Celebrity Chef Anne Burrell Has Died
Anne Burrell, whose shock of blonde hair and vivacious personality catapulted her to celebrity chef status, has died at the age of 55. A cause of death has not yet been reported.
A spokesperson confirmed the news that Burrell died the morning of Tuesday, June 17. Burrell was best known as the host and star of the network's Worst Cooks in America , among other shows, but was more than a television chef.
The New York State native, inspired by her mother's talent in the kitchen and her admiration for Julia Child, graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, in 1996. She then spent a year in Italy attending the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners before returning to New York City to begin her career, working as a sous chef alongside Lidia Bastianich at Felidia Ristorante. Burrell then furthered her career working in restaurants and teaching until the chef received her break, appearing as a sous chef on Iron Chef America ; she was later offered her own show. Secrets of a Restaurant Chef ran for nine seasons and was nominated for an Emmy award.
Fueled by her quick wit, everyperson persona, and culinary prowess, Burrell was a regular on shows such as Chef Wanted , Chopped , Worst Cooks in America , and others. Burrell also wrote two cookbooks, the New York Times bestseller Cook Like a Rock Star and Own Your Kitchen: Recipes to Inspire and Empower. Burrell was also active in charity work, serving on the advisory board of the Garden of Dreams Foundation, and was an advocate for City Harvest and the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation.
'Anne was not only a talented chef and television personality but also a passionate advocate for the hospitality industry,' said Lee Brian Schrager, founder of the South Beach Wine & Food Festival and New York Wine & Food Festival — both of which Burrell was a headlining talent — was shocked by the news of Burrell's untimely death. 'Her vibrant spirit, infectious enthusiasm, and dedication to culinary education inspired countless chefs.'
In a text to Eater, chef Scott Conant shared that their friendship started decades before they were famous. 'I have so many memories of her and her competitive spirit,' he wrote. 'When she worked at Felidia and I worked at San Domenico, we had a fierce rivalry over which restaurant was better and which of us cooked better Italian food. Thirty-plus years of friendship. I'm heartbroken and confused.'
Burrell was happiest when simply hanging at her Caroll Gardens loft with husband Stuart Claxton. Burrell met Claxton on the online dating app, Bumble, and they were married on October 16, 2021. Burrell loved Brooklyn for its ability to welcome her as a person rather than a celebrity. In an interview with Broken Palate, the celebrity chef said she could be herself in her adopted city: 'I do embrace being a New Yorker. I ride the subway. I do my shopping walking up and down Court Street.'
Burrell's last Instagram post reinforced her integration into Brooklyn's heartbeat and rhythm. Five days ago, she posted a selfie with the @greenladyofbrooklyn. 'I have been keeping an eye out for her. I may or may not have followed her down the street for a minute. She is just lovely!!' Burrell added the hashtags #ilovewhatido and #luckygirl. See More:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
‘Nobody Wants This' Creator Erin Foster Set Out to Make Her Own ‘Fleabag' — Her ‘Really Sweet' Rom-Com Took Her by Surprise
Welcome to It's a Hit! In this series, IndieWire speaks to creators and showrunners behind a few of our favorite television programs about the moment they realized their show was breaking big. Erin Foster is pretty organized. She'd have to be, thanks to a packed schedule that includes many personal obligations (wife, mother, sister, friend) alongside a stuffed professional calendar (which includes her hit Netflix series 'Nobody Wants This,' which she created, plus podcasting, running clothing company Favorite Daughter alongside sister Sara Foster, and much more). More from IndieWire Everything to Remember from 'Squid Game' Season 1 and 2 'Matlock' Production Designer Adam Rowe on How Two Canceled Shows Gave the CBS Hit Its Scale So when we got on Zoom a few weeks ago to talk about the smash first season of 'Nobody Wants This' in the context of the current Emmy season, Foster was thrilled to hear that there was an agenda in place, mostly hinging on chatting through a favorite IndieWire question: 'When did you know this show was a hit?' Still, all that organization and planning soon went out the window, because in addition to being organized and busy, Foster is — much like her alter-ego on the show, Kristen Bell's Joanne — disarmingly honest. ''I don't know' is the not-fun answer,' Foster said with a laugh. 