Family: Rhodes died of head injury
Celebrity chef slipped and hit his head after dinner at residence
Celebrity chef Gary Rhodes died in Dubai on Tuesday as a result of a “subdural haematoma” after he “slipped and banged his head”, his family said yesterday.
A subdural haematoma is a condition where blood collects between the skull and the surface of the brain.
A statement from the Rhodes family said: “After dinner, Gary unfortunately collapsed in their residence and was rushed to hospital but unfortunately
passed away due to subdural haematoma.”
Friend and fellow chef Vineet Bhatia told the Daily
Mail, “I have been told by friends in Dubai that he slipped and banged his head and was then taken to hospital.”
Speculation mounted over the 59-year-old’s death when fellow chef Jamie Oliver said on social media that Rhodes had died as a result of a “tragic fall”. Dubai Police had said it was “natural causes”.
Tributes were paid in Dubai yesterday for celebrity chef Gary Rhodes as friends and family confirmed he had died in the city on Tuesday of a “subdural haematoma” after he “slipped and banged his head”.
Speculation surrounding the 59-year-old Briton’s passing mounted after fellow chef Jamie Oliver posted on social media that Rhodes died as a result of a “tragic fall” before deleting the message.
Dubai Police had told Gulf News at the time that it was as a result of natural causes, while initial reports in the British press said that he was taken ill during a break in filming and died later in hospital with his wife by his side.
A statement from the Rhodes family yesterday said: “In order to end painful speculation surrounding the sudden passing of our beloved Gary Rhodes OBE, the Rhodes family can confirm that after a successful day shooting with Rock Oyster Media for ITV here in Dubai, Gary returned home in a very happy mood for a peaceful evening with his wife Jennie.
“After dinner, Gary unfortunately collapsed in their residence and was rushed to hospital, but passed away due to subdural haematoma. At this time, there are no other details
and the family would again request privacy around this very tragic loss and again, thank friends and family for their ongoing support at this time.”
Friend and fellow chef Vineet Bhatia told the Daily Mail: “I have been told by friends in
Dubai that he slipped and banged his head and was then taken to hospital.”
The British press have noted that Rhodes was hit by a truck while running to catch a tram in Amsterdam when he was 19, back in 1979, and that during this incident he suffered a blood clot in the brain. After that incident, doctors had warned him of the risk of further head injuries.
Rhodes ran two restaurants in Dubai, Rhodes W1 at the Grosvenor House Hotel and Rhodes Twenty10 at Le Royal Meridien
Beach Resort and Spa. Both restaurants had pictures and floral tributes to the chef outside their establishments yesterday.
Rhodes was known as the original celebrity chef when he hit the screens in the late 1990s and early 2000s with his trademark spikey hair.
British Ambassador to the UAE, Patrick Moody, tweeted: “Not only was Gary a huge exponent of British cuisine, but he also worked passionately promoting Britain around the world as a great ambassador.”