Anthony Bourdain, the chef who became a world-traveling storyteller, has died at age 61, according to CNN.
He died in France, while working on an episode of his CNN show, "Parts Unknown." Bourdain was found unresponsive in his hotel room by a close friend, French chef Eric Ripert, on Friday morning, CNN said. The cause of his death was suicide.
In a statement, CNN said:
Bourdain was best known for his travel shows, where he told the stories of people and cultures from around the world through the food they ate. "Parts Unknown" was the latest in that series. Since premiering in 2013, the program has won five Emmy awards, and a Peabody.
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Bourdain's suicide comes days after designer Kate Spade's, prompting mental health and suicide prevention organizations to urge individuals to reach out.
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"It's also important to know warning signs and risk factors for suicide, that way you can better support others," reads a tweet from the National Alliance on Mental Health. Those warning signs include making threats or comments about killing oneself, social withdrawal and increased alcohol and drug use.
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Bourdain was already a cultural phenomenon before moving to CNN. "Parts Unknown" was preceded by "No Reservations," on the Travel Channel. But it was Bourdain's skill as a writer that first cemented his place as a storyteller.
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In 2002, as Bourdain became an international celebrity, he explained in a live Washington Post chat what it was like to move from "chef" to "celebrity chef."
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Bourdain also became a vocal advocate for Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian, who was imprisoned by Iranian officials for 544 days. Rezaian's forthcoming memoir had been acquired by Bourdain, who has an imprint with Ecco, a division of HarperCollins.
The CNN host interviewed Rezaian and his wife, journalist Yeganeh Salehi, in Iran for a 2014 "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown" episode. Weeks later, the couple was arrested.
"This wonderful couple is a danger to no one," Bourdain wrote in a Post column at the time. "They are nobody's enemy. They are without blame or malice."
Although Bourdain was known as a celebrity chef, he was known for drawing out and telling the stories of other people.
"What I do is not complicated," Bourdain told the New York Times in 2005. "Any stranger who shows an honest curiosity about what the locals think is the best food is going to be welcomed. When you eat their food and you seem happy, people sitting around a table open up and interesting things happen."
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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