Elle Simone Scott, the first Black woman to be a regular host of the hit PBS show America’s Test Kitchen, has died at the age of 49 after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer. PBS confirmed the news on Thursday January 8, revealing that she had passed on Monday January 5, 2026.
“Scott joined America’s Test Kitchen in 2016 and quickly became part of the fabric of the company. Friends and colleagues will remember Scott for her ability to create community and provide opportunities for others, both inside and outside of work,” the statement read.
“Scott brought warmth and a vibrant spirit to everything she did,” the statement concluded. “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.”
“At America’s Test Kitchen, Elle helped open doors that had long been closed—becoming one of the first Black women audiences saw in the test kitchen, and doing so with grace, authority, and joy,” Elle’s close friend and a fellow chef wrote on social media alongside a picture of Elle smiling while reading Christmas With the Chipmunks.
© Carla Hall“She didn’t just test recipes; she changed what representation looked like in food media,” she continued, “Her voice mattered. Her work mattered. She mattered. Elle faced ovarian cancer with courage and honesty, using her platform to educate, advocate, and uplift even while fighting for her life. That kind of strength leaves a mark.”
Born in 1976 in Detroit, Elle began baking in her ocal kosher bakery but trainewd as a social worker. When she lost her job in 2008, she began working as a cruise ship chef and then studied at the famous Culinary Institute of New York.
© Boston Globe via Getty ImagesElle interned at the Food Network and worked in various roles across the Food Network, Bravo, and the Cooking Channel, before she became the first Black woman to become a regular on-air presence for PBS’ America’s Test Kitchen in 2016.
The show documented her cancer diagnosois.
“Having cancer, or just having a terminal disease in general, really makes you think about your life and how you want to live it for whatever time you have left,” she told WBUR at the time. “I promised the Creator that if I survived cancer, I would utilize the rest of my life to make a change and be impactful.”
© Getty Images for Parents TogetheShe was also the bestselling author of numerous cookbooks including Boards: Stylish Spreads for Casual Gatherings (2022) and Food Gifts: 150+ Irresistible Recipes for Crafting Personalized Presents (2024), and she co-founded SheChef Inc., an organization dedicated to mentoring young women of color pursuing careers in the culinary arts.
“No more Black and brown girls — or any girls of color — will have to search for an image that makes them feel encouraged toward their cooking or TV dreams,” she told Food & Wine in 2019 of her legacy.
“There’s no work if you’re not leaving a legacy. Otherwise, it’s self-serving, and once you’re gone, it’s gone.”
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