'I definitely didn't know when I first watched it in editing. When I was in the editing process, I was by no means like, 'Wow, get ready, everyone. I have a hit on my hands!' At all. I remember very clearly thinking, 'It's sweet, it's really sweet. I don't think that my friends will make fun of me. But I think they're going to be like, 'It's nice.'' I didn't know if the message I was trying to get across was going to come through.' But while most people would argue that Foster did get her message across — more on that message, and the very personal experiences that inspired it, below — the creator and Season 1 co-showrunner (she shared duties with Craig DiGregorio) was initially concerned that the general genre packaging around the series was different than she was expecting. 'It's sweet and it's soft,' she said. 'I set out to make 'Fleabag' and I ended up making a sweet rom-com. I was like, 'OK, it's not the edgy thing that I thought I was making, but it's actually really sweet.' Then it turned out that was its superpower.' But while the show, which follows Adam Brody and Bell as a seemingly mismatched but extremely appealing new couple, was a hit out of the gate — with strong critical reviews and big-time viewing metrics that pushed it to the top of the streamer's top 10 in its first week — it took Foster a little longer to realize what she had made. I told her that I realized it was breaking through by way of my own metric: my mother had watched it, twice in its entirety, before I had enough time to burn through its first 10 episodes. 'For me, it happened one little step at a time. It was inch by inch,' she said. 'It's different for me than it is for you, with your mom saying that to you, because I had lots of friends' moms saying that to me, too, but it's my show, so they're always going to say that to me. They're going to say, 'I loved your show. I watched it in one night!' It's very hard to gauge outside perception when you're at the center of it.' When Foster saw other celebrities — crucially, other celebrities that she does not personally know — saying in interviews or sharing online that it was their favorite show of the summer, that struck her too. 'That's weird to me,' she said with a laugh. 'I know who you are. You don't know who I am!' While it's relatively easy to measure success by way of stuff like total hours streamed or how quickly it was renewed for a second season (just two weeks after the first season was released, not too shabby), Foster's rom-com also succeeded in other arenas. Like, oh, reminding people just how much they love Adam Brody and Kristen Bell, and giving so-called elder millennials a potent dose of teen nostalgia packaged in something brand new. 'I can't let you call us 'elder millennials,' it's so mean! It is so mean,' Foster said when asked about tapping straight into her own generation with her inspired casting. 'I know that's what we're called. Not to brag, but I had breakfast with Adam when we were offering him the role, and I was sitting across from him and I'm like, 'Damn, this could really work. He is so cute, why don't people know about this?'' That doesn't mean that casting Brody as kind and sexy rabbi Noah and Bell as his more outspoken lady love Joanne was a slam-dunk from the start. 'I was a little bit nervous about this millennial [nostalgia] thing, this 'The O.C.' meets 'Veronica Mars' [casting], because I didn't want the show to be cheesy. I wanted the show to be really well-received and not cutesy. I didn't want it to feel soapy,' Foster said. 'I was a little bit nervous about that, and hesitant about it, but luckily I have people around me who are smarter than me that were like, 'Millennials are going to eat this up and this is great.' Once I got over my fear, I just leaned into it. And when I watched him on camera with Kristen, their chemistry is psychotic. I got lucky, because you can't plan that.' While much has been made of Joanne and Noah's first kiss, for Foster, that 'psychotic' chemistry and obvious romance are on offer almost immediately. When did she know she had really made the right casting choices? 