Food Network has become one of TV's signature outlets,
and has turned charismatic chefs into some of the most famous people in America.
Hundreds of chefs have helped bolster Food Network, but sadly,
many of them have died. Here are some notable Food Network names who we have already lost.
Floyd Cardoz was best known for winning Season 3 of Bravo’s legends-only "Top Chef Masters" in
2011. He was a regular on Food Network, where he appeared frequently on "Chef du Jour," judged on
"Worst Cooks in America," and went head-to-head with Bobby Flay on "Iron Chef America."
Cardoz was also extremely influential. His restaurants and cookbooks helped popularize
Indian food in the United States and elevated the cuisine to the heights of fine dining.
In 2020, Cardoz opened an Indian-inspired treat store called Bombay Sweet Shop, and
he'd just taped an appearance in India for chef David Chang's Netflix series "Ugly Delicious."
Not long after his return, however, Cardoz tested positive for COVID-19. Complications from
the novel coronavirus would claim the life of the chef, and in March 2020 he died at the age of 59.
Fatima Ali moved from her native Pakistan to the United States
in order to attend culinary school. After working as a sous chef at New York City's Café Centro,
Ali won an episode of "Chopped" in 2012, and competed on Bravo's "Top Chef" in 2017.
A short time after, Ali was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma — a rare type of cancer that
affects the bone or soft tissue — and was given one year to live. Ali continued to cook,
stayed active on Instagram, and appeared on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show."
In January 2019, Ali died. The news was delivered on Instagram by her
friend and fellow chef Bruce Kalman. Ali was 29.
Kerry Simon looked and acted the part of a rock star, with a mane of cascading locks
and catering to a clientele that included numerous frontmen and guitar heroes.
According to Rolling Stone, who christened him "The Rock & Roll Chef" in the '90s,
Simon placed a private table in the kitchen of The
Edwardian Room and invited the likes of Debbie Harry and David Crosby to dine.
Additionally, Alice Cooper and Joe Perry considered Simon a close friend.
Simon's career trajectory followed that of a rock star,
but with food — he headed to Las Vegas and opened restaurants there.
He also became a hit on TV, appearing on "Iron Chef America" on multiple occasions.
In 2013 with his career flourishing,
Simon was diagnosed with Multiple System Atrophy, a form of Parkinson's disease that is uncommon,
progressive, and fatal. The condition took Simon's life in 2015 at the age of 60.
After debuting on the BBC in the United Kingdom and then the Food Network in
the United States, "Two Fat Ladies" both delighted and concerned viewers.
Ignoring the healthy eating trends of the '90s,
hosts Clarissa Dickson Wright and Jennifer Paterson shamelessly went heavy on cream,
butter, and other fatty ingredients over four seasons of their cooking show.
"Who can resist the aphrodisiac of chocolate pie?"
"Two Fat Ladies" was also memorable for its premise of Wright and Paterson traveling around
England to cook their large, fattening meals in exotic locations; the opening sequence showed
animated versions of the hosts traveling via motorcycle and attached sidecar.
Paterson became ill while shooting the fourth season of "Two Fat Ladies," and in July 1999
was diagnosed with lung cancer. She died in August of that year at age 71. Then in 2014,
Wright died in a hospital in Scotland after a brief illness. She was 66.
Judson Todd Allen appeared on Season 8 of "Food Network Star" in 2012,
with both a compelling backstory and notable cooking approach. He'd lost
about 200 pounds and learned to cook foods that were healthy but still flavorful.
Allen went on to become a private chef for celebrities like Jamie Foxx and Steve Harvey.
The self-proclaimed "Architect of Flavor" also ran a nutrition-first
catering company called Healthy Infused Cuisine and launched his own hot sauce.
He served as the head chef of the Chicago restaurant Taste 222,
which opened in May 2017. Just one year after reaching that career milestone,
Allen suffered an apparent heart attack and died. He was 36.
After receiving classical training and working in many restaurants in his native New Jersey,
Carl Ruiz and his wife at the time opened Marie's Italian Specialties.
Guy Fieri popped in for a meal and the place was so, quote, "freakishly busy" that Ruiz put
Fieri to work on the sandwich prep line. Not long after, Fieri returned with his "Diners,
Drive-Ins and Dives" crew in 2013, launching Ruiz's long association with Food Network.
He appeared on "Triple-D" twice more, and made regular appearances on Fieri's "Guy's Ranch
Kitchen." He also served as a judge, mentor, and contestant on "Guy's Grocery Games."
