Paris, June 8 (Agencies): US celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, host of CNN's food-and-travel-focused Parts Unknown television series, has died at the age of 61, the network said on Friday.

Bourdain hanged himself, the network said in a statement. CNN confirmed the death, saying in a statement he was found unresponsive Friday morning by friend and chef Eric Ripert, and calling it a suicide.

The CNN statement said: "His love of great adventure, new friends, fine food and drink and the remarkable stories of the world made him a unique storyteller. His talents never ceased to amaze us and we will miss him very much."

Bourdain's death was the second suicide this week of a high-profile American figure. Designer Kate Spade, who built a fashion empire on her signature handbags, was found dead in her New York apartment of suicide on Tuesday.

Suicide rates rose in nearly every US state from 1999 to 2016, according to figures released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday.