Anne Burrell’s official cause of death revealed after death at 55
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- Anne Burrell’s death at the age of 55 was ruled a suicide by the NYC Medical Examiner.
- The food network star was found dead on June 17.
- Burrell is best known for her tenure on Worst Cooks in America.
New details surrounding Food Network star Anne Burrell’s untimely death have been revealed.
Five weeks after Burrell died at the age of 55, the New York City Medical Examiner has concluded its investigation and ruled her death a suicide.
Her cause of death is specified as “acute intoxication due to the combined effects of diphenhydramine, ethanol, cetirizine, and amphetamine,” Entertainment Weekly has learned. Diphenhydramine and cetirizine are antihistamines, ethanol is a compound found in alcohol and amphetamines are commonly used to treat ADHD.
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On June 17 at around 7:50 a.m., officers from the 76th Precinct in Brooklyn, N.Y., responded to a report of “an unconscious and unresponsive 55-year-old female.” Emergency medical services later arrived and pronounced her deceased on scene.
A subsequent report from the New York Times cited an overdose, stating that Burrell was “discovered in the shower unconscious and unresponsive, surrounded by approximately (100) assorted pills.”
Following the news of her death, a representative for the Food Network told EW, “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 is best known for her tenure on Worst Cooks in America, in which she served as a mentor for 27 seasons. Her final season, Worst Cooks in America: Talented and Terrible, is set to debut on July 28 and will see Burrell face off against brand new boot camp mentor, Italian chef Gabe Bertaccini, to help finesse some truly terrible amateur cooks into budding gourmands.
Food Network
Burrell trained as a chef in Asti, Italy, before returning to her home state of New York. She worked in renowned restaurants, including Felidia and Savoy. She broke into TV when Mario Batali invited her to work for Italian Wine Merchants and later appointed her his sous chef on Iron Chef America in 2005.
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Burrell went on to host her own series, Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, for nine seasons, before landing her longtime gig on Worst Cooks in America. She additionally hosted and competed in several other Food Network shows, from Beat Bobby Flay to The Next Iron Chef.