Erik Videgård is today one of Sweden’s most famous chefs and has previously run restaurants such as East, Fjäderholmarna, Videgårds and En halv trappa plus gård.
The 63-year-old has also published a whole bunch of cookbooks about Sichuan cuisine, which he helped introduce in Sweden.
Today, Videgård travels around and makes guest appearances at restaurants around the country, while he is a recurring guest on TV4’s Nyhetsmorgon, where he has become a viewer favorite with his straightforward opinions on cooking.
Erik Videgård: Stop using finely ground black pepper
Erik Videgård: That’s why you should never use a garlic press
Erik Videgård was sick with cancer
Anyone who has seen Erik Videgård in the box has probably noticed how the chef sometimes has problems with his jaw. It depends on the sequelae of a cancer treatment.
In the spring of 2010, it was discovered that the 63-year-old had a cancerous tumor in the left tonsil in his throat. He subsequently underwent both chemotherapy and radiation and was considered to have completed treatment in September of the same year.
But at the same time it was discovered that Videgård’s jawbone had started to die and in the summer of 2011 the jaw fell off. Today, the chef is considered healthy, but the operation has affected his appearance.
Chef Erik Videgård’s jaw broke off – in the middle of the trip: “Devilish pain”
Chef Erik Videgård was diagnosed with cancer in 2010. Photo: Marcus Ericsson/TT”Have received quite a lot of comments…”
On Instagram writes Erik Videgård:
“Have received quite a few comments about me looking “strange” over the years. Some wondering, which is perfectly fine, and some ridiculing, which feels that way.”
“An operation after the side effects of radiation treatment left me with all feeling in a quarter of my face. That means anything can happen there without me knowing it.”
Erik Videgård has had jaw surgery
Erik Videgård has now operated on his jaw at Karolinska Hospital.
“Yesterday I got help from the fantastic plastic surgeons at Karolinska to fix part of my mouth. Now I can drink like a normal person, without leakage.”
“Going to play my dear saxophone again and maybe even start diving now that my mouth is closing tight. Yes, it’s still a little swollen and a little bruised, but it’s going away. Big kudos to the medical plastic surgery! If you only knew how much they do to reconstruct people. Amazing! And then I don’t look so ‘ridiculous’ anymore… Haha!”
Here you can read about why Erik Videgård thinks you should never grill hamburgers.