Bobby Flay mourned the loss of Anne Burrell by revealing the “greatest gift” she gave him before her untimely death.
The “Beat Bobby Flay” host recalled Burrell’s impact in a touching tribute shared to his Instagram Story Wednesday night.
“The greatest gift I got from AB was turning me on to a world of Maine Coon Cats (including Nacho)… a gift that I’ll have forever,” he wrote, referring to his pet cat Nacho.
He also included a photo of the late celebrity chef cuddling two of her pet Calico Maine Coon cats.
Flay, 60, went on to rave about Burrell’s Food Network series, “Worst Cooks in America,” as the “funnest show on TV.”
“All of your co-hosts (me included) were just alongside for the Anne Burrell ride,” Flay, who guest-starred in four seasons of the show, said.
Flay had just gushed over his love for Nacho in an Instagram post two days before Burrell’s passing.
“The recipe for Made by Nacho: Take one chef, add lifelong cat obsession, simmer for decades ✨,” he captioned the video with his feline friend.
“This is what cat-dad-since-forever looks like,” Flay added.
Likewise, Burrell would often post photos with her cats and even told Page Six last summer how much she loves to sit with her calicos on the terrace of her whimsical Brooklyn, NY, loft.
Flay was just one of the many celebrities to post tributes about Burrell after her family confirmed that she died Tuesday.
The late restaurateur passed away in her New York City apartment at the age of 55. First responders pronounced her dead at the scene on June 17.
While her official cause of death has yet to be revealed amid an ongoing investigation, a 911 caller claimed that she went into cardiac arrest before her heart-wrenching death.
Her husband, Stuart Claxton, reportedly discovered his wife’s cold, unconscious body on the shower floor Tuesday morning.
Law enforcement sources told TMZ that Claxton last saw Burrell alive and well at 1 a.m. — just hours before finding her passed out just before 8 a.m. He swiftly called 911 and was advised to perform CPR.
Burrell, who married Claxton in 2021, spent her final evening having a “blast” at an improv show at The Second City in Brooklyn.
The “Secrets of a Restaurant Chef” alum’s family members told Page Six in a statement Tuesday that Burrell leaves a legacy behind as a “beloved wife, sister, daughter, stepmother, and friend.”
“Her smile lit up every room she entered,” they added.
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