Who was Anne Burrell married to? All about her family as Food Network host and celebrity chef dies at 55

Anne Burrell, the platinum blonde celebrity chef who hosted Worst Cooks in America, has passed away at 55. Citing a statement by the late chef's representatives, People magazine reported that Burrell died in her home in Brooklyn, New York, on Tuesday, June 17, 2025.

Burrell rose to fame starring as a sous chef in the Food Network show Iron Chef America. Her stint on the show led to her own Emmy-nominated program, Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, in 2008. It ran for nine seasons. Since then, the chef had become a regular on Food Network and even authored two cookbooks.

She married Stuart Claxton in October 2021, after meeting on Bumble in 2018. She was a mother to his stepson, Javier.

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In the statement, Anne Burrell's family noted that her "smile lit up every room she entered," adding:

"(Her) 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."

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Stuart Claxton proposed to Anne Burrell in her hometown of Cazenovia during the COVID-19 pandemic

Anne Burrell first met Stuart Claxton on the dating app Bumble in 2018. In an April 2020 interview with People magazine, the chef explained that they "both knew immediately" that they were right for each other.

"I don't know if we had both thought of marriage, but we both were like, 'Oh, yeah, this is something. This is really going to be real and this is going to turn into something,'" she explained.

Claxton graduated from Swansea University in 1993 and holds a bachelor's degree in Spanish and philosophy. He later earned a master’s degree in media management in 2008 from the University of Stirling, as per his LinkedIn profile.

Over the course of his career, Claxton worked for Guinness World Records and later at TIME in corporate marketing and client solutions. He briefly worked in industry marketing at Univision before becoming VP of Marketing at NextUp in January 2023.

Claxton proposed to Anne Burrell in 2020 in her hometown of Cazenovia, New York. Notably, it was the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the pair were isolating in the city with their family.

In her interview, the chef explained that her mother helped Stuart plan a date night, where the latter proposed. Claxton told People he got the right nearly a month and a half before, saying:

"I got the ring right before we left for Cazenovia (over a month and a half ago), when we didn't really know how long things were going to go on. But I'm very glad I did it."

The couple eventually tied the knot in October 2021 in Cazenovia. During her appearance on Rachel Ray's (Ray was a bridesmaid at the wedding) eponymous YouTube show around the time, Anne Burrell explained that the wedding was "magical," adding:

"I was like, 'I want the fairy tale! I'm only going to be a bride once!'"

In a 2023 discussion with People, Stuart noted that married life had been "wonderful." He revealed that they hadn't lived together before their wedding, and thus it had been "a whole adventure."

After marriage, Anne became a stepmom to Claxton's son from a previous marriage. He has made several appearances on Anne Burrell's social media over the years, and the pair shared a warm relationship. According to the celebrity chef's Instagram page, Javier was born in 2005.

Javier has stayed away from the public eye, with his IG profile kept private.

In a July 2024 interview with Broken Plane, Anne Burrell revealed her stepson was studying at college.

At the time, she explained she was a Mets fan and frequently went to the ballpark, where she loved to stop by to "get a chicken parm." She added that Javier worked at the said food "stand" while home from college.

According to the Economic Times, he served as his father's best man during the wedding and even gave a heartfelt speech during the reception. However, this remains unconfirmed.

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Police rushed to Burrell's home a little before 8 am on Tuesday and found the chef unresponsive. She was soon pronounced dead. A cause of death will be determined following an autopsy, reported AP News.

Anne Burrell is survived by her husband, stepson, mother, Marlene, and siblings, Jane and Ben.

Edited by Prem Deshpande