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| Obituary: Keith Floyd | Obituary: Keith Floyd |
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| Advertisement | Advertisement |
| Keith Floyd specialised in cooking in the most extraordinary places | |
| With a whisk in one hand, a glass of wine in the other and wearing his trademark bow-tie, Keith Floyd transformed the face of television cookery. | With a whisk in one hand, a glass of wine in the other and wearing his trademark bow-tie, Keith Floyd transformed the face of television cookery. |
| Whether rustling up a spicy prawn dish on a beach in Thailand, 40-clove garlic chicken in Provence or jambalaya in Louisiana, Floyd's idiosyncratic, often shambolic, style of presentation endeared him to millions of viewers around the world. | Whether rustling up a spicy prawn dish on a beach in Thailand, 40-clove garlic chicken in Provence or jambalaya in Louisiana, Floyd's idiosyncratic, often shambolic, style of presentation endeared him to millions of viewers around the world. |
| But Keith Floyd almost stumbled into stardom. Born in 1943, he was educated at Wellington School, Somerset, and became a junior newspaper reporter before the sight of the Michael Caine film Zulu led him into the Army. | But Keith Floyd almost stumbled into stardom. Born in 1943, he was educated at Wellington School, Somerset, and became a junior newspaper reporter before the sight of the Michael Caine film Zulu led him into the Army. |
| He served as a second lieutenant in the 3rd Royal Tank Regiment before leaving to pursue a career in the catering industry. | He served as a second lieutenant in the 3rd Royal Tank Regiment before leaving to pursue a career in the catering industry. |
| After working as everything from a potato peeler to a dishwasher, Keith Floyd opened his first restaurant, Floyd's Bistro, in Bristol. He was a mere 22 years old. | After working as everything from a potato peeler to a dishwasher, Keith Floyd opened his first restaurant, Floyd's Bistro, in Bristol. He was a mere 22 years old. |
| His culinary style, with its emphasis on fish, proved a hit and he was soon running three establishments. | His culinary style, with its emphasis on fish, proved a hit and he was soon running three establishments. |
| The 1985 series Floyd on Fish established him as a star | The 1985 series Floyd on Fish established him as a star |
| But Floyd's lack of business acumen, and a staggering propensity to distribute largesse to all and sundry, soon proved his downfall, just as they would throughout his career. | But Floyd's lack of business acumen, and a staggering propensity to distribute largesse to all and sundry, soon proved his downfall, just as they would throughout his career. |
| After selling up, he sojourned in France for a while before buying a restaurant there. This too, was a failure and Floyd returned to Bristol and opened yet another bistro. | After selling up, he sojourned in France for a while before buying a restaurant there. This too, was a failure and Floyd returned to Bristol and opened yet another bistro. |
| This restaurant, situated near the city's BBC studios, was frequented by a television producer and bon viveur by the name of David Pritchard. | This restaurant, situated near the city's BBC studios, was frequented by a television producer and bon viveur by the name of David Pritchard. |
| It was Pritchard who first recognised the star potential of the place's eccentric, Stranglers-loving, patron. | It was Pritchard who first recognised the star potential of the place's eccentric, Stranglers-loving, patron. |
| Well lubricated | Well lubricated |
| Though Floyd was well known among Bristol's foodies, and had already written his first book, Floyd's Food, it was television exposure that made him a star. | Though Floyd was well known among Bristol's foodies, and had already written his first book, Floyd's Food, it was television exposure that made him a star. |
| The 1985 series Floyd on Fish was unlike anything that had come before. For a start, Pritchard moved the action out of the television studio. | The 1985 series Floyd on Fish was unlike anything that had come before. For a start, Pritchard moved the action out of the television studio. |
| The first episode, for example, featured Floyd cooking on a trawler while out at sea, meeting other chefs and demonstrating their recipes. | The first episode, for example, featured Floyd cooking on a trawler while out at sea, meeting other chefs and demonstrating their recipes. |
