katero
Jul 01, 2026

Influencer suddenly at age 35 after experiencing 'medical event'

Beloved cooking influencer Joel Yukich has passed away 'suddenly' at age 35 after experiencing a 'medical event.'

One of Yukich's loved ones shared the devastating news via his Facebook page, Blokes Can Cook Too, while describing him as the 'loudest and brightest light in every room he went into.'

Yukich, a father-of-four from New Zealand, had amassed over 116,000 followers by documenting himself fishing, hunting and then cooking some of the things he caught.

'Yesterday, we all received the tragic news that Joel had suddenly passed away as a result of a medical event,' the post read. 

'The inbox has been overwhelmed with messages of love. Joel was the loudest and brightest light in every room he went into. 

'This page gave him an outlet to connect with other like-minded fans and creators, allowing him to forge lifelong friendships through his love of wild kai. To everyone who has messaged, thank you.'

The friend, named Keegan, explained that they had 'known Joel since they were both kids' and spent 'much of their teen years together' before living together for almost a year in 2017.

'It was around this time that Joel started floating the idea of starting a page to showcase his hunting, fishing, diving and cooking skills,' they went on.

Beloved cooking influencer Joel Yukich has passed away 'suddenly' at age 35 after experiencing a 'medical event'

Beloved cooking influencer Joel Yukich has passed away 'suddenly' at age 35 after experiencing a 'medical event'

One of Yukich's loved ones shared the devastating news via his Facebook page, Blokes Can Cook Too, while describing him as the 'loudest and brightest light in every room he went into'

One of Yukich's loved ones shared the devastating news via his Facebook page, Blokes Can Cook Too, while describing him as the 'loudest and brightest light in every room he went into'

'Not long after I moved out, Joel rang me and asked if I could help him set up the page we've all come to love, Blokes Can Cook Too.

'Joel was the face, and I helped in the background with the tech side of things, and as a sounding board for content ideas, business ideas and any other advice I could give him.'

Yukich's cause of death has not been officially confirmed.

He was married to a woman named Alanna Hussey, and together, they shared four sons.

In a Facebook post of her own, Hussey shared her heartbreak over losing her husband, admitting that her 'world had changed forever.' 

'I honestly don't know how to write this, and I never imagined I would have to,' she wrote.

'Last night, my world changed forever. My beautiful partner, Joel, passed away suddenly.

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