Interview with Terry Christian Celebrity MasterChef 2023 week 2 contestant

What made you want to do Celebrity MasterChef?

I've always fancied it. I’ve done Bake Off before and I'd never really done any baking. Some people prepare before and practice, which is cheating to me! Cooking is where it’s at. I had to learn to cook because my mum’s a terrible cook. We’re Irish so everything's boiled and salty. I started making Vesta beef curries for me and my siblings when I was about 12 and that was the best thing we’d ever tasted. I’m here to just have a go!

I know people get nervous because nobody wants to be the first one out. But you know, that's just life, I’m here to enjoy the journey.

How have you prepared for the series?

I haven't really prepared, I just cook when the lads come round to watch the football. This is my big one now.

What do your friends think of your cooking?

They clear the plate, but they also get a shift on because they want to finish before kick-off! They say to watch out for my presentation. I’m a bit of a ‘slap it on a plate and get it out’ sort of cook.

How did it feel to walk into the kitchen for the first time?

It's quite nerve-wracking because suddenly you’re there with all this stuff in front of you thinking ‘what the hell do we do with this?’

What is your desert island dish?

Malaysian Laksa. I love it, it's got flavour and it's really spicy too. I like the coconut flavour and I’m really into spicy food and a lot more flavour than you’d get in an Irish stew.

What are three things you always have in your fridge at home?

Not an awful lot! I suppose what I’ll always have are chillies and stuff like that. I panic if we run out of that.

What is your favourite dish to cook at home?

Definitely a curry.