FRIENDS of former Faringdon resident Keith Floyd raised a glass in his honour yesterday.

The TV chef, whose breezy and sometimes chaotic style is credited with revolutionising cookery programmes, died from a heart attack on Monday, aged 65.

In June, it was reported he was suffering from bowel cancer.

Before moving to France in 2008, Mr Floyd lived in Faringdon with his ex-wife.

Between 1985 and 2001 he presented a string of hit cookery shows, in which he toured the world, wine glass in hand, cooking local delicacies in the most unlikely places.

Former Faringdon neighbour Ady 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.

“There were no airs or graces – he was just Keith Floyd.

“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.

“A few years ago I broke my leg, and every day he used to knock on my door to see if I was alright and whether I needed any food or anything.”

After moving to the town, Mr Floyd quickly became a regular in several nearby pubs, where locals yesterday paid tribute to him.

He gave his name to a brasserie at the Bell Hotel in Market Place, then owned by his former driver Glenn Geldard.

Drinkers at the Volunteer Inn, Gloucester Street, described Mr Floyd as friendly, 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 was always friendly. He was just one of the boys really. He was straight down the line, just like he came across on television.”

He added: “He never talked about fame or TV. He’d much rather just talk about everyday things, horse racing, or travel. He never dropped names, and he didn’t like that.”

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.”

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