It’s finals week as the MasterChef anniversary celebrations continue, and two incredible challenges await our final four. They will have to give it their all, as at the end, John and Gregg will pick the three lucky cooks to move ahead to the grand final, where the 20th MasterChef champion will be chosen.
Watch finals week on iPlayer and BBC One from Monday 20 May.
- Read more: "MasterChef changed my life" - two decades of Champions and Past Contestants share their memories of the series
- Read more: MasterChef 20th Anniversary Dinner: Gregg Wallace and John Torode join leading chefs and guest critics to discuss two decades of the series
Meet the Finalists
Brin
Name: Brin Pirathapan
Region: Lives in Bristol and grew up in Essex
Age: 29 (28 during filming)
Profession: Veterinary Surgeon.
Personal: Engaged to fiancé, getting married this summer.
Cooking Background:
“I was born in Ilford and grew up in Chelmsford, Essex then moved to Bristol where I studied for my degree in veterinary science. I grew up with my parents and my older brother and I now also have a sister-in-law and a little niece too. My love for food and cooking started to properly develop when I went to university. My student budget didn’t allow for fancy food, so I wanted to learn to make delicious meals myself without breaking the bank. That’s when I realised I had a passion for cooking, not just eating! Cooking definitely runs in my family. My parents grew up in Sri Lanka and are great cooks, so I’ve been lucky enough to be treated to amazing Tamil Sri Lankan flavours throughout my life. This gave both my brother and I a passion for flavour.”
On MasterChef:
“I’ve watched MasterChef for as long as I can remember. The show is one of the reasons I’m the cook I am today. This year I felt I might finally be good enough to apply and I decided to pluck up the courage. Anna’s my biggest fan (and my biggest critic) and she really pushed me to apply. As daunting as it was, I was so proud of myself for getting to Semi Finals stage that it really gave me boost in the last round to cook my heart out and give myself the best chance of being a finalist. When the judges announced that I’d got into the Finals I was absolutely elated. I’ve loved cooking for John and Gregg but it’s been absolutely nerve racking and waiting for their feedback during tastings feels like an eternity! They are such a pleasure to cook for.”
Cooking Influences/Passions:
“The areas of cooking I love are truly an amalgamation of my Tamil Sri Lankan heritage and my British upbringing. I have a passion for creating dishes with bold flavours but refining them to high standards with European techniques. I like to pull flavour combinations from all over the world and create balanced dishes.”
Cooking Ambitions:
“I’d love to have a future in the food industry. Waking up every morning knowing that I’m doing something I absolutely love would be a great feeling.I want food to take me all over the world and I feel like I’ve got so much more to learn. MasterChef has already given me an opportunity to cook for some of my absolute heroes – Tom Kitchin, Monica Galetti, Pierre Koffman – just to name a few – and I value the feedback from such esteemed chefs. I’d love to do another Chef’s Table for more of the greats and see what they think of my food!”
Louise
Name: Louise Lyons Macleod
Region: Exmoor National Park but grew up in Staffordshire
Age: 44 (43 while filming)
Profession: Farmer
Personal: Married to military helicopter pilot, Ally, and they have an 8-year-old daughter, Ophelia
Cooking Background:
“I’ve been cooking since I could walk! My mum would always get me involved in preparing the family meals. My father would take me fishing to catch our supper and would teach me to prepare and cook the fish. My granny was also a huge influence and would encourage me to help her in the kitchen. I now run a 25-acre farm. I specialise in breeding and rearing native rare breed animals and have breeding programmes in place for pigs, sheep, goats and various poultry. As much as possible, I try to be sustainable and follow regenerative agriculture principles, allowing the animals to range freely and live in herds as naturally as possible for the benefit of the land.”
On MasterChef:
“For at least 15 years my friends and family have been badgering me to apply for MasterChef. The reason I applied this year was that I had just had my five-year cancer-versary. I was diagnosed when my daughter was 18 months old and our world imploded. My diagnosis and intense treatment took a long time to come to terms with and changed me. A positive change was to try to embrace all of life’s opportunities fully. I’m utterly thrilled to get through to the Finals! It’s a dream come true. I’ve been the biggest fan of the show forever and it’s the only TV show I religiously watch. It’s been a joy to cook for John and Gregg. They are as lovely as I had imagined.”
Cooking Influences/Passions:
“All of my family are super keen cooks. My parents taught me to experiment from a young age and I’ve always carried that with me. My biggest passion has always been the produce that we have in the UK. We are lucky to have true seasonality and the best farmers in the world. At home it’s my aim to feed my family and friends with as much home grown veg and home reared meat as possible. I love sharing my passion for seasonal, British food with my friends and family. I work and live for the farm to fork philosophy, for my food to be sustainable with as little waste as possible, and above all to be delicious!
