The world misplaced an excellent chef in Anne Burrell, however Rachael Ray is mourning the demise of one among her dearest buddies.
“The information about Anne has really shaken us. John and I are heartbroken,” Ray, 56, shared via Instagram on Wednesday, June 18, referring to her husband John Cusimano. “I can’t fairly consider it — such a robust, vibrant, fearless lady, so energetic and love, might be gone so quickly. Anne was a rockstar! I got here to know her effectively by a number of seasons of Worst Cooks on Meals Community, and she or he grew to become a lot greater than a colleague.”
She continued, “Anne honored me by asking me to be her bridesmaid, one thing I’d solely completed as soon as earlier than for my sister. Regardless of being surrounded by unimaginable cooks, she by no means as soon as made me really feel self-conscious about not being one — she all the time handled me as one of many gang. After we hosted Worst Cooks collectively, we had probably the most unimaginable laughs. She even cooked for me and my company at my wedding ceremony anniversary in Italy.”
Ray recalled Burrell “blasting the track of the second” in her dressing room whereas they have been filming at Meals Community collectively.
“Anne had nice style in music and in life — she was a drive within the kitchen, in any room, in each life she touched,” she concluded. “I’ll miss her friendship deeply. Everybody whose life she touched will miss her. Sending like to Stuart and everybody who knew and cherished Anne. We’ve misplaced somebody really particular.”
Ray’s touching tribute got here after Us Weekly confirmed that Burrell died on Tuesday, June 17, at her residence in Brooklyn, New York. She was 55.
Anne Burrell obtained her begin within the Italian cooking scene earlier than rising to fame as a Meals Community star. Burrell studied on the Culinary Institute of America and the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners within the Piedmont area within the late ‘90s. After finishing her research, Burrell remained in Italy to work in a number of eating places. […]
“Anne was a beloved spouse, sister, daughter, stepmother, and good friend — her smile lit up each room she entered,” Burrell’s household instructed Us in a press release on Tuesday. “Anne’s gentle radiated far past these she knew, touching tens of millions internationally. Although she is not with us, her heat, spirit, and boundless love stay everlasting.”
The Meals Community, the place Burrell labored as an on-air chef and host for many years, additionally praised the late star following her premature demise.
“Anne was a exceptional individual and culinary expertise — educating, competing and all the time sharing the significance of meals in her life and the enjoyment {that a} scrumptious meal can carry,” a spokesperson for the community instructed Us in a press release on the time. “Our ideas are with Anne’s household, buddies and followers throughout this time of great loss.”
Like Ray, Burrell was one of many greatest names on Meals Community previous to her demise. Whereas Ray is greatest recognized for internet hosting Rachael Ray from 2006 to 2023 — which was on numerous native channels throughout the nation — her collection 30 Minute Meals premiered on Meals Community in 2001.
Burrell, in the meantime, gained fame after internet hosting Worst Cooks in America for the community from 2010 to 2024. She additionally competed in opposition to Bobby Flay on Beat Bobby Flay greater than 40 occasions from 2014 to 2023.
As their respective careers grew, Ray and Burrell maintained a detailed bond. Burrell appeared as a visitor on Rachel Ray 23 occasions throughout its run and each cooks had stints on The Greatest Factor I Ever Ate over time.
Meals Community star Anne Burrell gave the impression to be residing life to the fullest within the days earlier than her premature demise. As seen on social media, the Worst Cooks in America host was having fun with totally different facets of her New York neighborhood, together with the great meals at close by eating places, earlier than her household introduced her demise on Tuesday, […]
The celebs most just lately teamed up for a number of seasons of Worst Cooks in America. Ray appeared on seasons 7, 9, 10 and 11, all of which Burrell hosted.
Offscreen, Ray and Burrell have been thick as thieves. When Burrell married Stuart Claxton in October 2021, Ray was one among her 4 bridesmaids. (It was Ray’s first time being part of a bridal party.)
“My stunning bridesmaids!!” Burrell wrote via Instagram forward of the nuptials, singing her squad’s praises. “I really feel so grateful to have such an AMAZING group of good, robust, humorous and simply AMAZING folks round me. I’m really a fortunate woman!!!”
Sandra Lee is paying tribute to Anne Burrell after her demise at age 55. “Anne Burrell was good. She was candy. She was humorous. She was bigger than life. She lived it fully, unabashedly and uniquely,” Lee mentioned in a press release to Us Weekly. “I’ll always remember the primary time I met her in a […]
Later that month, Burrell made one other cameo on Rachael Ray and gushed in regards to the look on social media. “Examine me out cooking with my tremendous good friend and bridesmaid @rachaelray tomorrow!!!” Burrell wrote via Instagram, sharing a photograph from set. “We’re cooking and speaking all issues wedding ceremony!! #ilovewhatido #luckygirl @rachaelrayshow.”
One yr later, Burrell reminisced about working with Ray on Worst Cooks in America, revealing one of many worst dishes the pair have ever tasted.
“There’s one which Rachael Ray and I all the time giggle about as a result of it occurred on a season with [her]. It was this man that, on the primary day of what we name the ‘baseline problem,’ took a can of tuna fish, and I don’t even suppose he actually drained it,” Burrell recalled to Mashed in Could 2022. “And blended it with about two cups of mayonnaise and a jar of — Rachael and I dispute this, she thinks it was grape jelly, I feel it was raspberry jelly — regardless, gross.”
As their friendship continued to flourish, Ray and Burrell all the time had one another’s backs and supported each other’s initiatives. That was the case in December 2024, when Burrell appeared on Ray’s “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead” podcast.
“My good friend Anne Burrell is an unimaginable chef,” Ray mentioned in the course of the episode introduction. “Everybody is aware of her from so many issues. However she’s all the time been so open and trustworthy with me about how human she is also.”
Burrell was relaxed speaking with Ray on the podcast, explaining, “It’s kinda humorous that, ‘Oh, since you’re a troublesome, robust lady, that you may’t be variety and good on the identical time or female.’ That is additionally why I put on skirts within the kitchen. It was a method to all the time keep my femininity.”
Burrell revealed: “Yeah, I’m a badass woman chef and I personal that, and I like that. Particularly for profitable ladies. They’re both robust or in the event that they’re feeling then they’re weak. That sorta irritates the crap out of me.”