While visiting friends in Maryland in September 2019,
Ruiz died in his sleep. A medical examiner's office later determined that the chef died
of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. He was 44. Fieri tweeted,
"I'm heartbroken that my friend chef Carl Ruiz is gone. His ability to make me laugh
and smile under any circumstances was only outshined by his talent as a chef."
Jessica Vogel built an impressive resume before she went before the cameras. She trained at
Johnson & Wales University in Denver, then headed home to New Jersey and worked at Kevin's Thyme.
She also served as a pastry chef at Grange and Picnic in the Square,
and was the executive chef of Black Rebel Burger.
In 2014, Vogel appeared on Season 12 of Fox's "Hell's Kitchen," finishing in twelfth place.
Two years later, Vogel moved over to Food Network,
competing on a chocolate-themed episode of Alton Brown's culinary game show "Cutthroat Kitchen."
“It feels so good and dirty and right!”
Professionally, Vogel was successful, but personally, she struggled. She had issues
with drug and alcohol addiction and sought treatment at a rehabilitation facility.
According to her family, substance abuse took a toll on Vogel's body.
While hospitalized due to a bout of colitis in 2018,
Vogel's heart stopped and she died at the age of 34.
Cristie Schoen Codd was raised in the South and was exposed to regional cooking styles early.
She learned to cook Cajun cuisine, and incorporated elements of European food,
which she learned when she studied abroad in Germany.
That helped Codd win a spot on the competition series
"Food Network Star" in 2012, where she was the first contestant eliminated that year.
Nevertheless, Codd had ascended the celebrity chef ladder, and planned on opening a New Orleans café.
She catered the production of the sci-fi movie "Ender's Game" and was pitching two
food shows. But neither show was ever produced, owing in part to the tragic death of Codd.
Codd, who was five months pregnant at the time, and her husband were reported missing
from their home in March 2015. Soon after, Robert James Owens confessed to murdering the couple,
then staging what looked like a botched home invasion and robbery.
Born in Somerset, England, Keith Floyd built up his skills by cooking for officers in the army.
Floyd eventually opened three restaurants in Bristol;
there he was discovered by a producer, and he made the BBC shows "Floyd on Fish" and "Floyd on Food."
He published more than 20 popular cookbooks and starred on numerous culinary shows for the Food
Network U.K. Floyd was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2009. Later that year, he died of a
heart attack after a large lunch in honor of his partner's 65th birthday. Floyd was 65 years old.
Ken Kostick created and co-starred in the Canadian cable TV show,
"What's for Dinner?" With co-host Mary Jo Eustace,
they'd joke and tease each other and also prepare dishes in the built-in cooking program.
A two-time nominee for the Gemini Awards, Kostick also published 15 cookbooks,
including "The $10 Gourmet," and had his own line of cookware.
Kostick would team up with Eustace again on various TV and radio projects,
while his cooking-oriented variety show, "Ken Kostic and Company," became one of
the first and signature shows upon the launch of Food Network Canada.
In 2011, Kostick was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. While recovering
at home after treatment, he suffered a complication and died. Kostick was 57.
After winning the second season of "Superstar Chef” on Food Network Canada,
Anthony Sedlak was awarded his own series, "The Main," which ran for four seasons.
Sedlak also published a 2011 cookbook, "The Main: Recipes," and served as a judge on
"Family Cook Off." In 2012, Sedlak appeared on "Anna & Kristina's Grocery Bag" on OWN,
and then popped up on "You Gotta Eat Here!" for Food Network Canada.
In July 2012, Sedlak collapsed from what the chef's family said was a, quote,
"undiagnosed medical condition" and later that day, his body was discovered in his apartment.
The British Columbia coroner's report ruled that the TV personality died from an intentional drug
overdose. Sedlak, who had represented Canada at the World Junior Chef Challenge
and worked at a Michelin-starred restaurant, was 29 years old at the time of death.
Anthony Bourdain eventually became one of the most worshipped names in food entertainment.
After working in New York restaurants in the '80s, Bourdain exploded onto the national stage in 2000
with the publication of his salacious cooking memoir, "Kitchen Confidential:
Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly."
In 2002, the Food Network debuted "A Cook's Tour," Bourdain's first food-based travelogue.
It ran for just 35 episodes before Bourdain moved onto the Travel Channel
and later CNN to make popular shows like "No Reservations," "The Layover," and "Parts Unknown.”
In June 2018, Bourdain was discovered in his hotel room in Kaysersberg, France.
Authorities say that the chef took his own life. Bourdain was 61.
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