Bake Off shares poignant tribute to former contestant Luis Troyano after he passed away from oesophageal cancer at 48
BAKE Off viewers sobbed last night as the show paid tribute to former contestant Luis Troyano following his death, aged 48.
After Peter Sawkins was crowned series winner an emotional montage was played featuring the class of 2020 enjoying life following their time in the famous white tent.
It ended with a dedication to Luis, who passed away from oesophageal cancer in October.
A picture of the keen baker holding a spoon and mixing bowl was shown along with the message: "In memory of Luis Troyano 1971- 2020".
One viewer wrote on Twitter: "Just had a huge sob watching the end montage of Bake Off. x
Another posted: "Yep. Definitely cried at that final montage. And LUIS. I still remember his American themed eclairs as one of my all time Bakeoff best bakes. Thank you for a slither of normality in this crazy year. X
A third shared: "Lovely tribute to Luis he's was such a great part of Bake Off and so sad he's gone."
Luis, who was runner up on the show in 2014, was popular with show judges and viewers.
She said: "Your life was a blessing, your memory a treasure, you are loved beyond words and missed beyond measure x.
"This page has been set up for Macmillan Cancer Support but in truth, Luis gave a big thank you to everyone involved in his care.
"In Luis' own words.. A special thank you to Macmillan Cancer Support, East Cheshire Hospice and the NHS including Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust and Stockport NHS Foundation Trust for trying to save my life and their tireless work to try and eliminate cancer.
"But more importantly a massive thank you to all the amazing professionals who really did try their absolute best for me, showed me absolute compassion and gave me more time than what was seemingly possible.
"I thank you sincerely."
Tributes flooded in for the baker, led by host Paul Hollywood.
He tweeted: "So sad to hear the news about Luis...he was a fantastic baker and will be missed by all in Bake Off team...my thoughts are with his family".
Previous winner Nadiya Hussain wrote: "RIP".
While contestant Ruby Tandoh shared a broken heart emoji and wrote: "Terrible news."
Luis' agent Anne Kibel said: "Sadly, my lovely client lost his brave fight against Oesophageal cancer last week.
"A fantastic man with a love of baking that saw him get to the finals of GBBO, write a wonderful book, Bake It Great and do so much more. Always in our thoughts."
What is oesophageal cancer?
Oesophageal cancer is when abnormal cells in the food pipe (oesophagus) grow in an uncontrolled way.
The oesophagus is also known as the gullet. It is the tube that carries food from your mouth to your stomach.
Cancer of the oesophagus is more common in older people with around 40 out of 100 oesophageal cancers developing in people aged 75 and over.
The most common symptoms of oesophageal cancer include:
- Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia)
- Indigestion or heartburn that don't go away
- Weight loss
- Pain in your throat or behind your breastbone
- A cough that won't go away
There are many other conditions that cause these symptoms. Most of them are much more common than oesophageal cancer.
Luis made it to the final of Bake Off in 2014 but lost out on the crown to Nancy Birtwhistle.
Following his success on the show, Luis appeared on BBC Good Food and BBC Breakfast shows.
He also released a book in 2015 called Bake it Great.
Luis grew up in Stockport with his Spanish parents Manuel and Maria and two siblings.
His dad worked in restaurants but Luis decided to study graphic design at college, where he met his wife.
Luis began baking just five years before he decided to enter Bake Off because he "wanted to see what it was about".
Following his success, Luis opened his first bakery, The Hive Bakery, in his beloved hometown.
He was also announced as the patron of Beechwood Cancer Care Centre in 2015 after losing his dad to cancer when he was 16.
Speaking previously about his time on the show, Luis said: "The GBBO totally changed my life.
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"As well as being given the opportunity to write a book, I now also bake for a living, which is simply amazing.
"As far as baking goes, I can certainly bake a lot faster now than before the GBBO."