Masterchef Australia judge George Calombaris has paid emotional tribute to the late chef Anthony Bourdain.
Anthony, 61, was found hanged in his hotel room in the French village of Kaysersberg on Friday, prompting culinary figures around the world to pay their respects to him.
And chef George joined the ranks of well-wishers on Saturday, as he hailed TV star Bourdain a ‘legend’ and a ‘great man’.
Tragic: Masterchef Australia judge George Calombaris has paid emotional tribute to the late chef Anthony Bourdain
He shared a black and white photo of a young Anthony in the kitchen on Instagram on Saturday.
In the caption, he penned: ‘We can forget that at the end of the day we are all human.
‘This is sad. A great man we have lost. RIP legend. My thoughts are with you and your family. GC xxx.’
It comes after George’s fellow Masterchef judge Matt Preston also paidhis respects to the late star.
Matt, 54, wrote on Instagram: ‘One of the best dining companions you could ever hope for, a wise counsel, and a legendary Trugo player to boot.’
‘Legend’: He shared a black and white snap of a young Anthony in the kitchen and captioned it: ‘We can forget that at the end of the day we are all human. This is sad. A great man we have lost. RIP legend. My thoughts are with you and your family. GC xxx’
Awful news: Anthony, 61, was found hanged in his hotel room in the French village of Kaysersberg on Friday, prompting culinary figures around the world to pay their respects to him
He added: ‘My thoughts are with his daughter and family. Vale @anthonybourdain.’
The two enjoyed a friendship forged on a shared love of food and an appetite to explore the world. The two foodies became friends when Matt took Anthony out for dinner.
They cemented their friendship when the Australian native showed his New Yorker pal the culinary delights of Melbourne.
Matt starred in an episode of Anthony’s docu-series No Reservations, which saw the pair explore the city’s famous food culture, and enjoy a game of Aussie ball game trugo.
‘One of the best dining companions you could hope for’: It comes after MasterChef judge Matt Preston (pictured) also remembered his late friend Anthony Bourdain
Speaking to the Sydney Morning Hearald in 2012, Matt said of his companion: ‘He is fantastic company, a brilliant raconteur.
‘He has a constant font of stories, he’s travelled so well and he thinks very deeply about food. He’s also very entertaining.’
Matt added: ‘He has a chef’s eye and a journalist’s enthusiasm for discovering new things.’
The famous cook and TV personality hanged himself in his room at the Le Chambard hotel in Kaysersberg, France, where he was filming an upcoming episode of his CNN show Parts Unknown, according to French media.
Family: Anthony leaves behind 11-year-old daughter, Ariane, and actress girlfriend Asia Argento
His close friend Éric Ripert, owner of New York City’s famed Le Bernardin restaurant, found him dead on Friday morning.
The late entertainer leaves behind an 11-year-old daughter, Ariane, who he shares with ex-wife Ottavia Busia.
Although it is yet unclear whether they were together at his time of death, the chef was thought to be dating Asia Argento, an actress he met filming a Parts Unknown episode in December 2016.
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