Anne Burrell - YouTube

Worst Cooks in America is back for Season 30, complete with a new subtitle. The new season already boasts a star-studded cast. Tragically, this also follows the d3ath of series personality Anne Burrell.

Food Network’s Worst Cooks In America Paid Tribute To Anne Burrell With The Start Of Season 29

Worst Cooks in America is a Food Network show in which contestants, known as “recruits,” go through a culinary boot camp. Learning all sorts of culinary schools, the final challenge is cooking a lavish meal for food critics. While originally filmed in New York City, later seasons also filmed out of the United Kingdom.

Throughout the years, the series has seen many prominent celebrity cooks and chefs have served as mentors on the show. This included figures like Rachael Ray, Bobby Flay, and Alton Brown.
Anne Burrell | YouTubeAnne Burrell – YouTube
Anne Burrell served as a co-host on the show and continued to remain a big part of the series, although she did not appear in Season 28. Thanks to this, she served as the winning mentor on multiple seasons of the show.

Tragically, Burrell passed away on June 17, 2025, at the age of 55. According to People, her d3ath was later ruled a suicide and was attributed to the effects of diphenhydramine, ethanol, cetirizine, and amphetamine.

Following Burrell’s d3ath, the series paid tribute to her during the Season 29 premiere. Airing in July, the episode featured the dedication, “In Memoriam. Anne Burrell. 1969 – 2025.” Burrell was featured in the season, although it was broadcast after her d3ath.

Information Has Also Been Shared Over Season 30

Food Network will celebrate the new year with the release of Worst Cooks in America’s 30th season. Premiering on January 4, 2026, at 8 PM ET/PT, the series will be given the subtitle, Worst Cooks in America: Reality Check.

As shared by the outlet, this time, fan-favorite chef Jeff Mauro will team up with Tiffany Derry. The two will lead rival teams until one is crowned the champion, winning $25,000 for the charity of their choice.
Anne Burrell | YouTubeAnne Burrell – YouTube
This season will have a celebrity lineup from all facets of media, from reality TV to sports. According to the outlet, these celebs include “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Lisa Barlow, TV personality Downtown Julie Brown, Dancing with the Stars pro Val Chmerkovskiy, Shahs of Sunset alum Reza Farahan, Love & Hip Hop: Miami standout Amara La Negra, Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte, RuPaul’s Drag Race legend Manila Luzon, rapper and actor Romeo Miller, 7th Heaven’s Beverley Mitchell and The Challenge powerhouse CT Tamburello.” Keeping with the star-studded theme, this season will feature entertainment-themed challenges.

Betsy Ayala, head of content, food at Warner Bros. Discovery, also shared a statement, “The kitchen is not where this season’s celebrity recruits shine. But Jeff and Tiffany are determined to change that. Worst Cooks is where comedy and cooking chaos collide, but in the end, some impressive culinary transformations will blow our audience away.”

Have you been keeping up with Worst Cooks in America? What is your reaction to the new season? Did you watch Anne Burrell on the show? Make sure you come back to TV Shows Ace for all the latest reality TV and celebrity news.