by Donald Wood
Last updated: 9:42 AM ET, Fri June 8, 2018
Travel expert and celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain reportedly hung himself in a hotel room in France Friday. He was 61 years old.
According to Reuters.com, officials found Bourdain dead in Strasbourg, France, where he was working on the latest episode of CNN's food-and-travel-focused Parts Unknown television series, a network representative said.
Bourdain's popularity started to rise in 1999 with a popular article in New Yorker magazine that spawned a popular book entitled, Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly.
As for his jump to television, Bourdain originally hosted a show on the Food Network before jumping to the Travel Channel. In 2013, he joined forces with CNN and launched the series Parts Unknown.
"His love of great adventure, new friends, fine food and drink and the remarkable stories of the world made him a unique storyteller," CNN officials said in a statement. "His talents never ceased to amaze us and we will miss him very much. Our thoughts and prayers are with his daughter and family at this incredibly difficult time."
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Bourdain's body was found by friend and fellow chef Eric Ripert.
Bourdain's death comes just days after popular fashion designer Kate Spade committed suicide Tuesday in her New York apartment. The two high-profile deaths are part of a larger problem, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealing suicide rates surged among people between 45 and 64 years old.
Across the United States, suicide rates are on the rise, with nearly 45,000 people killing themselves in 2016. The CDC recommends a broad approach to prevention, including providing more support to those at risk.
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