Police". People. Archived from the original on June 18, 2025. Retrieved June 18, 2025.
  47. ^ Quinn, Dave; Rella, Emily (June 17, 2025). "Anne Burrell, Food Network Star and 'Worst Cooks in America' Host, Dies at 55". People. Archived from the original on June 17, 2025. Retrieved June 17, 2025.
  48. ^ "Celebrity chef Anne Burrell found 'unconscious and unresponsive' inside her Brooklyn home: Police". Good Morning America. ABC News. Archived from the original on June 17, 2025. Retrieved June 18, 2025 – via abcnews.go.com.
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