Polish chef and restaurateur Mariusz Komenda, who reached the semifinals of “MasterChef” Poland, has died at 44, less than a year after a brain tumor diagnosis. He died Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026.

TVN, the Polish broadcaster that airs the cooking competition, confirmed his death in a statement translated from Polish.

“Mariusz was part of the MasterChef family. We will remember him as a man full of passion, energy, and a love for cooking,” the broadcaster said. TVN also said it was hard to find words equal to its sorrow, and that its thoughts were with his family, his loved ones and everyone who had the chance to know him.

His funeral, preceded by a funeral Mass, was set for Saturday, Oct. 10, at the municipal cemetery in Środa Śląska, Gazeta Wrocławska reported.

Tributes From Fellow Contestants

Grzegorz Zawierucha, a fellow 2019 “MasterChef Poland” contestant and the winner of the series, wrote in a posted tribute: “Maniuś… I can’t manage to write anything. Goodbye, brother. See you. Prepare the most delicious dinner today, my friend.”

Co-star Mateusz Krojenka said he was “wrecked” by the news, and he praised Komenda’s “infectious smile.”

Local news outlet TVi Roland said Komenda had struggled with a serious illness over his final months, and it offered condolences to his family and friends.

A Diagnosis in January

Komenda entered a hospital in January 2026 with a suspected stroke. Doctors instead found a tumor of the right thalamus with the radiological features of a malignant glioma. He deteriorated rapidly, and specialists opted for immediate intervention.

He had two major head surgeries within a short span, followed by radiotherapy, further treatment and intensive rehabilitation. Surgeons removed part of his skull bone in the second operation to reduce the risk of further complications. He received care at the State Medical Institute in Warsaw and at a hospital in Legnica.

Oncology tests also turned up other conditions that required treatment. He underwent neurorehabilitation in the hope of regaining his physical abilities.

Komenda made the diagnosis public on Instagram in March. He wrote that he had at first assumed a temporary crisis and that the reality was far harder, that the moment upended his life and the lives of those closest to him, and that he had been fighting every day since for his health and a return to normal life.

Residents, friends, local groups and organizations mobilized around him. Organizers set up an online fundraiser and charity events to pay for further therapy. A fundraising appeal launched in March sought around £31,000 for medication, rehabilitation, scans and travel.

Two Restaurants in His Hometown

Komenda competed on the eighth season of “MasterChef Poland” in 2019, the run that made his name familiar across the country. He reached the final five and did not win the title. He flew to Mexico with the other semifinalists, fulfilling one of his culinary dreams. He returned to the program in later seasons as a guest and eventually as a juror.

He opened Sztuka Restaurant in 2020, turning his passion into daily work. He built his cooking around fresh products, a range of cuisines and plate presentation. “Cooking is an art,” he once said, in remarks translated from Polish.

He gave up running his own restaurant in 2023. In April 2025, he opened Father & Son, a Mexican restaurant, with his son, Mateusz Komenda, in the center of Środa Śląska.

Komenda lived and worked in Środa Śląska, a Lower Silesian town in powiat średzki. His reach extended beyond his dining rooms: he sat on the juries of local cooking competitions, cooked for residents and took part in charity initiatives.

A Love Born at Home

Komenda said his love of cooking came from his family home. His mother, Teresa, invited him to prepare dishes with her and asked him to judge how they tasted. He made his first dish on his own at age 10, a heart-shaped cake for Mother’s Day.

He spoke early of wanting a restaurant of his own in Środa Śląska, and years before the show he talked of running it one day with his son beside him. Both ambitions came true.