The Tragic 2018 Death Of Masterchef's Matt Campbell
In 2018, Matthew Campbell, a former contestant in "Masterchef: The Professionals," passed away at the age of 29 (via The Sun). Campbell was from the Lake District in Cumbria, North West England, about 3.5 hours from London (per Visit Britain), and had been cooking since he was young, as per The Sun. At just 20 years old, he was named the Young Chef of the Year by BBC. After that, he became a private chef for VIP guests in the French Alps. He spent much of his life traveling, even attending culinary classes in India and Thailand.
Campbell competed on "Masterchef: The Professionals" in 2017, making it all the way to the semi-finals before being sent home. The "Masterchef" spin-off is intended for chefs who have worked in a kitchen professionally for at least two years, according to RadioTimes. Because Campbell had so many qualifications, he was a perfect candidate for the show. In fact, his career seemed like it could have only gone up from there, but he suffered a tragic accident the following year that took his life.
He died honoring his father's life
Matthew Campbell was more than just a chef in his lifetime. According to BBC News, he was also a runner who competed in the ASICS Greater Manchester Marathon in early 2018. He decided to run in the London Marathon to honor his late father, donating his profits to The Brathay Trust. The program was founded to raise money for youth and families facing numerous challenges, per the charity's website.
However, around the 22.5-mile mark of the marathon, Campbell passed out due to heat exhaustion (per BBC News). After being rushed to the hospital, the 29-year-old was later pronounced dead. "We are shocked and saddened to hear the news about Matt Campbell, one of our talented contestants from last year," said a spokesperson for Masterchef via BBC News.
On the day of the marathon, the chef posted a photo of his uniform on Instagram, explaining that it was his second marathon in the last two weeks. Tributes poured out in the comments section after the news broke, making it clear the talented chef will be greatly missed.