Rachael Ray Says Anne Burrell's Death Left Her 'Shaken'

Rachael Ray is speaking out about her late friend Anne Burrell ... she says the late Food Network star's sudden death is very unnerving.

Rachael, who was a bridesmaid at Anne's wedding, spoke out Wednesday on Anne's passing with an emotional post on social media.

RR's remembering Anne as "a strong, vibrant, fearless woman, so full of life and love" ... and she says she can't believe Burrell is gone so soon.

Rachael and Anne worked together on "Worst Cooks in America," and she says Anne was a "rockstar" who "became so much more than a colleague."

During their time on 'Worst Cooks,' Rachael says Anne "never once made me feel self-conscious about not being one — she always treated me as one of the gang." She says they shared incredible laughs and Anne cooked for her and her guests at her wedding anniversary in Italy.

Rachael's sharing a lasting memory of Anne ... "I'll never forget walking into our dressing rooms at Food Network studios early in the morning and hearing her blasting the song of the moment down the hall. Anne had great taste in music and in life — she was a force in the kitchen, in any room, in every life she touched."