TV chef dies in Australia after ‘spell in rehab’

AN award-winning UK chef who became a celebrity cook in Australia has died after a reported stint in a rehab clinic for alcohol addiction.

Darren Simpson, pictured, who was voted Britain’s Young Chef of the Year when he was 21, died in hospital near his home in Byron Bay north of Sydney on Thursday.

The cause of his death has not been confirmed but he had reportedly been in rehab recently. Before moving Down Under in 1999, Northern Ireland-born Mr Simpson, who is in his 40s, worked in top London restaurants including Le Gavroche and River Cafe.

He was regular on TV in Australia and recently worked in kitchens around Queensland. He is survived by wife Julie and sons Angus, 14, and Hamish, 12.