Top Chef Alum Is Dead at 29

A fan favorite from Top Chef has died at age 29 of a rare form of bone cancer. Fatima Ali told the world in October in a poignant essay that she had less than a year to live because her Ewing's Sarcoma had returned. It was particularly devastating because Ali had been "technically cancer-free" just a few months earlier, following surgery. Ali appeared on Season 15 of the popular Bravo show, and while she didn't win, she was voted "fan favorite" that season, reports People.

“We are deeply saddened to share the news that Fatima Ali has lost her courageous battle with cancer," said a Bravo statement, per USA Today. "Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this time." Ali left her native Pakistan at 18 to become a student at the Culinary Institute of America in New York and hoped to open her own restaurant someday. Two weeks ago, she posted a health update on Instagram, asking for prayers. "I thank you a million times over for when you have given me joy," she told her fans. (More Top Chef stories.)