A chef who was in Anne Burrell's final social media post has opened up about a heartbreaking promise the star made shortly before her death.

Anne Burrell has died at the age of 55. Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for City Harvest

Burrell tragically died at the age of 55, discovered unresponsive in the shower of her Brooklyn, New York, home on the morning of June 17, following a night at a local improv show.

Her husband, Stuart Claxton, reportedly last saw her alive around 1:00AM, then found her cold, unconscious body at approximately 7:50AM, according to TMZ.

He immediately called 911 and was advised to perform CPR.

A New York City Fire Department source later told Page Six the caller believed she had suffered “cardiac arrest” and was “DOA [dead on arrival]”.

EMS pronounced her deceased at the scene, per NYPD officials. An official cause of death is still under investigation, pending an autopsy by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Burrell’s family issued a heartfelt statement: “Anne was a beloved wife, sister, daughter, stepmother, and friend — her smile lit up every room she entered.

“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.”

In her final social media post, Anne shared that she had just eaten Elizabeth Falkner's Mexican cuisine and that she had a good night catching up with friends.

Anne Burrell. Credit: Manny Carabel/Getty Images

Elizabeth has since taken to Instagram to pay her respects.

"I know we’re all in shock to hear about our friend @chefanneburrell," she wrote. "I just reconnected with Anne last week when I was in NYC and we were saying, let’s just make a point of talking more often and getting together when we can."

She went on: "It’s always so strange to post things on Instagram like this, but I just want to say that I always admired her and her cooking. We hung out back in the OG days late nights in NY here and there.

"She was a fierce and fun culinary competitor and when we did Next Iron Chef together years ago, we were competitive but we had fun too. Especially one night when we went karaoke singing in Santa Monica.

"We just sang some songs and laughed. And it was so good to see her last week and I feel blessed that she came to my dinner and she thanked me profusely for inviting her. We made a vow to be even better friends. 

"You will seriously be missed Chef."

Born in Cazenovia, New York, in 1969, Anne studied English and Communications at Canisius College before graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in 1996.

Her career began with training in Italy and positions at Felidia under Lidia Bastianich and the Savoy in Soho.

By the early 2000s, she was teaching at the Institute of Culinary Education before launching her television career on Iron Chef America.

Her 2008 Emmy-nominated series Secrets of a Restaurant Chef ran for nine seasons, and she became a fixture on shows like Chopped, Chef Wanted, Food Network Star, and The Best Thing I Ever Ate.

Anne is survived by her husband Stuart Claxton, stepson Javier, mother Marlene, sister Jane, brother Ben, and nieces and nephews Isabella, Amelia, and Nicolas.

Featured image credit: Santiago Felipe / Getty