Celebrity chef Rick Stein "not going to last much longer" on TV amid health concerns

Beloved celebrity chef Rick Stein might not be on our TV screens much longer, due to ongoing health concerns.

Since the 1980s, Stein has been a cornerstone of television cooking shows, with programmes like Food Heroes and Taste of the Sea. But it looks like the 77-year-old could now be taking a step back.

It comes after the TV chef went through heart surgery in 2023, and admitted that "with the normal realities of life" he might not have much time left.

In an interview with The Times, he said: "Having had the operation and recovered, the improvement in my health has left me tremendously optimistic. Even though at my age and with the normal realities of life I'm not going to last that much longer.

"I think as long as you’ve got your health and you’re optimistic generally and enjoying your life, you don’t tend to ponder too much about how little life you’ve got left."

But Stein isn't hanging up his apron just yet.

In fact, appearing on ITV's This Morning, he revealed that a new TV series - Rick Stein's Food Stories - is in the works.

He said: "Do you know, the real reason I still do TV is because I love the crew I work with - the banter, and also when you finish work, you have a drink and you always look forward to it. We always used to say at 5.29pm, the toys have been put away and we are going to have a beer.

"Because we know each other - we have tiffs but they are not serious because we know exactly how we all operate."