The star appeared on season 11 of the popular cooking show.Masterchef star Matt Gagnon

BBC MasterChef star d3ad at 41 (Image: Fox)

Former MasterChef star Matthew Gagnon has d!ed “unexpectedly” aged 42. His cause of d3ath has not yet been confirmed.

An online obituary for him confirmed the tragic news, as it read: “Matthew Raymond Gagnon, 42, of Cromwell, beloved husband of Stephanie Gagnon, passed away unexpectedly on Monday, December 15, 2025.” He is survived by his wife, Stephanie and their two children, Haylee and Mason. In addition to his family, Matthew also leaves behind a dog named Niko, who “will miss his snuggles, turkey bowls and hamburgers.” A GoFundMe page paid tribute to the cooking enthusiast. It read: “Matt Gagnon was a great friend to all who knew him, and even more importantly, a devoted father to his two young children. He worked in construction, but his true passion was cooking.”

Matt Gangon

The dad-of-two d!ed ‘unexpectedly’ (Image: GoFundMe)

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It continued: “Matt was quick with a joke, loved a good time, and always made people laugh. He helped many, and was simply a great guy everyone enjoyed being around.

“He loved preparing meals for family and friends, bringing people together with his culinary talents and warm spirit.

“His absence leaves a deep void in our lives, and he will be sorely missed by all of us who knew and loved him.”

As of Saturday, the fundraising has raised just over $14,000 toward its $20,000 goal, with it stating that the money will go towards funeral costs.

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The dad-of-two, who hailed from Cromwell, Connecticut, competed on season 11 of the American version of the BBC cooking show, which aired in 2021.

He cooked for judges Gordon Ramsay, Aarón Sánchez and Joe Bastianich, along with guest judges like Curtis Stone and Paula Deen, while on the show.

The season was subtitled Legends and Matthew was the fourth contestant to leave the competition, being eliminated in sixth place.

A memorial service for Gagnon will be held on Sunday, December 21, in Berlin, Connecticut. The family have asked that in lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Cromwell Police Department.