Chef Elle Simone Scott Dies at 49 After Cancer Battle

Elle Simone Scott, a pioneering chef and cookbook author renowned for her role on PBS's America's Test Kitchen, died on January 5 at age 49 after an eight-year battle with ovarian cancer.

Scott, who lived in Boston, was first diagnosed with stage 1 ovarian cancer in 2016, the same year she joined the long-running cooking show as its first Black woman cast member. Her death was announced on January 7 by fellow chef Carla Hall, a close friend, via social media. "Chef Elle Simone Scott was a friend, a force, and a trailblazer," Hall wrote on Facebook. "She showed up with excellence, generosity, and deep love for food and community."

America's Test Kitchen confirmed the news the following day on Instagram and in a statement from Chief Content Officer Dan Souza. "Scott brought warmth and a vibrant spirit to everything she did," Souza said. "Friends and colleagues will remember her for her ability to create community and provide opportunities for others, both inside and outside of work. Her legacy will live on at America's Test Kitchen and in the homes and hearts of the millions of home cooks whose lives she touched."

Born LaShawnda Sherise Simone Scott on November 28, 1976, in...