{"id":29133,"date":"2025-06-21T18:23:33","date_gmt":"2025-06-21T18:23:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/?p=29133"},"modified":"2025-06-21T18:23:33","modified_gmt":"2025-06-21T18:23:33","slug":"why-anne-burrell-took-a-break-from-hosting-worst-cooks-in-america-before-her-death","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/?p=29133","title":{"rendered":"Why Anne Burrell took a break from hosting \u2018Worst Cooks in America\u2019 before her death"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Anne Burrell stepped back from television a year before her tragic death.<\/p>\n

The celebrity chef, who\u00a0died at age 55 on Tuesday<\/a>, hosted the beloved Food Network series \u201cWorst Cooks in America\u201d for 27 seasons, from its inception in 2010 to 2024.<\/p>\n

In March, Burrell went on Tori Spelling\u2019s\u00a0\u201cmisSPELLING\u201d<\/em>\u00a0podcast<\/a>\u00a0and opened up about the reason she took a break from the show.<\/p>\n

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\"Anne8<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>
Anne Burrell.Erik Pendzich\/Shutterstock<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI can cook, yes, I can do TV, but also, what else? I\u2019ve got more to do in my life, I feel like,\u201d she told the \u201cBeverly Hills, 90210\u201d star, 52.<\/p>\n

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\u201cInterestingly, I just started taking acting classes. I started yesterday, actually \u2026 It\u2019s like an improv for actors\u2019 class,\u201d she explained. \u201cI got there and it\u2019s like eight people in the class. I\u2019m the oldest one. Every other person has like, \u2018Oh, I have a master\u2019s in fine arts in theater.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

For Burrell, taking a leap into the theatrical world was a whole new experience.<\/p>\n

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\"Anne8<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>
Anne Burrell at the Food and Wine Festival.Scott Moore\/Shutterstock<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI\u2019m like, \u2018OK, I\u2019ve never taken an acting class. I don\u2019t know, this is new to me.\u2019 I wonder if these delightful and super talented kids look at me and they\u2019re like, \u2018What\u2019s this old lady doing here?\u2019\u201d she said at the time.<\/p>\n

Burrell added she was \u201cjust dipping my toe\u201d into acting.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel very excited about it,\u201d she gushed. \u201cI\u2019ve got a few other things that I\u2019m working on as well, which I\u2019m not quite ready to share yet. Hopefully, exciting [are] things coming.\u201d<\/p>\n

While on the podcast, the\u00a0kitchen guru also got candid on tying the knot<\/a>\u00a0with Stuart Claxton in 2021 and becoming a step-mom to his son, Javier. The couple first met on the dating app Bumble in 2018.<\/p>\n

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\"Anne8<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>
Anne Burrell at a Grand Tasting.Gcaballero\/Southbeachphoto\/Shutterstock<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Spelling inquired if Burrell purposely waited until later in life to settle down.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom when I was a kid, I don\u2019t know why, but I always was like, I am not getting married until I feel like I have something in life to share,\u201d the Food Network alum recalled. \u201cUntil I have accomplished stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n

And in her 20s and 30s, Burrell said she was \u201cliving my best life!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was like, living the rock star chef life. I was working a lot, and I had a great social life.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Anne8<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>
Anne Burrell during \u201cWorst Cooks in America.\u201dInstagram\/@officialworstcooks<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Then, one day, Burrell thought a change was necessary.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just started to feel like, all right, you\u2019re getting a little old to keep on doing this,\u201d she confessed. \u201cKids were never on my radar, really,\u201d the cook confessed. \u201cI love being an aunt. I have nieces and nephews. So I\u2019m like, [being a stepmom] is the perfect amount of parenting for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

A month later, Burrell gushed over married life, telling the\u00a0Daily Mail<\/a>: \u201cOctober will be four years. It seems like it\u2019s been four minutes. I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s a honeymoon [phase] but I feel like it\u2019s settled into married life days which I really enjoy.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Anne8<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>
Anne Burrell during her Food Network run.Instagram\/@officialworstcooks<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

She also gave her other half a sweet shout-out on Valentine\u2019s Day in 2022, penning on Instagram, \u201cYou make me the happiest girl in the world!!! I love you to the moon and back my sweet!!!\u201d<\/p>\n

Burrell\u2019s family confirmed the news of her death in a heartbreaking statement\u00a0to People<\/a>\u00a0on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnne was a beloved wife, sister, daughter, stepmother, and friend \u2014 her smile lit up every room she entered,\u201d they said. \u201cAnne\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

A cause of death has yet to be revealed.<\/p>\n

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\"Jeff8<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>
Jeff Mauro and Anne Burrell.Jason DeCrow<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

That same day, police officers shared that EMS \u201cresponded and pronounced her deceased on scene,\u201d sharing that the 911 call was originally for\u00a0a reported cardiac arrest<\/a>.<\/p>\n

On Thursday, sources told The Post Burell\u2019s body was\u00a0found next to dozens of pills<\/a>. The author\u2019s death is still an ongoing investigation.<\/p>\n

After her passing, a representative from Food Network shared with The Post: \u201cAnne was a remarkable person and culinary talent \u2014 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\u2019s family, friends and fans during this time of tremendous loss.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Anne8<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>
Anne Burrell from \u201cWorst Cooks in America.\u201dInstagram\/@officialworstcooks<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Friends of Burrell\u2019s from her time on the channel also\u00a0spoke out after her passing<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Beau MacMillan, who co-hosted Season 1 of \u201cWorst Cooks in America\u201d with Burrell,\u00a0told The Post on Wednesday<\/a>, \u201cThe news hit me like a gut punch. Anne was bigger\u00a0than life, whether\u00a0she was running a kitchen\u00a0or filming a show, you knew she was in charge.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the most\u00a0beloved icons of our industry, she inspired\u00a0millions of people,\u201d the 54-year-old expressed. \u201cShe was smart, talented\u00a0and so much fun to be around. She has left us way too soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Chef8<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>
Chef Anne Burrell at her home.Brian Zak\/Page Six<\/p>\n

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Fellow chef Alex Guarnaschelli, for her part, wrote\u00a0in an Instagram post<\/a>: \u201cMake this moment about her. She\u2019d want you to go out, raise a glass, sing karaoke (including this Sia song\u2013one of her favorite \u201cWorst Cooks\u201d warm up songs) and be able to say, like she does,\u00a0#ilovewhatido<\/a>\u00a0\u2013so do it for her. In her honor.\u201d<\/p>\n

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    Anne Burrell stepped back from television a year before her tragic death. The celebrity chef, who\u00a0died at age 55 on Tuesday, hosted the beloved Food Network series \u201cWorst … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":29134,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29133","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29133","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=29133"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29133\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29135,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29133\/revisions\/29135"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/29134"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=29133"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=29133"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=29133"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}