‘MasterChef’ Contestant Mariusz Komenda Dies at 44 Following Brain Tumor Diagnosis

Mariusz Komenda, a chef who became a semi-finalist on the Polish version of MasterChef, has died at age 44.

Production company TVN announced Komenda’s death via a social media post on Wednesday, according to People’s English-language excerpts of reports from the Polish magazine Do Rzeczy and the website Onet.

“It is with great sadness that we received the news of Mariusz Komenda’s death,” TVN told fans. “Mariusz was part of the MasterChef family. We will remember him as a man full of passion, energy, and a love for cooking.”

The show’s creators echoed those sentiments, saying, “Mariusz was part of the MasterChef family. We will remember him as a man full of passion, energy, and a love for cooking. It’s difficult to find words to express our grief. We share in his grief with his family, loved ones, and everyone who had the opportunity to know him. Mariusz, we will miss you very much.”

 

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A post shared by Mariusz Komenda (@komendamariusz)

Komenda’s death follows his diagnosis with glioma this January. A glioma is a growth of cells that can grow into a tumor and press on the brain or spinal cord, according to the Mayo Clinic. Symptoms include headache, nausea, vomiting, vision and speech difficulties, seizures, personality changes, memory loss, confusion, and decline in brain function.

On Instagram this March, Komenda said he learned about his glioma after suffering a suspected stroke and being hospitalized, People reports.

“I thought it was just a temporary crisis,” he wrote. “Unfortunately, the reality turned out to be far harsher,” he added. After detailed tests, I received [my] diagnosis.”

In another post, Komenda wrote, “That moment completely changed my life and the lives of my loved ones. Since then, I have been fighting every day for my health and a return to normalcy.”

That fight included two major head surgeries, radiotherapy, intensive rehabilitation, and treatment at the National Medical Institute in Warsaw and the Provincial Specialist Hospital in Legnica, according to Do Rzeczy.

TV viewers in Poland saw Komenda compete in MasterChef’s eighth season and appear in subsequent seasons, per People. He and his son opened Father & Son restaurant in the Polish town of Środa Śląska, Do Rzeczy added.