Cooking Ambitions:
“I would love to run supper clubs or to write about food and share recipes. It would be my dream to write a book, or a series of books showcasing British seasonality. I would like to show that cooking with the seasons can be as simple - or complicated - and delicious as one chooses, but it can always be accessible.I love to cook for people interested in food and its provenance. A dream would be to cook for people and then to be able to enjoy chatting with them about food, ingredients and cookery over a glass of wine.”
Chris
Name: Chris Willoughby
Region: Oxfordshire
Age: 44
Profession: Circus Performer
Personal: Lives with long term partner and interior designer, Kim
Cooking Background:
“I’ve always been fascinated by cooking. It probably started from watching my grandma cook a great Sunday roast pork and being fascinated by how she would do it and make things taste so nice. I’m a firm believer in travelling and have been so lucky with my career to go to far-off places and explore food while I’m there. Naturally, I go find the best food and enjoy it – it’s more than a hobby, it’s an obsession! Growing up we reared our own pigs for meat, and we had chickens for eggs.
Being mindful of where good food comes from is something I learnt at a young age. The people around me as a child, and now, have been a huge influence on me. I’ve been with my boyfriend Kim for seven years now and he has been so supportive throughout my two journeys in MasterChef. He does a lot of the washing up when I’ve been cooking! My older sister is also super supportive. My passion for cooking really blossomed with traveling and getting my hands on Asian ingredients. During lockdown I also became very focused on food. All of my performing work was cancelled and I was left with time to think and eat!
On MasterChef:
“I entered MasterChef because I have always loved the series and the competition. Who doesn't love a challenge? And this is one that will definitely test you. I felt my cooking had gotten to a good level and I was ready to be tested and learn new things along the way. I’m always striving for the next new thing. Being able to achieve new things has always given me the passion to keep growing. Getting through to the finals feels out of this world. The further you get in the competition, the more driven you become to get to the title. With each challenge you learn so much. Cooking for John and Gregg has always been a pleasure, they both have great palates and have been tasting dishes for over 20 years on the show so you really know the feedback is coming from the right place.”
Cooking Influences/Passions:
“I’m most passionate about presentation and flavours. As an artist and performer. I can’t get enough of cooking on flames and open fires. I have always been inspired by classics and chefs like Mary Berry, Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver. I’m also inspired by the places I’ve visited, restaurants in Japan, Spain, Thailand - the food always speaks to me.
Cooking Ambitions:
“I would love to write some cookbooks based on food and its concepts, theatre and home entertaining. I have loved being part of MasterChef and would like to make more TV, like food documentaries exploring remote cultures and food around the world. I’d also like to curate and direct my own immersive dinner theatre experience.”
Abi
Name: Abi Kempley
Region: Leeds, Yorkshire
Age: 22 (21 during filming)
Profession: Sales for her family salads company
Personal: Has been with boyfriend Eddie for seven years
Cooking Background: “I’m from Yorkshire and have two brothers, Ben and James, and my sister Ellie. I grew up in Harrogate, then moved to Thirsk at 15 and now live in the centre of Leeds. I’ve been cooking for around four years. My cooking was born out of frustration for not being able to spend time enjoying food at restaurants and food markets during lockdown 2020. Lockdown gave me the opportunity and time to cook for my family and recreate what we could no longer go out to eat! It became a sort of routine. My mum is a great cook, my dad loves to BBQ, but my mum has always told me I got my cooking abilities from my nana, who was a natural. For a loved one or someone special I would cook my beef tataki – always a crowd pleaser.”
On MasterChef: “My mum pushed me to enter and really believed in me. I was nervous to apply. I knew that it could be a lot of pressure but I wanted to prove to myself that I was talented and it wasn’t family bias! I truly can’t believe I’m through to the Finals. I’ve been working so hard for so long and it just feels like a sense of huge achievement and gratitude. John and Gregg are great judges and I’ve appreciated any feedback - especially once the initial nerves wore off after the first few rounds!”
Cooking Influences/Passions:
“Asian flavours are my forté, but I love French techniques and making fusion of the two. In my cooking, I usually get inspiration from a recipe and make it my own. I always find MOB Kitchen recipes to be a cracking start for comfort. MasterChef in general inspires me, and I’m sure many other young cooks and chefs, to get involved and push my own cooking abilities. All of my fellow contestants in the competition have given me the real inspiration to cook more elegant and challenging foods.”
Cooking Ambitions: “My ambitions for cooking, and life in general, are to be able to continue to show my love through food - whatever form that may come in and opportunities may arise! It would be an absolute dream to cook (and eat!) in Japan - it’s my dream destination.”
