The late Food Network star will make her final on-screen appearances as a mentor throughout the 29th season of the popular competition series.
Warning: This article contains references to suicide.
Six weeks after her shocking death by suicide, 55-year-old Food Network star Anne Burrell made her last television appearance in the Season 29 premiere of her popular Worst Cooks in America competition series.
The show also paid honored her at the end, something the network promised to People will continue. “The series will pay tribute to Anne each week,” Food Network said in a statement.
“Anne Burrell was a one-of-a-kind talent whose loss is being deeply felt by family, friends and fans,” said Warner Bros. Discovery Head of Content Betsy Ayala in a press release June 23. “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.”
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Worst Cooks in America: Talented and Terrible kicked off its latest season Monday night with Burrell’s trademark humor and charm on display throughout, as she playfully teased the latest batch of contestants both to their faces, and in commentary with fellow mentor this season, Gabe Bertaccini.
Mentors manage their team of “recruits” in an effort to help them go from amateur to pro-level chefs in a matter of weeks. Ultimately, after each team eliminates one hopeful per week, the show is left with a final winner who gets $25,000.
Bertaccini had nothing but praise for his late co-star after his first season on the show, telling People after her death that she “was so invested in it,” adding, “It was her baby. She wasn’t there for the paycheck.”
“The love, the authentic love that she had for the contestants, for the cooks, the love that she had to really teach them,” he added. “She was there to teach them how to cook, it wasn’t just a show.”
For the premiere tribute, the show ended with an image of Burrell smiling, captioned, “In Memoriam / Anne Burrell / 1969-2025.” This was followed by a card reading, “If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or chat at 988lifeline.org.”
Fans were touched by the tribute, and this opportunity to see her on their screens for one last journey, taking to social media to share their grief and memories of the chef.
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Burrell died June 17 at just 55 years old in her Brooklyn home after she was reportedly found unresponsive. “Anne was a beloved wife, sister, daughter, stepmother, and friend — her smile lit up every room she entered,” her family told the outlet in a statement,” her family told People in a statement after her death.
“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.”
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A month after her death, the NYC Office of Chief Medical Examiner determined her manner of death as suicide, as confirmed to TMZ, and the cause as “acute intoxication due to the combined effects of diphenhydramine, ethanol, cetirizine, and amphetamine.”
Season 29 will mark the end of Burrell’s journey to help some of the worst cooks in America trade up their talents and emerge … better, at least. It is also a tribute to her sparkling wit and beautiful disposition, with the entirety of the show serving as just one piece of her legacy.
Anne Burrell’s final season, Worst Cooks in America: Talented and Terrible, will continue each Monday at 9 p.m. ET on Food Network, with episodes available to stream on HBO Max the following day.
If you or someone you know needs help, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741, or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.
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