The sudden death of Food Network star Anne Burrell has left the culinary world and her fans reeling. A beloved fixture on the network for over two decades, Burrell built deep bonds with many of her co-stars, but none more enduring than with her longtime Worst Cooks in America co-host. In the wake of her passing, he shared a heartfelt tribute honoring their friendship and expressing profound grief.
For seven seasons, Tyler Florence was Burrell’s co-host on Worst Cooks in America. Together, they acted as mentors and instructors for the recruits, guiding them through culinary boot camp and assessing their progress.
On Instagram, Florence shared his shock regarding Burrell’s death. He called their friendship a “true gift.”
He began, “If you make it onto the Food Network, you’re lucky. Not only do you get a chance to share your passion for food and cooking with millions of people, but your colleagues… the ones you work with, hang out with, travel the world with, go to food festivals with, and learn from, that’s the true gift.”
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“We lost Anne today. My co-star on her hit show Worst Cooks in America, for seven seasons. I’m heartbroken. So are Tolan and the kids. She loved our family deeply. We spent our summers in NYC filming WC’s and we all went out to dinner once a week as a big family,” he added.
Florence called Burrell “Mensa smart with a razor wit and sincere kindness.” He spoke of her love of animals, especially her cats, and how she “lit up a room.”
The celebrity chef concluded his friend was a “very special person who shared her love of cooking with a generation. I was lucky to have a front row seat to watch her gift.”
“Anne had a collage of star tattoos on her left arm. I asked her what they meant, and she said she loved the night sky. And, how lucky she felt to be a star. She was one of the brightest. There’s a new star in the sky tonight. I see you, Anne. With all your sparkle, looking down.”
The duo co-hosted the cooking competition series for seasons 6, 8, 12, 13, 15, 16, and 19. She did not appear in the eighth celebrity edition of Worst Cooks in America debuted in January 2025, hosted by The Kitchen star Jeff Mauro and chef Antonia Lofaso.
