Anne Burrell’s Cohost Reflects on ‘Intimate Moments’ With Late Chef in Her Final Season of ‘Worst Cooks in America’

Worst Cooks in America cohost Gabe Bertaccini fondly remembered his time with late chef Anne Burrell while filming her final season of the show.

On Monday, June 23, Food Network confirmed new installments of the cooking competition would premiere on July 28 at 9 p.m. ET. There will also be a “tribute” to Burrell in the form of a “special selection of episodes that will highlight her extraordinary talent” on Wednesday, June 25.

In a recent interview with People, Bertacinni, 39, said there were some “very intimate moments” between him and Burrell – who passed away on June 17 at 55 years old – while filming, and that “a lot of memories will come back” when he watches it for the first time.

Reflecting on meeting the beloved chef, he revealed that they initially “really bonded over food” and that she had been “so engaged” in learning about who he was as a person.

“I saw a side of Anne that was so human and so interested and so inquisitive, and just smart and quick and fun and witty,” he continued. “She was exactly who you see on TV.”

As for his time on the show itself, he called it “inspirational” and described it as being “on a ride with Anne,” rather than a simple cohosting gig.

“One thing that I have to say, the love, the authentic love that she had for the contestants, for the cooks, the love that she had to really teach them…she was there to teach them how to cook, it wasn’t just a show,” he explained, noting that even after they were finished filming, Burrell would text him with updates about the contestants.

“There was the little special thing that Anne had that nobody else has. And that was it,” he shared. “It was really the care that she put into connecting and knowing and getting to know these chefs, and also me.”

“[She] was so invested in it,” Bertacinni added. “It was her baby. She wasn’t there for the paycheck.”

As Star previously reported, Burrell passed away earlier this month after going into “cardiac arrest.” She was discovered “DOA [dead on arrival],” a rep for the New York City Fire Department told Page Six.

Her exact cause of death has yet to be released, but according to TMZ, law enforcement sources confirmed that they were investigating as a potential drug overdose as pills were reportedly found near her body.

On Friday, June 20, her friends and family members went to a private wake for the Food Network star in New York City, according to a report by Page Six. Attendees included The Real Housewives of New York City alum Kelly Bensimon, as well as celebrity chefs Scott Conant, Amanda Freitag and Marc Murphy.