Shocking Turn: Anne Burrell Wowed Crowds With Laughter and Joy at Improv Show Just Hours Before Tragic, Unexpected Death—Insiders Reveal Celebrity Chef Was “Radiant, Full of Life” on Stage! Fans and Friends Stunned as Mystery Deepens Around Sudden Loss of Beloved Food Network Star

“Everyone said she was so great last night and so happy,” a source tells PEOPLE

Anne Burrell was enjoying her new hobby of improv comedy the night before she died.

The beloved chef died on the morning of Tuesday, June 17, at her home in Brooklyn, N.Y. She was 55. Reps for the star announced Burrell’s death in a release obtained by PEOPLE.

On Monday, June 16, she performed an improv show at The Second City New York in Brooklyn. The show was the finale of her course of improv classes, per her Instagram.

“Everyone said she was so great last night and so happy,” a source tells PEOPLE.

A separate source who was with her at the improv show confirms she “was in great spirits last night during and after the improv show. Typical fun, outgoing Anne, having a blast.”

Everyone is “shocked and confused” because the late chef seemed fine when everyone left the show, the source tells PEOPLE.

Anne Burrell on October 10, 2019 in New York City.Daniel Zuchnik/Getty

Just over a week before her death, on Monday, June 9, Burrell shared with her Instagram followers that she was “having an ABSOLUTE blast” being in the improv classes.

In the previous post, she promoted her Monday, June 16, show. She also added a photo with a few of her classmates, as well as a selfie at The Second City venue.

She first announced she was taking “Improv for Actors” on Wednesday, March 19. “Can I just say it is SO much fun and I am learning so SO much!!! It really helps me get out of my shell… as if I needed that!! #ilovewhatido #luckygirl,” she wrote in the Instagram caption.

The next month, on Monday, April 28, she announced that term 2 for the program began, and shared, “I’m THRILLED to be back!!”

Anne Burrell and Stuart Claxton attend The 2025 Gala: Carnaval on April 22, 2025 in New York City.Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

“We’re are deeply saddened by the loss of our friend and student, Anne Burrell,” Second City New York’s Instagram tribute to Burnell on June 17 read. “She will be missed and remembered as a vibrant part of our Second City New York Training Center community. Anne brought joy, boldness, and an unwavering ‘yes, and’ spirit. Her enthusiasm was contagious, her presence unforgettable. Our thoughts go out to Anne’s family and loved ones.”

Burrell was found “unconscious and unresponsive” at the scene of her death, at about 7:50 a.m. on Tuesday, June 17, the New York City Police Department told PEOPLE. EMS “responded and pronounced her deceased on scene,” police said.

Burrell began her career in television after teaching at the Institute of Culinary Education in the early 2000s.

She went on to star in Iron Chef America, Chef Wanted, Chopped and Worst Cooks in America. In March 2025, the Cazenovia, N.Y., native was featured on the competition series House of Knives.

In addition to her on-camera work, Burrell released two cookbooks: 2011’s Cook Like a Rock Star, which was a New York Times bestseller, and Own Your Kitchen: Recipes to Inspire and Empower.

“Anne was a beloved wife, sister, daughter, stepmother, and friend — her smile lit up every room she entered,” her family said in a statement. “Anne’s light radiated far beyond those she knew, touching millions across the world. Though she is no longer with us, her warmth, spirit, and boundless love remain eternal.”

The Worst Cooks in America host is survived by her husband Stuart Claxton, and his son, Javier, as well as her mother, Marlene, and sister, Jane, her children Isabella, Amelia and Nicolas, and her brother Ben.