Anthony Bourdain has sadly passed away at the age of 61.
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Bourdain was overseas working on his show, Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, at the time of his death.
French chef Eric Ripert, who was also Bourdain's close friend, reportedly found the television personality unresponsive in his hotel in Strasbourg, France, on Friday morning.
"It is with extraordinary sadness we can confirm the death of our friend and colleague, Anthony Bourdain," CNN said in a Friday statement.
"His love of great adventure, new friends, fine food and drink and the remarkable stories of the world made him a unique storyteller. His talents never ceased to amaze us and we will miss him very much. Our thoughts and prayers are with his daughter and family at this incredibly difficult time."
The network's president, Jeff Zucker, remembered him as an "exceptional talent."
"Tony will be greatly missed not only for his work but also for the passion with which he did it," Zucker wrote in a letter to employees, according to CNN.
MasterChef and Hell's Kitchen star Gordon Ramsay tweeted the following after news of Bourdain's death broke: "Stunned and saddened by the loss of Anthony Bourdain. He brought the world into our homes and inspired so many people to explore cultures and cities through their food. Remember that help is a phone call away."
Bourdain's first food and world-travel TV show was entitled A Cook's Tour and aired on the Food Network from 2002 through 2003.
In 2005, Bourdain began hosting the Travel Channel's culinary and cultural programs Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, which ran from 2005 to 2012, and The Layover, which aired from 2011 to 2013. Five years ago, he switched to CNN to host Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown.
Bourdain also served as a guest judge on Bravo's Top Chef as well as a judge and mentor on ABC's reality cooking competition series The Taste.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
