Restless life of army man turned jaunty TV celebrity

KEITH FLOYD, 65, with his jaunty manner and gritty alcohol-fuelled voice, was one of the most popular and successful of an entire tribe of TV chefs.

He left viewers with the impression that he lived a hedonistic life, and was often to be seen supping copiously from glasses of wine as he demonstrated his prowess as a cook.

Floyd was born in Somerset in 1943. After leaving Wellington School in Somerset, he began his professional life as a journalist in Bristol.