Food Network is planning to honor the memory of late chef and TV personality Anne Burrell with “tribute[s] to Anne each week” on the new season of “Worst Cooks in America,” the network confirmed to People.
A representative for Food Network was not immediately available to comment on what the tributes would entail.
Burrell had starred on the reality cooking show since its debut in 2010, serving as a mentor to some of the “worst cooks” each season. The 29th season of the show, subtitled “Talented and Terrible,” was filmed before Burell’s death on June 17.
The debut episode of the new season airs July 28 at 9 p.m. EDT on Food Network.
Anne Burrell and Gabe Bertaccini, the newest co-host of “Worst Cooks in America,” are pictured in a promotional photo for the new season. (Food Network/Warner Bros. Discovery)
Food Network and parent company Warner Bros. Discovery had previously announced plans to highlight programming featuring Burrell, first during a special programming block that aired about a week after her death.
“Anne Burrell was a one-of-a-kind talent whose loss is being deeply felt by family, friends and fans,” Betsy Ayala, the head of content (food) at Warner Bros. Discovery, said in a statement shared in a press release last month.
“With these special programming events, we hope to honor Anne and celebrate her impact on Food Network and beyond, and to offer fans a way to remember her passion and culinary prowess that ran through everything she did,” Ayala continued.
Burrell, 55, was pronounced dead after she was found unresponsive in her New York home in June. Last week, the medical examiner’s office in NYC determined Burrell’s cause of death to be “acute intoxication due to the combined effects of diphenhydramine, ethanol, cetirizine, and amphetamine.”
Her manner of death was listed as suicide.
The late chef was well-known for her appearances on multiple Food Network shows. She grew up in upstate New York and attended Canisius College in Buffalo, earning a degree in English and communications, her Food Network biography reads. She later attended the Culinary Institute of America and the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners. She also worked in some of New York City’s top restaurants.
“Anne was a remarkable person and culinary talent — teaching, competing and always sharing the importance of food in her life and the joy that a delicious meal can bring,” Food Network wrote of Burrell on the day of her passing. “Our thoughts are with Anne’s family, friends and fans during this time of tremendous loss.”
Burrell is survived by her husband, Stuart Claxton, whom she married in 2021. They share a son, Javier, from Claxton’s previous marriage.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with mental health or thoughts of suicide, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline anytime at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK.
