Gary Rhodes, the English chef acclaimed for his appearances on MasterChef and Hell's Kitchen, has died at 59. The popular restauranteur died unexpectedly in Dubai Tuesday night with his wife by his bedside. He is survived by his wife, Jennie, and his two children.

"The Rhodes family are deeply saddened to announce the passing of beloved husband, father and brother, Gary Rhodes OBE," the family of Gary Rhodes said in a statement. "Gary passed away last evening, Tuesday 26th November 2019, at the age of 59, with his beloved wife Jennie by his side. The family would like to thank everyone for their support and ask for privacy during this time."

Grosvenor House Dubai, the hotel where Rhodes was employed, also issued a statement in honour of the late chef.

"Not only has the industry lost a true culinary legend, we have also lost an inspirational human being and a very dear friend," they said. "No words can express our sadness at Gary's death or our gratitude for the opportunity to work with him. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Rhodes family."

A household name in the early 2000s, Rhodes was famous on TV for his cooking ability and spiky gelled hair. The chef earned a record five Michelin Stars over the course of his career and authored more than 18 cook books.

Rhodes opened a restaurant, RhodesD7, on Capel Street in Dublin in 2006. It closed quietly three years later and is now a Brother Hubbard cafe. Rhodes moved to Dubai in 2011.

Read on to see tributes from Rhodes' friends, co-workers and admirers.

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 Gx pic.twitter.com/RRWlWhjup8

— Gordon Ramsay (@GordonRamsay) November 27, 2019

 

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Sadly Chef Gary Rhodes OBE passed away. My heart felt 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 🙏

A post shared by Jamie Oliver (@jamieoliver) on Nov 27, 2019 at 1:22am PST

Such sad news of the passing away of one of England’s great chefs, Gary Rhodes. A man I was privileged to know from his very early days, watching his success & noting the number of young people he inspired in our wonderful industry. A true friend. RIP chef. ♥️ to Jennie & boys x

— Brian Turner (@BrianTurnerChef) November 27, 2019

So sad to hear the news about Gary Rhodes. A true culinary icon and a lovely man. Sending my love and thoughts to his wife Jennie and their boys. RIP, my friend. xx

— Ainsley Harriott (@AinsleyFoods) November 27, 2019

Shocked and sad to hear of this gent’s passing. He was so sweet, polite and fun to be with. He showed wannabe chefs how to cook and wannabe celebrities how to behave #GaryRhodes pic.twitter.com/zVcayBHsjv

— Steve Norman (@SteveNormanReal) November 27, 2019

Hugely influential in my life and the life of the British food scene. Gent and genius...RIP Gary, I can’t believe you’re gone https://t.co/8g8M93uJrB pic.twitter.com/tAcLWONYjH

— James Martin (@jamesmartinchef) November 27, 2019

So so sad to hear about Gary Rhodes. His banana and syrup loaf was the first thing I baked all on my own. The pages are stuck together with syrup 💔 So much love to his family #garyrhodes

— Candice Brown (@CandiceBrown) November 27, 2019