| Keith Floyd's effervescent style made him famous around the world | Keith Floyd's effervescent style made him famous around the world |
| As a presenter, Keith Floyd was unique. Well lubricated with the ubiquitous glass of wine, both booze and banter would flow as he directed his long-suffering cameraman Clive to show either his face or the dish with regular commands like "back to me". | As a presenter, Keith Floyd was unique. Well lubricated with the ubiquitous glass of wine, both booze and banter would flow as he directed his long-suffering cameraman Clive to show either his face or the dish with regular commands like "back to me". |
| Additionally, Pritchard would often order scenes to be re-shot, with a recharged glass each time so, as Floyd later admitted: "I used to come off those shoots just wrecked." | Additionally, Pritchard would often order scenes to be re-shot, with a recharged glass each time so, as Floyd later admitted: "I used to come off those shoots just wrecked." |
| It should probably have failed, but the alchemy produced by the flamboyant chef and the immediacy of Pritchard's production style proved an instant hit. | It should probably have failed, but the alchemy produced by the flamboyant chef and the immediacy of Pritchard's production style proved an instant hit. |
| Series after series followed - Floyd on Food, on France, Spain, Italy, Australia, Floyd's American Pie and Far Flung Floyd, to name but a few. And the books of the series made Floyd a wealthy man. | Series after series followed - Floyd on Food, on France, Spain, Italy, Australia, Floyd's American Pie and Far Flung Floyd, to name but a few. And the books of the series made Floyd a wealthy man. |
| Bankrupt | Bankrupt |
| But the good times were not to last. Having ploughed a million pounds into his dream pub, The Maltsters Arms in Devon, Keith Floyd lost the lot. | But the good times were not to last. Having ploughed a million pounds into his dream pub, The Maltsters Arms in Devon, Keith Floyd lost the lot. |
| His media commitments prevented him from spending much time there and not even the presence of superchef-in-waiting Jean-Christophe Novelli in the kitchen was consolation for diners who wanted to meet the man himself. | His media commitments prevented him from spending much time there and not even the presence of superchef-in-waiting Jean-Christophe Novelli in the kitchen was consolation for diners who wanted to meet the man himself. |
| Floyd eventually went bankrupt, allegedly after he accepted a £36,000 cheque for a drinks order. The cheque bounced. | Floyd eventually went bankrupt, allegedly after he accepted a £36,000 cheque for a drinks order. The cheque bounced. |
| Cheers! Floyd took cookery programmes out of the studio | Cheers! Floyd took cookery programmes out of the studio |
| And matters got even worse when the BBC cancelled his shows. In an era of Nigella, Gordon, Jamie and a re-emergent Delia, the airwaves were packed with cookery programmes. | And matters got even worse when the BBC cancelled his shows. In an era of Nigella, Gordon, Jamie and a re-emergent Delia, the airwaves were packed with cookery programmes. |
| More recently, Floyd appeared on channel Five and had been in negotiations with the BBC about a return. | More recently, Floyd appeared on channel Five and had been in negotiations with the BBC about a return. |
| But many bridges had been burned. He fell out spectacularly with David Pritchard and was bitter, both about his treatment by the BBC and his own legacy. | But many bridges had been burned. He fell out spectacularly with David Pritchard and was bitter, both about his treatment by the BBC and his own legacy. |
| "We don't cook any more, we just watch TV programmes about cookery," he told one interviewer. | "We don't cook any more, we just watch TV programmes about cookery," he told one interviewer. |
| "Nobody takes cookery seriously now, it's just cheap entertainment. I'm totally to blame. I started it all and now I'm going to go down in history for having started a series of culinary game shows. | "Nobody takes cookery seriously now, it's just cheap entertainment. I'm totally to blame. I started it all and now I'm going to go down in history for having started a series of culinary game shows. |
| "It makes me terribly sad." | "It makes me terribly sad." |