Former Masterchef food critic Charles Campion has died, colleagues have revealed.
The journalist was most well known for his role on the hit BBC One show where he would join others in critiquing the food of contestants.
Having written for publications such as The Times, The Independent and the Evening Standard, Campion was one of the most respected of the critics on the show
His death was revealed by colleagues on Twitter – who flooded the social network with tributes to the man.
Food journalist Dan Saladino, who works for the BBC, was first to speak saying: ” Rest in peace Charles Campion – a lover of good food (and food stories) and a great friend of @BBCFoodProg.
Charles Campion a Masterchef food critic dead as tributes flood social media (Image: BBC)
“I will never forget our adventures in the land of boudin noir and the programmes we made together. Farewell friend.”
Fellow judge Tracey MacLeod, who frequently starred with Charles on the show, also shared her grief at the news.
She said: “Sad news about Charles Campion, the most knowledgeable, courtly and clear-eyed of colleagues around the Masterchef critics table.
“He lived for his family & talked about them often during breaks in filming, when he wasn’t grumbling about dessert parsley. We will miss you CC.”
Jay Rayner, who is another star critic on the show, also said: “Charles Campion was a great and lovely man, with a brilliantly droll sense of humour. And boy he knew his subject.
Charles Campion, centre, with William Sitwell and Tracey MacLeod (Image: BBC)
“I held my breath when he was at the Masterchef table to find out whether I’d screwed up a point of detail and he was gently going to put me right. A great loss.”
William Sitwell, another judge, added: “Very sad to hear of the death of Charles Campion.
“He was a lovely man who I got to know well over the years, particularly while filming countless episodes of MasterChef.
“For which I’ll mainly remember him constantly bemoaning the lack of chips or potatoes on a plate, his loathing of things like micro-herbs; he’d pick up a delicate, miniscule head of baby coriander and study it with understandable bemusement, and his genuine, heartfelt and absolute adoration of sitting down.”
He added: “His knowledge was immense, as was his kindness and interest in others, which almost surpassed his love of rugby.
“Charles, I’ll see you in that little place in the sky where you’ll be happy in the corner; a large napkin around your neck, an enviable appetite, unflappable as you set about devouring a gargantuan feast.
“How lucky were those that knew and fed you.”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
