May 19, 2024 – 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.

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!”