‘Worst Cooks in America’ Plans Multiple Tributes to Anne Burrell After Her Shocking Suicide

Anne Burrell is being honored in the new season of Worst Cooks in America, following the recent news that her death was ruled a suicide.

Season 29 of the long-running cooking competition series premieres Monday, July 28, on Food Network and marks the late chef’s final appearance on the series. The Iron Chef America alum served as host of the show since its inception in 2010.

In an article published Friday, July 25, the Food Network told People, “The series will pay tribute to Anne each week.”

As Star previously reported, Burrell’s cohost, Gabe Bertaccini, spoke to People last month, telling the outlet there were some “very intimate moments” between them and that the upcoming season was dedicated to her.

“This is not going to be about me whatsoever,” Bertaccini, 39, remarked. “This is about Anne, and this is going to be about Anne.”

“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,” he told the outlet. “She was there to teach them how to cook, it wasn’t just a show.”

“It wasn’t a cohosting job, it was mostly like you are on a ride with Anne,” Bertaccini added.

According to the Food Network website, “The new season, dubbed Worst Cooks in America: Talented and Terrible, showcases recruits who are professional performers and used to stealing the spotlight, but in the kitchen, they are dishing out disasters. Anne is joined by the boot camp’s newest mentor, chef Gabe Bertaccini, as they work together to turn these culinary flops into food masters.”

“Across the season, with guidance from Anne and Gabe, the recruits will tackle restaurant classics, try to master global cuisines and compete in the fan-favorite Remote Control Chef challenge, all in their bid to be the best of the worst,” per the Food Network website.

Last week, Star reported that the New York City medical examiner’s office determined that Burrell’s cause of death was from “acute intoxication due to the combined effects of diphenhydramine, ethanol, cetirizine, and amphetamine,” according to People.

On June 17, Burrell was “found next to dozens of pills,” per the New York Post, and her husband, Stuart Claxton, found her “unresponsive” in the shower of their Brooklyn, New York home. A rep for the New York City Fire Department also told Page Six that the person who called 911 said Burrell went into “cardiac arrest” and was “DOA [dead on arrival].” She was 55 years old.

Watch the premiere of Worst Cooks in America: Talented and Terrible on Monday, July 28 at 9 P.M. or stream it on Tuesday, July 29, on HBO MAX.

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