Food Network announces final Anne Burrell episode, plus special programming to honor the late chef
Food Network has announced the air date for celebrity chef Anne Burrell's final appearance on "Worst Cooks in America" in the wake of the longtime host's sudden death last week.
Food Network announced Monday that it will air Burrell's final appearance on the show on Monday, July 28. The network will also air "a curated selection of encore episodes featuring Anne" on Wednesday, June 25, starting at 10 p.m. ET, to "highlight her extraordinary talent as a chef, competitor and teacher."
"Anne Burrell was a one-of-a-kind talent whose loss is being deeply felt by family, friends and fans," Betsy Ayala, head of food content for Warner Bros. Discovery, said in the announcement. "With these special programming events, we hope to honor Anne and celebrate her impact on Food Network and beyond, and to offer fans a way to remember her passion and culinary prowess that ran through everything she did."
Burrell was found "unconscious and unresponsive" inside her Brooklyn home just before 8 a.m. on June 17, according to police. An autopsy to determine the cause of her death will be performed, the Office of Chief Medical Examiner said last week.
When is Anne Burrell's final Food Network episode airing on Food Network?
The new season of "Worst Cooks in America" featuring Burrell's final appearance as a mentor will premiere on Food Network on Monday, July 28, at 9 p.m. ET and stream the next day on HBO Max.
"The new season, dubbed 'Worst Cooks in America: Talented and Terrible,' showcases recruits who are professional performers and used to stealing the spotlight, but in the kitchen, they are dishing out disasters," Food Network said in a press release. "Anne was joined by boot camp's newest mentor, Chef Gabe Bertaccini, as they worked together to turn these culinary flops into food masters."
"In the premiere episode, chefs Anne Burrell and Gabe Bertaccini have their work cut out for them as they attempt to turn a bunch of culinary train wrecks into kitchen stars, but first, they need to know what they are up against," the press release continued. "The recruits kick things off with their signature showstopper dish, and in the main dish challenge, they tackle the ultimate test: recreating the chefs' 'winner winner chicken dinner.' Those with promise move on while the rest face elimination. Across the season, with guidance from Anne and Gabe, the recruits will tackle restaurant classics, try to master global cuisines, and compete in the fan-favorite Remote Control Chef challenge, in their bid to be the best of the worst."
How to watch special Anne Burrell programming on Food Network
Below, see the full schedule of episodes that will air on June 25.
"Guy's Grocery Games" -- "All-Stars and A-Lister Dinners" at 10 p.m. ET/PT
"Culinary titans Anne Burrell, Eric Greenspan, Jet Tila and Marcel Vigneron aren't spared Guy Fieri's twists when a bowling game selects some strikingly bizarre ingredients for a hearty lunch," the episode description reads. "Next, the chefs have to think outside the boxed foods and make their best dish using processed items from the middle aisles of the store. Then, the chefs experience real highs and lows when the feared Food Wheel determines the high-end and low-end ingredients in their A-list dinner."
"Worst Cooks in America: Worst of the Worst" at 11 p.m. ET/PT
"Count down the top 15 worst dishes ever from 'Worst Cooks in America.' Terrible cooks from across the land present their worst-ever creations, from inedible spicy dishes to crazy flavor combinations that chefs didn't dare taste. There's even a winning dish in which the recruit might have lost a fake nail," the episode description reads.
"Worst Cooks in America: Boot Camp Diaries" at 11:30 p.m. ET/PT
"Take a deep dive into the boot camp training on Worst Cooks in America. The colorful cast of terrible cooks display their 'skills' -- from crazy knife techniques to struggles with mysterious vegetables -- and almost burn down the camp with grease fires. Chef mentors will teach, but there's only so much that Worst Cooks can learn!" a description reads.
