LGBTQ+ TV host and chef Anne Burrell dies aged 55 after being found ‘unconscious and unresponsive’
LGBTQ+ TV chef Anne Burrell has died aged 55. (Getty)
LGBTQ+ TV chef Anne Burrell has died aged 55. (Getty)
LGBTQ+ Food Network star Anne Burrell has died aged 55 after being found “unconscious and unresponsive” at her home in Brooklyn yesterday, 17 June.
Anne Burrell was best known in the US as a co-host of Worst Cooks in America, which she appeared on for 27 seasons between 2010 and 2024. Earlier this year, the show returned for its first season without Burrell.
She also led the Emmy-nominated Secrets of a Restaurant Chef for nine seasons between 2008 and 2012.
The New York Police Department confirmed in a statement that they responded to an “unconscious and unresponsive 55-year-old female” at 7:50am on Tuesday.
Emergency responders arrived and pronounced her “deceased at the scene”.
Though the NYPD didn’t confirm Burrell as the deceased person in question, PEOPLE reports that Burrell’s home address matches the one shared by the police department.
No cause of death has been announced, and an autopsy is pending with the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in order to determine Burrell’s cause of death.
In a statement shared on 17 June, the Food Network and Burrell’s family paid tribute to a “remarkable” woman who offered “boundless love”.
“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,” the Food Network shared.
“Our thoughts are with Anne’s family, friends and fans during this time of tremendous loss.”
In their statement, Burrell’s family said: “Anne was a beloved wife, sister, daughter, stepmother, and friend – her smile lit up every room she entered.
“Anne’s light radiated far beyond those she knew, touching millions across the world. Though she is no longer with us, her warmth, spirit, and boundless love remain eternal.”
In addition to her successful TV career, Burrell worked across some of New York’s top dining establishments, and ran her own restaurant in the city in the late 2010s. She was also formerly an instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education in the city.
Anne Burrell was married to Stuart Claxton, with the pair meeting via Bumble in 2018 and marrying in 2021.
Prior to her marriage to Claxton, Burrell was in a relationship with a woman, chef Koren Grieveson, with the pair getting engaged back in 2012 before eventually parting ways.
