FRIENDS of celebrity chef Keith Floyd have paid tribute to his memory following his death from a heart attack.

The TV chef died on Monday, aged 65. In June, it was reported he was suffering from bowel cancer.

Before moving to France a year ago, Mr Floyd lived in Faringdon and had previously in East Hagbourne.

Former Faringdon neighbour Andy Hook, 53, said: “I loved the old boy. I was really gutted when I heard he’d died.

“He was just like he was on the TV – what you saw with him was what you got. The only time he ever got angry was when people kept pestering him because he’d been on TV. He wanted to be a person, not a TV star. He was a lovely fellow. He was so kind-hearted it was unbelievable.”

After moving to the town, Floyd quickly became a regular in several nearby pubs.

Drinkers at The Volunteer Inn, in Gloucester Street, described Floyd as down to earth, and always able to tell a good story.

Bookmaker Pat Carthy, 60, of Betfred, Marlborough Street, said: “He was very well informed, and very informative, well travelled and well read. He liked talking about everything.

“He never talked about fame or TV. He’d much rather just talk about everyday things, horse racing, or travel.”

Mr Hook added: “He could tell a lot of stories, and was a very entertaining man. If he hadn’t been a chef, he could have been a stand-up comedian.”

Mr Floyd was married and divorced four times, and had a son and a daughter.