'It's the walk to the car in the pilot [episode],' Foster said. 'That scene was always really, really, really important to me, and it never changed from my original writing of it. Well, the 'Fiddler on the Roof' joke was not mine, that was added later. Originally that line was, 'Say something rabbinical,' and he says, 'Never pay retail.' We changed it to, 'There's a fiddler on the roof,' because it really made us laugh. That scene, I really felt it. I just felt like this is exactly how I wanted the show to feel.' In the first episode, written by Foster and directed by Greg Mottola, brassy podcaster Joanne meets the more strait-laced and steady Noah at a pal's dinner party. That he's a rabbi is one of many things that surprises her, along with his easy charm and clear interest in getting to know her better. When Noah walks Joanne to her car at the end of the evening, their banter is thrilling, but so is the sense that Noah gets her. Even if that means fudging on what he's actually doing. 'I tried to come up with creative ways to get him to be sexy and romantic that's not cookie-cutter,' she said. 'It was like, he's being chivalrous and walking her to her car, but she's like, 'Don't walk me to my car,' and he's like, 'No, my car is right where your car is.' He has a plan, like, I know a girl like this isn't going to want me to walk her to her car, so I have to tell her that I'm walking both of us to our cars. Then, when we get there, I'm going to be like, 'Oh no, I got a space up front.' I didn't have to draw attention to it.' Small moments like that stand out throughout the series, which is based on Foster's own romance with her husband, Simon Tikhman. While Tikhman is not a rabbi (he's in the music business), he is Jewish, and Foster converted to the religion before they married in 2019. For many characters in the series, the pair's mismatched faith is one of the biggest obstacles for their relationship (a rabbi and an agnostic podcaster?!), but Foster's own experiences inspired plenty of other elements of the show, even if not everything is directly pulled from her life. 'Whatever's the best story is what goes on screen. It's not like it has to be true to life by any means,' Foster said. 'My husband's not a rabbi, so there's many things that I have to embellish and change. But I would say that my philosophies are in the show, my philosophies on love, my philosophies on relationships.' She's not just saying that. For Foster, 'Nobody Wants This' is funny, sexy, and romantic, but it's also based on some very personal and quite hard-won life lessons. 'My husband really represents, for me, this idea of a kind of man that I didn't know existed,' she said. 'It doesn't mean that he's perfect Prince Charming or anything like that, it just means that, as modern women, we have been made to believe — because it's true a lot — that you have two options. You have a spicy, sensual, exciting, exhilarating love with a toxic person, or you have a consistent, boring, regular safe option with a nice person. I was really scared of how to make that choice. I was probably going to go with the toxic person, as most women do, because rom-coms typically show us getting the toxic person to choose you and not be toxic anymore. In my experience, you can't get the toxic person to stop being toxic.' When Foster met Tikhman — just like when Joanne meets Noah — it forever altered her perception of what a relationship could be. And she wanted to see that on the screen. 'My relationship with my husband opened my eyes to this third option, which was emotionally healthy, confident, strong, honest, truthful, funny, romantic, but not a pushover,' Foster said. 'I knew how much it blew my mind. I'm like other women, I have a strong personality, but I want an equal partner, someone I can't walk all over, but someone who lets me be myself. I was really excited to show a love story with that kind of guy, because I want every woman to end up in the same kind of marriage I ended up in, which is healthy and fun.' When translating that to the show, Foster didn't get precious about making tweaks and changes to true stories, all the better to serve Joanne and Noah's story. Consider the genesis of the sixth episode in the first season, titled 'The Ick,' in which Joanne feels turned off by Noah trying to impress her family. 