The Associated Press is reporting that spikey-haired lauded chef to the celebrities, Gary Rhodes has sadly died with his wife Jennie by his side. He was 59.
Rhodes’ family said in a statement that he died Tuesday, but did not elaborate on the cause of death, saying only that they thank everyone for their support and ask for privacy during this time.
“We are deeply shocked and saddened by this devastating news. Our thoughts and condolences are with Gary’s family at this incredibly sad time,” a spokesperson for ITV, the U.K. network that aired many of Rhodes’ shows, told TheWrap.
The BBC reports Rhodes was in Dubai, where he ran two restaurants — Rhodes W1 and Rhodes Twenty10 — at the time of his death.
Fellow celebrity chefs from around the world expressed their sympathies to Rhodes’ family and kids, and praised Rhodes for his life’s work.
On Instagram, fellow British chef, Gordon Ramsay, posted: “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.”
Fellow British culinary star Jamie Oliver also posted, “Gary was a fantastic chef and incredible ambassador for British cooking, he was a massive inspiration to me as a young chef.”
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Born in south London, Rhodes grew up in Kent and trained at Thanet Technical College.
His first culinary job was the Amsterdam Hilton, where he began to experiment with nouvelle cuisine, before giving the menu at the Greenhouse Restaurant in Mayfair a modern makeover.
He would go on to open his own restaurants around the U.K., including Rhodes Twenty Four, which was awarded a Michelin star in 2005.
Starting in the 1990s, Rhodes was a star in the TV show Hell’s Kitchen and fronted MasterChef and Rhodes Around Britain. He also authored several cookbooks.
The National newspaper in Abu Dhabi reported Rhodes had been residing in Dubai, United Arab Emirates since 2010, where he was also known for his dine-in menu at cinemas across Dubai and Abu Dhabi. He’d been seen just last week filming a TV show in Dubai, the paper reported.
A statement issued by Marriott’s Grosvenor House Dubai and Le Royal Meridien in Dubai, where he operated restaurants, said staff there were “devastated” by the death of “a true culinary legend.”
