Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay are among those who have paid their respects to fellow TV chef Gary Rhodes, following the news of his death at the age of 59.
Gary’s family confirmed that he had died on Wednesday morning, with tributes quickly flooding in on social media.
Fellow chef Gordon was among the first to pay his respects, writing: “We lost a fantastic chef today in Gary Rhodes. He was a chef who put British Cuisine on the map.
“Sending all the love and prayers to your wife and kids. You’ll be missed.”
Jamie also sent his condolences in an Instagram post, writing: “Sadly Chef Gary Rhodes OBE passed away. My heartfelt sympathies to his wife , kids, friends and family, sending love and thoughts.
“Gary was a fantastic chef and incredible ambassador for British cooking, he was a massive inspiration to me as a young chef. He reimagined modern British cuisine with elegance and fun. Rest in peace chef.”
Other figures from the world of both food and television also remembered the celebrity chef and TV personality, with the official Great British Chefs account writing: “We are deeply saddened to hear the news of Gary Rhodes passing. He was a hugely influential chef, who will be greatly missed. Our thoughts are with his family.”
In addition to his career as a chef and restaurateur – which included serving as the head chef at Mayfair’s Greenhouse Restaurant, before opening his own restaurants around the world – Gary was well-known for his appearances on TV.
As well as fronting his own cooking shows like Rhodes Around Britain and Gary’s Perfect Christmas, Gary hosted the first two series of the US version of MasterChef.
He also succeed Gordon Ramsay as the face of Hell’s Kitchen in the UK, where he was one of two chefs who led teams on the second series alongside Jean-Christophe Novelli.
Gary also competed on the sixth series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2008, where he was partnered with professional ballroom star Karen Hardy.
He was made an OBE in 2006 for his services to the British hospitality industry.