Fred Sirieix pays tribute to TV chef pal who died while he was in jungle
I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here star Fred Sirieix has paid tribute to his 'restaurant genius' pal who died while he was in the jungle.
The First Dates star was only made aware of the passing of TV chef and restauranteur Russell Norman when he landed back in the UK earlier today. The 57-year-old, famous for his Italian restaurants Polpo and Trattoria Brutto in London, passed away on November 24.
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, Fred wrote: “I have just found out about the sudden passing of Russell Norman. This is so sad. Such a lovely man and a restaurant genius like no other. He made it look easy and so cool to open and run a restaurant. My thoughts go to his family. RIP Russell x.”
Russell, who had appeared on Saturday Kitchen and BBC Two’s The Restaurant Man, reportedly died of a cardiac arrest. His death came weeks after his fourth cookbook, Brutto, hit shelves. Dubbed the ‘King of Soho dining’, the chef was credited with inventing Italian small plates and helping to revive the Negroni cocktail.
First Dates star Fred has worked in the restaurant industry for decades (Channel 4)
He paid tribute to 'restaurant genius' Russell Norman, who died while he was in the jungle (Can Nguyen/REX/Shutterstock)News of his sudden death sent shockwaves through the restaurant industry. His business partner and Polpo co-founder Richard Beatty said in a statement: “It is with great sadness that I announce the loss of my best friend Russell Norman. After a short battle in hospital, he died surrounded by family and friends.”
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Observer food critic Jay Rayner was among the first big industry names to pay tribute writing: “So sorry to hear of the death, far too young, of Russell Norman. He was one of the most gifted of restauranteurs, a terrific writer and an awful lot of fun to be around. He very much lived life his own way. My thoughts are with his family and friends.”
Saturday Kitchen host and chef James Martin posted: “Just heard the news that today we lost a giant and a legend in the restaurant world, Russell Norman, who was and always be an inspiration for so many. My thoughts go to his friends and family. RIP, such sad news.”
Fellow London restauranteur Jason Atherton also paid tribute saying: “The London restaurant scene lost one of its most loved and successful restauranteurs. Russell was an inspiration to all of us and made dining out cool. He was a great person to be around and was always optimistic and full of life. Our loves goes to his family and his team at Brutto, a magnificent restaurant. Rest in peace and God bless.”
Russell was married to Jules McNally and the couple shared three children, daughters Martha and Mabel and son, Ollie, who is believed to have followed him into the restaurant industry.
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