Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Friends And Family Of Beloved 'Top Chef' Alum Fatima Ali Share Emotional Goodbyes After Her Death At Age 29

Friends And Family Of Beloved 'Top Chef' Alum Fatima Ali Share Emotional Goodbyes After Her Death At Age 29
Instagram: Cheftudavidphu

Last week, on January 25th, it was announced that former Top Chef contestant, Fatima Ali, had passed away. Ali succumbed to bone cancer. She was 29.




Shortly after filming wrapped on Ali's season on the show, she was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. The young chef underwent several rounds of chemotherapy to treat the disease.

Though initially, it seemed the treatments had worked, the cancer came back and metastasized. Ali was given a year to live.

Her friends have spoken out about their heartbreak at the news of her passing.






Ali moved from Pakistan to America at the age of 18. She attended the Culinary Institute of America in New York to become a chef.

After graduating, she worked hard and became the youngest sous chef at Macy's Stella 34. Later, she became the executive sous chef at La Fonda Del Sol.

When Top Chef initially extended an offer for Ali to participate on the show, Ali turned them down, saying she wasn't ready. They came back two years later and she agreed to do the show.

Ali participated on the 2017-2018 season of Top Chef and came in seventh overall.

"I did pretty well, and thanks to the fans I won fan favorite, which some people say is better than winning the whole thing,"

she told Ellen DeGeneres in an interview.

Fans took to her for the brilliant Pakistani food she made and her sweet and infectious personality.







Ali has been very open about dealing with the cancer. She would post updates about the treatment process and her recovery to her Instagram page often.

The other contestants and members of the production team from Top Chef have lent their support. Padma Lakshmi, host of the show, had become close friends with Ali, visiting the young woman between her chemo treatments.




An article in Bon Appetit was where Ali revealed her terminal diagnosis, and now it is Bon Appetit that has shared the chef's final letter.

Ali wrote on her plans to indulge in life, family, and food with her remaining time.

"What is my intention? To live my life. To fulfill all those genuine dreams I have. It's easy to spend weeks in my pajamas, curled up in my bed, watching Gossip Girl on Netflix.
"But now I'm doing things. I'm going out to eat. I'm making plans for vacations. I'm finding experimental treatments. I'm cooking. I'm writing."

More from Trending

Pedro Pascal; JK Rowling
Toya Sarno Jordan/Getty Images for Disney; Dave J Hogan/Getty Images

Pedro Pascal Opens Up About Why He Called Transphobe JK Rowling A 'Heinous Loser'

Actor Pedro Pascal recently explained why he said Harry Potter author and anti-trans activist JK Rowling behaves like a "heinous loser," and suffice it to say he has absolutely no regrets.

The comment came in reference to Rowling gloating over the U.K. Supreme Court's recent decision to define what exactly constitutes a "woman" in the eyes of U.K. law, a decision that subjects trans people to violence, among other problems.

Keep ReadingShow less
JD Vance
Johannes Simon/Getty Images

Vance Dragged After Making Cringey Middle Finger Joke About 'Pink-Haired People' At GOP Dinner

Vice President JD Vance was criticized profusely after he attempted to make a joke mocking liberals during his appearance at the Ohio Republican Party dinner this week—only to have people calling out his lack of class for holding up his middle finger as he delivered the punchline.

Vance was in the middle of giving the event's keynote speech when he said the following:

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Trump Ripped After Posting Disturbing Parody Music Video About His Attack On Iran

President Donald Trump is facing harsh criticism after he shared a music video featuring the 1980 song "Bomb Iran"—a parody of The Regents song "Barbara Ann" that is best known for being covered by the Beach Boys—amid a ceasefire between Israel and Iran that could further inflame tensions in the Middle East.

The controversial parody song by Vince Vance & the Valiants plays over footage of B-2 stealth bombers, the same aircraft used to drop 14 GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs on Iranian nuclear facilities, including the Fordow enrichment plant, Natanz complex, and Isfahan site.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump; Zohran Mamdani
Omar Havana/Getty Images; Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Trump Just Tried To Slam Zohran Mamdani's Looks And Voice—And It Was Projection At Its Finest

President Donald Trump lashed out at Zohran Mamdani after the 33-year-old democratic socialist handily defeated former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in New York City's Democratic mayoral primary on Tuesday—only to be called out for projecting his own feelings of inadequacy onto the star candidate.

Mamdani ran a campaign centered around economic populism, arguing that the city, a global financial center, has grown unaffordable for everyday residents, citing soaring rents and grocery prices, and outlining policies aimed at reducing the cost of living.

Keep ReadingShow less
salad
Anna Pelzer on Unsplash

Doctors Explain Which Seemingly 'Healthy' Foods Aren't All That Good For Us

Every day it seems like some new health fad pops up.

Eat this, don't eat that.

Keep ReadingShow less