US chef on Gordon Ramsay TV show jumps to death
Cerniglia, shown in 2004 in New York, estimated in 2007 that he owed suppliers $80,000
A struggling US restaurateur who was subjected to harsh criticism by TV chef Gordon Ramsay has died after jumping from a bridge, officials said.
The body of Joseph Cerniglia was found in the Hudson River off New York on Friday, officials confirmed.
In 2007, Cerniglia said on Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares that his Italian eatery was indebted and near bankruptcy.
Ramsay questioned his business acumen and panned the restaurant.
Officials said Cerniglia, 39, leapt from the George Washington bridge spanning the Hudson river between New York's Manhattan borough and the state of New Jersey and have ruled the death a suicide.
In 2007, Cerniglia said on Ramsay's show his restaurant Campania in the state of New Jersey was in "overwhelming" debt and the dire situation threatened his wife and children.
Mr Ramsay asked why he had become a restaurateur if "you haven't a clue how to run a business".
On Tuesday, Mr Ramsay was quoted by the Press Association as saying: "I was fortunate to spend time with Joe during the first season of Kitchen Nightmares.
"Joe was a brilliant chef, and our thoughts go out to his family, friends and staff."
Joseph Cerniglia, a chef who had appeared on 's television show '''', has commited suicide. Cerniglia was the owner of Italian restaurant Campania. He jumped off a bridge into the  on the New York–New Jersey border. At the time of filming in 2007, Cerniglia owed suppliers $80,000.

Officials reported that 39-year-old Cerniglia had jumped off of the  into the Hudson. His death has officially been ruled as suicide. His body was retrieved from the river after reports of a man jumping off of the bridge.

Ramsay released a statement to the  saying "I was fortunate to spend time with Joe during the first season of Kitchen Nightmares. Joe was a brilliant chef, and our thoughts go out to his family, friends and staff."

Cerniglia told Ramsay about his personal debt when he came to the restaurant in 2007. He said "I am financially in trouble. The debt of the restaurant alone is overwhelming. My personal debt — wife, kids, mortgage — that's a lot of debt".