'I got the ick with my husband early on because I just got spooked. I got spooked that he was being really nice, and he was trying really hard with my friends and family, and he really wanted this to work out. Those are really nice things,' she said. 'Somehow, it scared me. I had gotten the ick a million times in my life, 'Oh, he's got salad dressing on his mouth, I can't marry him.' The littlest thing can turn you off from someone because they falter in some way. But I never had a guy on the other end of it stop me and be like, 'Don't do that. What are you doing right now? That is stupid. I'm not going to feel embarrassed because I want your parents to like me. You should feel embarrassed.' He really just called me out on it. That was obviously very attractive to me.' The 'ick' that Joanne feels in that moment might be silly or stupid, but it's also deeply human and enormously relatable. That makes it both funny and worth sharing, the kind of entertainment that sticks with you, because it's pulled from the truth. 'I fell madly in love with my husband, and then this really dumb thing made me think that I actually never wanted to be with him again because I wasn't mature enough in that moment to see past the way he said 'Prego' or whatever,' Foster said. 'That's a made-up thing, but the idea of that is true. It's not that I'm proud of being that way, but that's the human experience. I was fucked up and I had bad habits, and I was lucky enough to find someone that my brand of crazy worked for.' As Foster prepares for the series' second season to hit the streamer in October — a season she already promised IndieWire won't hold back on all the stuff its audience already loves, including both romance and comedy, naturally — she's intent on keeping up that kind of honesty, even when it can be a little tough. 'I'm not all the way there, but I'm pretty comfortable exposing my flaws, and when you personalize something, it helps people connect,' Foster said. 'I am willing to do that, because it also makes me feel seen.' The first season of 'Nobody Wants This' is streaming on Netflix. Best of IndieWire 2023 Emmy Predictions: Who Will Win at the Primetime Emmy Awards? 2023 Emmy Predictions: Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special 2023 Emmy Predictions: Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Here's How Food Network Stars And Other Celebrities Reacted To Anne Burrell's Death
On Tuesday, the world was devastated to learn that beloved Food Network star Anne Burrell had died at age 55. While her cause of death is unknown, it's believed she suffered a cardiac event, just hours after returning home from an improv show. Soon after the news of her death broke, several celebrities took to the internet to mourn her loss. Rachael Ray said she and her husband, John Cusimano, were devastated. "The news about Anne has truly shaken us," she wrote alongside a series of photos with Anne, including at her 2021 wedding to executive Stuart Claxton, where Rachael served as a bridesmaid. "I can't quite believe it — such a strong, vibrant, fearless woman, so full of life and love, could be gone so soon." Chopped's Scott Conant wrote that he was "deeply affected" by Anne's death: "Anne and I shared a long, vibrant journey through the world of Italian restaurants in the '90s and 2000s. We were friends for over 30 years, sharing countless laughs, navigating life's challenges, even swapping astrologers and fortune tellers. Her presence was truly remarkable, her competitive spirit unmatched. I'm heartbroken and will deeply miss my dear friend, peer and cherished colleague." Chef Tyler Florence called her one of the funniest and "brightest" people he's ever met. Carla Hall from Worst Cooks in America remembered Anne as "a fierce chef and instructor" with cool "custom skirts, mismatched socks, and that unforgettable big smile." "She had an electric presence in and out of the kitchen—an incredible chef, a joyful spirit, and a passionate philanthropist," said Food Network star Marcus Samuelsson. "I'll always cherish the time we spent together at events, on set, and supporting causes like City Harvest." Related: From Florence Pugh To Zoë Kravitz, Here's All The Celebrities Who Rocked Sheer Or Naked Dresses Chef Aarón Sánchez praised everything about his "dear friend," including "her spirit, her fire, her talent, her leadership, [and] her laugh." "So much respect and love for this amazing woman," he continued. "I'll carry her memory with me always. Rest easy, amiga. 