SYDNEY (AP) — Celebrity chef Darren Simpson's family say he has died in Australia.

Northern Ireland-born Simpson was 21 when he became Britain's youngest ever Young Chef of the Year. He appeared in Australians televisions' "My Restaurant Rules," ''Live This," and "Ready Steady Cook." He was also a widely published food writer.

The chef's nephew Matt Simpson posted on Facebook that his uncle had died on Thursday. Media reports says he died near his home at Byron Bay north of Sydney. The cause of death has not been confirmed.

Australia's LifeStyle Channel says in a profile Simpson won the prestigious Young Chef of the Year award, open to all British chefs under the age of 25, within two years of landing his first job as a chef.