Fans of Food Network’s Worst Cooks in America are questioning Anne Burrell’s absence from the latest season, Celebrity Edition: Heroes vs. Villains. Burrell herself has acknowledged the fan inquiries on her Instagram account, expressing her own confusion about the situation.
The current season features Jeff Mauro and Antonia Lofaso mentoring a group of ten celebrity amateur cooks. Shortly after the season premiere on January 5th, fans flocked to Burrell’s Instagram posts to inquire about her absence from the long-running competition series.
In response to a comment on a January 10th post, Burrell responded with “Uuuuughhh…I know. And I don’t know. 🫤🤷🏼♀️❤️,” indicating she doesn’t have an explanation for her absence. She echoed this sentiment in a reply to another fan on January 15th, stating, “You and me both Lovely!!! ❤️” in response to a comment expressing disappointment over her not hosting.
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Burrell has been a mainstay on Worst Cooks in America since 2010, serving as a mentor alongside various Food Network personalities like Rachael Ray, Robert Irvine, Bobby Flay, and Tyler Florence.
This season’s celebrity contestants, including Big Brother‘s Frankie Grande, Flavor of Love‘s Tiffany Pollard, and Love Is Blind‘s Bartise Bowden, are divided into “heroes” and “villains” teams, competing for a $25,000 prize for their chosen charities. Mauro leads the heroes team, while Lofaso mentors the villains.
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Both Food Network and Burrell have declined to comment on the situation, leaving fans to speculate about the reason for her absence. This change in hosting duties follows a similar shift in Kids Baking Championship, where Kardea Brown replaced Valerie Bertinelli as co-host alongside Duff Goldman.
The new season of Kids Baking Championship: Amazing Animals features twelve young bakers tackling animal-themed challenges for a chance to win $25,000 and a feature in Food Network Magazine. Brown and Goldman guide the contestants through ten episodes of culinary creations.
Worst Cooks in America Celebrity Edition: Heroes vs. Villains airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on Food Network.
