The Food Network will be paying tribute to late star Anne Burrell with a pair of special events over the next two months, Warner Bros. Discovery announced on Monday.
On Wednesday night, the cable channel will air “a curated selection of encore episodes featuring Anne” that will highlight her tenure as a chef, competitor and teacher. This will include an appearance of hers on “Guy’s Grocery Games” at 10 p.m. ET, followed by two clip show reruns of “Worst Cooks in America” — entitled “Worst of the Worst” and “Boot Camp Diaries.”
Then on July 28, “Worst Cooks in America” Season 29 will premiere with Burrell returning as host alongside “Ciao House” chef Gabe Bertaccini. Since the cooking competition series’ debut in 2010, Burrell hosted all but the most recent season. Instead, she starred as a competitor on “House of Knives” Season 1 this spring and made it all the way to the finale.
“Anne Burrell was a one-of-a-kind talent whose loss is being deeply felt by family, friends and fans,” Betsy Ayala, Head of Content and Food at Warner Bros. Discovery, said in a Monday statement. “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.”
Burrell died at her home in Brooklyn, New York, last Tuesday. She was 55, and her cause of death has not been made public.
“Anne was a beloved wife, sister, daughter, stepmother, and friend — her smile lit up every room she entered,” her family said in a statement. “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.”
After getting her start on television as a sous chef on “Iron Chef America,” Burrell became a Food Network favorite on shows like “Secrets of a Restaurant Chef,” “Chef Wanted,” “Chopped” and, of course, “Worst Cooks.” She is survived by her husband Stuart Claxon, his son Javier, her mother Marlene, sister Jane and brother Ben.
“Worst Cooks in America: Talented and Terrible” premieres July 28 at 9 p.m. ET on the Food Network.