💔" Maneet Chauhan from Chopped thanked Anne for "making cooking fearless, fun and inspiring the next generation of young girls/ kids to dare to follow their dreams and to feel that they belong." Chef Robert Irvine remembered Anne's "radiant spirit" in a post shared on X. "From the very beginning on Worst Cooks in America, our friendly rivalry was fueled by mutual respect," he wrote. "I'd risk bleaching my hair; she'd risk losing hers. ... It was a wager I ultimately lost, but I couldn't imagine losing to a more fierce competitor." He also said, outside of the show, he "came to know her as a generous and supportive colleague and an even better friend." Twitter: @RobertIrvine Eric Adjepong, who appeared alongside Anne on Wildcard Kitchen, reportedly reacted to the "incredibly sad" news of her death on Instagram. "My heart to Chef Anne's family and friends," he wrote. "What a loss. RIP Chef." Related: Here Are 10 Celebs Who've Publicly Admitted The Reasons Why They Regret Ending Their Marriages Chris Santos said the news of Anne's death left him speechless. "I'm not usually lost for words but are just no words," he wrote. "All I can muster is to say that I'll miss you very much my friend, and I will never forget our days working and hanging out together, always having so much fun." Bizarre Foods host Andrew Zimmern posted a throwback photo on Instagram alongside a beaming Anne. "How I choose to remember people. Happy and laughing and believing that anything in life is possible," he said. "Sending all our love to her family, friends, and fans. An unnecessary loss is just the hardest to handle and this one really hurts. Nothing but love for all right now, especially Anne." Chef and host Alex Guarnaschelli encouraged fans to celebrate Anne like she would have wanted. "Make this moment about her," she said. "She'd want you to go out, raise a glass, sing karaoke (including this Sia song--one of her favorite 'Worst Cooks' warm up songs) and be able to say, like she does, #ilovewhatido --so do it for her. In her honor." Vivica A. Fox, who appeared on Worst Cooks and Beat Bobby Flay, remembered working with Anne in a moving statement to People. She said, "Anne taught me all about good food! I had a BLAST working with her and going to her restaurant for a good meal. I'll miss her kindness, smile and great hair! May she rest in paradise." In an X post, Aarti Sequeira from The Next Food Network Star reflected on Anne's realness. "The first time I met Anne Burrell, she gave me tough love I didn't want—but needed," she wrote. "She was bold, warm, and real. I still hear her in my kitchen: 'Brown food tastes good!' Anne, you'll be missed. Thank you for teaching us all. #luckygirl 💔" @aartipaarti / Food Network / Via Twitter: @aartipaarti Chopped judge Tiffani Faison shared a picture of Anne on Instagram and wrote, "Rest easy, Chef." Kardea Brown from Delicious Miss Brown said she was in "utter disbelief." "I was always impressed with how fierce she was in competitions and how she supported her friends & family," tweeted Simon Majumdar, who appeared on shows like Cutthroat Kitchen and Iron Chef America. "Rest in Peace. Rise in Glory." Gigi Hadid paid tribute to the chef while remembering when they worked together on Beat Bobby Flay, an experience she called "a dream come true." "I wish we could have done it again," she added. "She was awesome. Rest in Peace Legend." Chopped judge Amanda Freitag wrote on Instagram, "Rest in peace chef," alongside a black and white photo of Anne. "I am so incredibly sad to hear of the passing of my friend @AnneBurrell today!" tweeted RuPaul's Drag Race star Ginger Minj. "I hope you are rocking out and cooking up a feast tonight!" Finally, Loni Love, who appeared on Worst Cooks, said Anne's death left her in "shock and sorrow." She continued, "She was a gifted chef, and an extraordinary person. Chef Anne was the same on and off camera. She would just check on me out the blue. I will miss her tremendously. My condolences to her husband, family, & fans. Rest Chef." Also in Celebrity: If You Get 20/30 On This Difficult '90s Music Quiz, Then You Honestly Know Your Stuff!!! Also in Celebrity: 17 Actors Who Said "No" To Nudity And Sex Scenes Out Of Respect For Their Partners, Families, Religion, And More Also in Celebrity: 22 Absolutely Bonkers Things I've Learned About Old Hollywood Celebs That Made My Jaw Hit The Floor
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Remembering Anne Burrell: the brilliant chef who welcomed me into her home — and her heart
