My Kitchen Rules star Michael Murray dies suddenly, aged 46

"It's a shock to all those who know him," the family member, who asked not to be named, said.

Murray appeared on the latest season of the hit amateur cooking show alongside his cousin Piki Knap.

According to their biography for the show, the pair grew up together in Te Kūiti, south of Auckland, and developed their love of cooking from hosting large family gatherings of up to 200 people.

Mr Murray said his strengths were that he possesses "a magnetic energy - agility, precision and an unassuming personality", and described his secret weapon as "being a mighty kitchen ninja".

In an interview earlier this year, he explained how he spent much of the last 12 years in Central America, where he had small roles on telenovela soap operas.

He returned to New Zealand following the Covid-19 pandemic.

"My background is in modelling and acting," he previously told the New Zealand Herald.

"I was Mr New Zealand back in 2005, and that's what took me overseas and eventually to Mexico. Obviously, I'm not Mexican, but they thought I was Latino.

"I did some great work there, then to come home and be a part of this whole journey with MKR is a blessing in disguise. I've always put my hand up to opportunity."

Following his departure from the cooking show, Murray said in a statement: "Piki and I would like to thank all our whanau, friends and supporters who helped and participated in our MKR journey.

"We had a blast, obviously we enjoyed the kai and meeting Colin Fassnidge and Manu Feildel. Special thanks to the other contestants, who are fantastic cooks and lovely people."

He continued: "What you see on tele is just a small taste of who we all are as individual personalities. We are proud to say that everybody on this show are fabulous humans!

"We learned a lot, we are grateful for the opportunity, and while we did not perform our best, we gave it a go."