Former Great British Bake Off finalist Luis Troyano has died at the age of 48.

The baker, who competed on the show in 2014, died last week, after being diagnosed with oesophageal cancer.

Louis’ manager Anne Kibel announced news of his death in a statement on Tuesday, which read: “Sadly, my lovely client lost his brave fight against oesophageal cancer last week.

“A fantastic man with a love of baking that saw him get to the finals of GBBO, write a wonderful book, Bake It Great and do so much more. Always in our thoughts.”

Luis’ wife Louise has also set up a JustGiving page to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support in his memory. 

Paying tribute to him, she said: “Your life was a blessing, your memory a treasure, you are loved beyond words and missed beyond measure.

“This page has been set up for Macmillan Cancer Support but in truth, Luis gave a big thank you to everyone involved in his care.”

Luis made it to the final of the fifth series of Bake Off alongside Richard Burr, but they both missed out on the crown to eventual winner Nancy Birtwhistle.

After appearing on the show, he released recipe book Bake It Great in 2015. According to his Twitter page, he also worked as a marketing manager for Salford City Council.

Following the news of his death, a number of Bake Off contestants paid tribute to Luis, including former winners Nadiya Hussain and John Whaite, and Luis’ fellow competitors Richard Burr and Chetna Makan.  

A spokesperson for The Great British Bake Off also said in a statement: “We are deeply saddened to hear that Luis Troyano has passed away. It was a huge honour and pleasure to have him in the Bake Off tent for series five.

“Our condolences and thoughts go out to his friends and family.”