Polish chef and restaurateur Mariusz Komenda, a semifinalist on “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 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 held Saturday, Oct. 10, at the municipal cemetery in Środa Śląska.
From Semifinalist to Juror
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.
“Cooking is an art,” he once said, in remarks translated from Polish.
Komenda opened two restaurants in his hometown of Środa Śląska, a Lower Silesian town in powiat średzki, where he lived and worked. He opened Sztuka Restaurant in 2020, turning his passion into daily work, and built his cooking around fresh products, a range of cuisines and plate presentation. He gave up running his own restaurant in 2023. He opened Father & Son, a Mexican restaurant, with his son, Mateusz Komenda, in the center of Środa Śląska in April 2025.
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.
Diagnosis After Suspected Stroke
Komenda was admitted to a hospital in January 2026 with a suspected stroke. Doctors found instead 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.
He received care at the State Medical Institute in Warsaw and at a hospital in Legnica. Surgeons removed part of his skull bone in the second operation, to reduce the risk of further complications. 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 proved far harder, and that the moment upended his life and the lives of those closest to him. He said 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. Supporters organized 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.
Tributes From Fellow Contestants
Grzegorz Zawierucha, a fellow 2019 “MasterChef Poland” contestant and the winner of the series, posted a tribute. “Maniuś… I can’t manage to write anything. Goodbye, brother. See you. Prepare the most delicious dinner today, my friend,” he wrote.
Co-star Mateusz Krojenka said he was “wrecked” by the news, and he praised Komenda’s “infectious smile.”
Local news outlet TVi Roland said he had struggled with a serious illness over his final months, and offered condolences to his family and friends.
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.