Ken Hom

Chinese-American chef, author of more than 20 cookery books, and television-show presenter for the BBC. In 2009 he was appointed honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for "services to culinary arts". In 1982, after a 2-year global search, the BBC auditioned him for a Chinese cookery series. The resulting TV series Ken Hom's Chinese Cookery was a huge success and the companion book became one of the best-selling cookery books ever published by BBC Books, selling more than 1.5 million copies. Today after numerous printings it still remains in print. He has since appeared in a number of prime time BBC TV series that have sold throughout the world. His series for KBS, a five-hour documentary on the history of the noodle, sold in 23 countries and won the prestigious Peabody award in 2010. Since 1986 Hom has had a base in Paris. In 1997 he settled permanently in south west France in a restored 13th century tower in Lot. Hom has also spent more time in his adopted home of Thailand since 2003. Since 2008, Hom has been an ambassador for Action Against Hunger, a humanitarian charity which works in over 40 countries helping families to feed their children and build a sustainable life. In 2010, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and had proton radiation therapy in Japan. The cancer was successfully treated and he is now an ambassador for Prostate Cancer UK (formerly known as The Prostate Cancer Charity), building awareness for the early detection and treatment of cancers. Link to Wikipedia biography