Departures of note

Mariusz Komenda was a Polish chef from Środa Śląska who came to national attention as a contestant on MasterChef Poland, reaching the semifinals of the show's eighth season in 2019. He later opened the Father & Son restaurant with his son in his hometown in April 2025. In early January 2026, Komenda was hospitalized with a suspected stroke and was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. He underwent multiple urgent, life-saving surgeries in Warsaw, including removal of the tumor in his right thalamus, and later revealed that additional cancerous lesions had been found in his body. He created a fundraising page to help cover the enormous costs of his treatment and neurorehabilitation. Komenda died in October 2026 at the age of 44, months after his diagnosis. TVN, the network that aired MasterChef Poland, and the show's creators paid tribute to him as part of the MasterChef family, remembering him as a man full of passion, energy, and a love for cooking.