Only now has it been revealed that this was Elle Simone Scott — a star of the PBS cooking show America’s Test Kitchen, who has died of ovarian cancer at the age of 49. Her death was announced by a close friend, who described her as “a force, a trailblazer, and a woman who changed what representation looked like in food media.”
Born in Detroit, she began her professional life as a social worker before making the bold decision to change direction. She worked as a chef for cruise lines, studied culinary arts in New York, collaborated with renowned Manhattan chefs, and eventually broke into television. It was there that her warmth, authority, and professionalism made her one of the most recognizable Black chefs on TV.
Alongside her media career, she founded SheChef — an initiative dedicated to supporting women of color in the culinary industry. Rather than simply talking about inequality, she focused on building solutions and creating positive kitchen cultures where women could thrive without barriers.
Her love for cooking began in childhood, in her grandmother’s kitchen on the west side of Detroit, where she helped prepare food for their church community. And it was that same spirit—of care, generosity, and connection—that viewers felt for years. Her voice may be gone, but the impact she made will live on in every kitchen she inspired and every person who finally saw themselves reflected on screen.