Great British Bake Off finalist Luis Troyano dies aged 48
The baker had been suffering from oesophageal cancer.
Star of The Great British Bake Off, Luis Troyano has died at the age of 48.
Luis, a graphic designer, took part in Bake Off back in 2014, reaching the final alongside Richard Burr and Nancy Birtwhistle.
His manager shared the news on Twitter, calling him a "fantastic man with a love of baking that saw him get to the finals of GBBO, write a wonderful book, Bake It Great, and do so much more".
Luis' wife Louise has set up a JustGiving page in his memory, fundraising for MacMillan Cancer Support.
On the website, she wrote: "Your life was a blessing, your memory a treasure, you are loved beyond words and missed beyond measure x."
She also shared some words from her late husband, writing: "This page has been set up for Macmillan Cancer Support but in truth, Luis gave a big thank you to everyone involved in his care. In Luis' own words...
"A special thankyou to Macmillan Cancer Support, East Cheshire Hospice and the NHS including Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust and Stockport NHS Foundation Trust for trying to save my life and their tireless work to try and eliminate cancer.
"But more importantly a massive thank you to all the amazing professionals who really did try their absolute best for me, showed me absolute compassion and gave me more time than what was seemingly possible. I thank you sincerely."
Luis went on to find success after finishing as a runner-up on Bake Off in 2014, releasing his cookbook the following year and making further TV appearances.
He also opened his own bakery, The Hive.
Stars of The Great British Bake Off responded to the sad news of Luis' death on Twitter, with Ruby Tandoh saying: "Terrible news."
Nadiya Hussain and Kim-Joy also tweeted, with the latter saying: "Such sad news."
Luis' fellow Bake Off 2014 runner-up Richard shared his tribute, saying: "I am so sad to have lost Luis. He was a man who took a double helping of everything life had to offer. Fearless, friendly and cheerfully grumpy. I will miss him."
His wife, Sarah Burr, also shared: "Oh Luis. We are so grateful to have known him."
Authors
Minnie Wright is the News Editor of Radio Times, covering TV, Film and Entertainment from the latest dramas and thrillers to sci-fi, fantasy and reality TV – from BBC to Netflix. She has a background in TV, Film, Showbiz and Music at a major national publication and a degree in Popular Music Journalism.