Strictly Come Dancing has paid tribute to former contestant Gary Rhodes, following the news of his death.
On Wednesday morning, the celebrity chef’s family confirmed that he had died in Dubai, where he ran two restaurants, at the age of 59.
That evening, Strictly spin-off It Takes Two took a moment to honour Gary, who appeared as a contestant on the show in 2008.
Presenter Zoe Ball said: “Now you may have heard the very sad news that Gary Rhodes passed away today.
“Gary was a member of the Strictly family back in 2008 when he danced with Karen Hardy. This evening, our love and thoughts go out to Gary’s family and friends.”
Gary was the third contestant to be eliminated on the sixth series of Strictly, which Tom Chambers and Camilla Dallerup went on to win.
Karen Hardy paid tribute to her former celebrity partner via her dance studio on Wednesday, shortly after the news of his death, saying she was “truly speechless and lost for words”.
Among those who also paid their respects were Gary’s peers, Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay.
While Jamie remembered the chef and TV personality as an “incredible ambassador for British cooking” and a “massive inspiration”, Gordon wrote: “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.”
Nigella Lawson, Ainsley Harriott, Tom Kerridge and James Martin also posted tributes to Gary Rhodes on social media.
