Fuller Goldsmith, the champion of Food Network’s “Chopped Junior” and “Top Chef Junior,” died just days before his 18th birthday, shocking the culinary world.
Magical Elves, the production firm, said Wednesday that the Alabama native died of cancer at the age of 17.
“We are heartbroken after learning of the passing of Fuller Goldsmith, alum of ‘Top Chef Junior,'” the firm tweeted on Instagram. “He was a fantastic chef and one of the toughest kids we’d ever met. We knew he’d have an impact on everyone around him and be a positive force in the culinary industry from the moment he was introduced to us. We send our heartfelt condolences to his family as they mourn the death of someone genuinely wonderful.”
“We all loved Fuller so much!” Vanessa Lachey, host of “Top Chef Junior,” wrote in response to the production company’s post. And I’ll never forget his infectious laugh, smile, and butter tricks. I’m sending my heartfelt condolences to his family. Fuller, we will never forget you!”
Fuller Goldsmith, front, along with Milo Fleming, Guest Judge Michael Voltaggio, Jasmine Bell and Maxine Sutton on ‘Top Chef Junior.’
(Photo by: Dale Berman/Universal Kids/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
The Southern Ale House restaurant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where Goldsmith worked as a chef’s assistant, also verified his death.
“Our collective hearts are broken. The SAH family lost our much loved and respected Fuller Goldsmith today,” the post said. “Fuller fought the good fight all his life. From age four until the last few days of 17 years, Fuller fought a courageous fight against cancer. Fuller lived to create delicious dishes and became the little brother to big brother Brett Garner our Executive Chef. He spent a lot of time in the SAH kitchen helping prep, serve, and create recipes.”
The post continued: “We will miss his presence, his smile, his laugh, his banter back and forth with Brett, and his grit as fought the aches and pains of a terrible disease. He will be missed but forever remembered. His spirit will remain in SAH for the remainder of time. To his family our love and compassion with a huge thank you for sharing Fuller with all of us. He made all of us better people.”
Goldsmith was a Tuscaloosa Academy student who had battled leukaemia four times from the age of four.
Goldsmith shared on social media in February that he was getting radiation treatment for the fifth time. “Unfortunately the news regarding the tumour was not what I was hoping. The same Leukemia is back. The plan is to start proton radiation at UAB as soon as I can….hopefully within the next two weeks. I will have 12 days of radiation and then more chemo to make sure it’s gone once and for all. Round 5- I’m ready to fight,” he wrote at the time.
Goldsmith first featured on “Chopped Junior” when he was 14 years old. He won the competition and donated his $10,000 prize to Birmingham Children’s Hospital’s Division of Hematology and Pediatric Oncology.
Guy Fieri, a celebrity chef and a personal hero of Goldsmith’s, surprised him at the Stagecoach Music Festival in 2018. According to Entertainment Weekly, Fieri encouraged the young chef after he was forced to leave “Top Chef Junior” due to a health issue.
“You’ve already accomplished a lot in your life,” Fieri added. “You’re not going to give up… You must believe, trust, go, and battle hard, and it is not simple.”
(With inputs from Fox News)
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The Chenab Times News Desk