Anne Burrell was a friend to all. The celebrated chef's magnetic energy and palpable zest for life captivated millions of fans from every corner of the earth — on screen and off — before her heart-wrenching, untimely passing this week. I, myself, a Page Six reporter for almost a decade, have learned to be somewhat skeptical when meeting my Hollywood heroes — but Anne won me over instantaneously. I first had the honor of meeting the Food Network star last summer while filming a video tour of her impeccably curated maximalist loft in Brooklyn, NY. Her longtime publicist and good friend, Jaret Keller, had made the introduction (for which I will forever be grateful). My small yet scrappy team of journalists comprised of our photo director, photographer and videographer were welcomed into Anne's cozy home, quite literally, with open arms. Anne — wearing a colorful polka-dot dress perfectly mirroring her vibrant spirit — gave us each a warm hug upon our arrival before offering us beverages and snacks like the true entertainer she was. Then, without missing a beat, the 'Worst Cooks In America' host seamlessly shifted into on-camera mode for the interview. She was a total professional. We spent the afternoon with Anne as she guided us through some of her most treasured spaces and prized possessions: a cherished photo of her and her husband, Stuart Claxton; her stunning terrace where she hosted dinner parties and savored quiet moments with her beloved cats, Nancy and Marcia; and her stepson's British Invasion-themed bedroom, which she fondly described as 'very, like, 'All You Need Is Love.'' 'Everything here is a little crooked, and I think that suits me just well,' she said of her charmingly wonky abode, adding warmly, 'I think I'm a little crooked, so I feel right at home here.' When the shoot wrapped, she mixed up her signature Aperol Spritzes and we toasted to a job well done and our newly formed friendships. Usually, for reporters, interactions with public figures will stop there. But Anne followed up in my Instagram DMs to share how much she loved getting to know us all. 'Thank you SO much!!!! Really absolutely FANTASTIC!!! Please thank everyone on the team!!!' she wrote to me, adding, 'Everything about this experience was just dreamy!!!!!' The restaurateur, who admitted in our TikTok Q&A that she's not a fan of kale, then sent a hilarious meme about a 'pro tip' for cooking the leafy greens: 'If you stir coconut oil into your kale, it makes it easier to scrape into the trash.' That was Anne in a nutshell: quick-witted and kind, firing off jokes, making everyone feel special and always the life of the party. I came to learn that first-hand nearly five months later when she attended Page Six Night at Ray's Hometown Bar in the Lower East Side as one of our celebrity guests. Joined by Keller and Claxton, Anne beamed as she bounced around the soirée celebrating the Page Six x Ray's hat collaboration launch. While Anne politely declined to wear the newspaper-hued snapbacks (so as not to ruin her famously spiky blond hairdo, she told me in a cheeky whisper) she flitted around the fête to partake in dancing, genuine conversation and a full-on photo shoot on the dive bar's shag carpet-covered stairwell. Having recently gotten engaged, I remember telling her how much I admired her beautiful 7-tiered wedding cake made by 'Cake Boss' star Buddy Valastro. The compliment prompted her to hand me her phone and demand that I add my number so she could connect me with the baker. That's the kind of caring confidant she was — going out of her way to make people happy with food, friendship and endless helpings of love. The esteemed 'Secrets of a Restaurant Chef' alum's time on earth was tragically cut short when she died in her New York City home at the age of 55. First responders pronounced her dead at the scene June 17. A 911 caller claimed that she went into cardiac arrest before passing away; however, her cause of death has not yet been revealed and an investigation is ongoing. Her family told Page Six in a statement that Anne will be remembered as a 'beloved wife, sister, daughter, stepmother, and friend.' 'Her smile lit up every room she entered,' the family said. As the culinary world says goodbye to a dear friend and Food Network icon, I take comfort in knowing that Anne's compassionate heart and remarkable legacy will never be forgotten.
