Anne Burrell Found Unresponsive in Shower by Husband Before EMS Arrived

Anne Burrell's husband was the person who found her unresponsive and lying on the floor of their shower ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Burrell's husband, Stuart Claxton, found her unconscious in the bathroom early Tuesday morning.

We're told Claxton last saw her alive around 1 AM the night before ... then found her between six and seven hours later in the shower. He then called 911.

Our sources say the 911 operator advised him to perform CPR ... but her body was cold, and it's unclear if he actually did CPR or not.

While a medical examiner has not yet determined her official cause of death, a rep for the NYC Fire Department said the incident was reported to them as a cardiac arrest.

As we told you ... EMS personnel went to Burrell's Brooklyn home Tuesday morning and attempted CPR, but they were unable to revive her.

Burrell hosted numerous cooking shows over the years, including "Worst Cooks in America," and "Secrets of a Restaurant Chef" after graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in 1996. Numerous Food Network stars paid tribute to her after her untimely passing.

Burrell is survived by her stepson, her brother, her sister, her mother, and her husband. She was 55.