Rachael Ray is mourning the loss of her close friend, Anne Burrell.
The cookbook author, 56, has spoken out for the first time after it was revealed that the world-renowned chef host died on Tuesday at age 55.
“The news about Anne has truly shaken us. John and I are heartbroken,” Ray wrote on Instagram Wednesday beneath a slew of photos of the pair. “I can’t quite believe it — such a strong, vibrant, fearless woman, so full of life and love, could be gone so soon.”
She added, “Anne was a rockstar! I came to know her well through multiple seasons of Worst Cooks on Food Network, and she became so much more than a colleague.”
Their bond went far beyond the kitchen, as Ray also served as a bridesmaid in Burrell’s 2021 wedding to husband Stuart Claxton.
“Anne honored me by asking me to be her bridesmaid, something I’d only done once before for my sister. Despite being surrounded by incredible chefs, she never once made me feel self-conscious about not being one — she always treated me as one of the gang,” Ray continued.
The television personality went on to detail their time together while working on “Worst Cooks in America,” sharing that “we had the most incredible laughs.”
“She even cooked for me and my guests at my wedding anniversary in Italy.”
“I’ll never forget walking into our dressing rooms at Food Network studios early in the morning and hearing her blasting the song of the moment down the hall,” Ray recalled. “Anne had great taste in music and in life — she was a force in the kitchen, in any room, in every life she touched.”
“I’ll miss her friendship deeply,” she concluded. “Everyone whose life she touched will miss her. Sending love to Stuart and everyone who knew and loved Anne. We’ve lost someone truly special.”
Burrell hosted “Worst Cooks in America” on Food Network for 27 seasons, from its inception in 2010 to 2024. Ray was a judge on the series from 2015 to 2017.
After news of her death broke, a representative from Food Network shared with The Post: “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.”
Burrell’s family shared the news of her death in a statement to People on Tuesday.
“Anne was a beloved wife, sister, daughter, stepmother, and friend — her smile lit up every room she entered,” they said. “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.”
The New York City Police Department revealed that Burrell was found “unconscious and unresponsive” and pronounced dead at her home in Brooklyn.
Police told People on Tuesday that at about 7:50 a.m., law enforcement from the 76th Precinct responded to “an unconscious and unresponsive 55-year-old female.”
Officers said that EMS “responded and pronounced her deceased on scene,” with paramedics originally responding to a 911 call about a reported cardiac arrest.
A rep for the New York City Fire Department told Page Six on Wednesday that the 911 caller claimed Burrell suffered a “cardiac arrest” and was “DOA [dead on arrival].”
In December, Burrell was a guest on Ray’s podcast, “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead,” where she spoke about her passion for cooking.
“I always from when I was a little, little girl, loved the idea of hospitality and providing and sort of spreading joy,” she explained. “My mom hates it when I say this, but I’m like, ‘Oh, as a chef, I’m a professional pleasure provider.’”
“She’s like, ‘Do you have to say it that way?’ I’m like, ‘Yes. Yes. I do,’” Burrell confessed. “But I have memories of being a little girl and, like, at Thanksgiving, loving to ‘Can we use the good silverware and the fancy dishes?’ and setting the table like that?”
For the celebrity chef, she credited her mentality for helping shape her decades long career.
“I think that that has just sort of morphed into, like, my love language, and I’m a provider,” she said. Burrell teased that “going over the top and providing and giving” is “in a chef’s DNA.”
“That’s what we do, and we derive pleasure from giving other people pleasure. That’s the joy that we feel.”