Chef Anne Burrell, a longtime co-host of Food Network’s “Worst Cooks in America,” has died by suicide. She was found unconscious and unresponsive in her Brooklyn home on June 17, and the medical examiner determined suicide as her manner of death. Burrell died from acute intoxication due to the combined effects of diphenhydramine, ethanol, cetirizine, and amphetamine. The National Library of Medicine states that diphenhydramine and cetirizine are antihistamines, while ethanol is the most commonly used drug worldwide. The National Library of Medicine advises against taking amphetamine in combination with alcohol due to unpredictable combined effects. Burrell is survived by her husband, Stuart Claxton, his son Javier, her mother, Marlene, her sister, and her children.
Burrell was a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and studied at the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners. She worked at kitchens in New York City under Lidia Bastianich and later led the kitchen at Savoy in SoHo. She transitioned to teaching at the Institute of Culinary Education and began her television career as a sous chef on “Iron Chef America.” Burrell was an early star on Food Network, appearing in shows like “Chopped,” “Chef Wanted,” and “Food Network Star.” The new season of “Worst Cooks in America” premieres on Food Network on July 28, and streams the following day on HBO Max.
