Masterchef Contestant Matt Campbell Dies After Collapsing During London Marathon

Matt Campbell, a semi-finalist from last year's series of Masterchef: The Professionals, has died in hospital after collapsing while taking part in the London Marathon on Sunday.

According to the race organizers, the 29-year-old collapsed around 22.5 miles into the race and was taken to hospital, where he died.

Sunday's race was the hottest on record as temperatures reached 24.1 degrees Celsius (75.3 degrees Fahrenheit).

The chef, who took part in the Manchester Marathon on April 8, revealed on Instagram prior to the race that he was running in honour of his father Martin Campbell, who died 18 months ago:

He also posted on Twitter ahead of the Marathon:

Campbell was aiming to raise £2,500 for Brathay Trust, a charity that aims to "improve the life chances of children, young people and families," via his JustGiving page. At the time of writing, the page has raised over £12,000.

"He was a lovely, kind-hearted and down-to-earth man. I believe he was poised to become the next great innovator in British food," said Campbell's PR consultant, Helen Hokin, per the BBC. "He was in the middle of a roadshow tour and he had such a way with inspiring young chefs. This is so sad."

Food critic Jay Rayner was among those who paid tribute to Campbell on Twitter:

Campbell wrote on his JustGiving page that he was "honoured to run on behalf of such an amazing charity," and on his father he added, "Although he won't be there in person, I know he will be there in spirit and I will be running for him."