Anne Burrell’s Food Network co-star and close friend has recalled the pair’s poignant final conversation just days before her death aged 55.
Burrell — who famously hosted Secrets of a Restaurant Chef and co-hosted Worst Cooks in America — died at her Brooklyn, New York apartment on Tuesday – with harrowing new details of her demise recently released.
Restaurateur Melba Wilson spoke with Burrell the week before her sudden death and said the star seemed ‘healthy, vibrant and beautiful’ with no signs of illness – amid reports the star went into ‘cardiac arrest.’
She told TMZ: ‘Anne never mentioned anything about being sick. That’s why this is such a shock to us. She was healthy. She was vibrant. She was beautiful.
‘If you saw Anne, Anne could light up any room she walked into. So to know that she went to sleep and just didn’t wake up is heartbreaking.
‘Fifty five, this is not supposed to happen to a healthy 55-year-old. It’s unbelievable to know that someone so vibrant and full of life is no longer with us.
Recalling her birthday party a few weeks before Burrell’s death, Wilson said: ‘Anne was fine. We talked about karaoke because we love to do karaoke’. adding the star ‘loved games, dancing and backgammon.
‘I think this is a tough time for so many of us that knew Anne and that loved her… it was totally unexpected.’
The pair first met on Beat Bobby Flay, with Wilson saying Burrell’s legacy was ‘laughter.’
Wilson reflected on Burrell’s final charitable act when she helped her give away turkeys to New Yorkers during Thanksgiving 2024.
This comes after Burrell’s celebrity chef friend Flay shared an emotional tribute.
Flay, 60, posted a photo of Anne cuddling two of her cats as he revealed the most memorable token she gave him.
‘The greatest gift I got from AB was turning me on to a world of Maine Coon Cats (including Nacho)… a gift that I’ll have forever,’ he said in reference to his pet cat Nacho.
Noting Burrell’s Food Network series, which he guest-starred on for four seasons, he said, ‘Worst Cooks in America was the funnest show on TV. All of your co-hosts (me included) were just alongside for the Anne Burrell ride.’
The end of the heartfelt tribute read: ‘#unforgettable.’
Burrell’s impact on Flay was evident on Father’s Day as he raved about being a ‘cat dad.’
Sharing clips of his orange-colored feline in a joint post with his cat food business, Made By Nacho, he wrote, ‘The recipe for Made by Nacho: Take one chef, add lifelong cat obsession, simmer for decades ✨ This is what cat-dad-since-forever looks like.’
The two chefs had a shared love for their animals, with Burrell often posting images of her cats online as well.
Law enforcement sources told TMZ that Burrell was found unresponsive and lying on the shower floor by her husband Stuart Claxton early Tuesday morning.
Claxton reportedly last saw his wife alive at approximately 1AM, before finding her unconscious in their bathroom six or seven hours later.
Anne’s cause of death has not yet been reported by the Office of Chief Medical Examiner, and an investigation is ongoing.
‘Anne was a beloved wife, sister, daughter, stepmother, and friend — her smile lit up every room she entered,’ her family said in a statement obtained by DailyMail.com Tuesday.
‘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,’ they shared.
A Food Network spokesperson added, ‘Anne was a remarkable person and culinary talent – teaching, competing and always sharing the importance of food in her life and the joy that a delicious meal can bring.
‘Our thoughts are with Anne’s family, friends and fans during this time of tremendous loss.’
The TV chef, recognized by her trademark spiky platinum hair, is survived by Claxton, whom she wed in October 2021 in her hometown of Cazenovia, New York.
Other surviving family members are her mother Marlene, sister Jane, brother Ben, and her children Isabella, Amelia and Nicolas.
After earning a degree in English and Communications from Canisius College in Buffalo in 1991, she enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, graduating in 1996.
She was later thrust into the spotlight as she became known as the longtime host of Worst Cooks in America.
