Food Network’s Tone-Deaf Promotion After Anne Burrell’s Death

Food Network made a considerable misstep on Thursday with a promotion related to Anne Burrell. Instead of offering a somber tribute, they shared an upbeat marketing message for “The Worst Cook,” full of puns and emojis. This felt particularly insensitive since fans had just learned about her tragic passing that same day. It’s hard to believe how disconnected this message was from the reality of the moment.

“There is a new batch of recruits in the #WorstCooks kitchen!” the post exclaimed.

There is a new batch of recruits in #worstcooks kitchen! 🚨 These professional performers are used to stealing the spotlight, but in the kitchen they are paying disasters 🫣

Can you have a new mentor with Anne Burrell? @gabebertaccini Turning through the wreckage of a talented culinary train…

The post continued, “Can Anne Burrell and new mentor @gabebertaccini turn the destruction of a talented cooking train into a kitchen star? This season of America’s worst chef was filmed prior to her early passing. Watch fans enjoy the digital content we filmed on set, doing what she loved.”

For a network that relies heavily on personality-driven content, their failure to acknowledge the situation was glaring.

“The timing is bad,” I noted, adding that perhaps this should have been postponed to allow her friends and family to honor her properly. Another user echoed similar sentiments, suggesting the promotion should have been paused altogether to show respect.

Food Network clearly missed the mark here. Instead of depth and compassion, they delivered what felt like a generic and pre-packaged fluff. Fans responded with disappointment, making it clear they wouldn’t overlook this misjudgment.

“Did your social media team think no one would notice this promotion after today’s news?” I questioned. It felt disrespectful to both Burrell and her colleagues.

“This should have been handled more honestly,” another user commented, while someone else bluntly remarked on the thoughtlessness of the timing.

Many viewers felt the need to express their outrage, wondering who was responsible for the post. “It’s completely rude. Who wrote this? And really, what awful timing,” one user remarked.

That very day, it was confirmed that Burrell had died by suicide, with authorities stating the cause was “acute poisoning due to the combined effects of diphenhydramine, ethanol, cetirizine, and amphetamine.” Burrell passed away at 55, after being found unresponsive in her Brooklyn home on June 17th.