TOP CHEF
Who won MasterChef 2022?
MASTERCHEF is over for another year, and the 2022 winner has been announced after an incredible final.
Judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace had to decide between the three finalists.
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Who won MasterChef 2022?
Eddie - WINNER
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Marine pilot Eddie Scott, 30, beat off all the other contestants to scoop the MasterChef 2022 crown.
Speaking about his win, an emotional Eddie said: “It’s everything. My whole life I feel has been building up to this moment.
"I can’t believe I’m standing here as the MasterChef champion.
"It’s just been the most stressful and the most enjoyable!
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"I feel like I’ve just discovered who I am as a cook. It’s the best feeling ever.”
MasterChef judge John Torode said: “Eddie is nothing short of a culinary powerhouse.
"His love of classic French food blended with the spices of India, has made us really stand up and take notice.
"He’s daring, he’s adventurous, he doesn’t play it safe.”
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Fellow judge Gregg Wallace added: “I think we’ve just seen the birth of a future great chef.
"Eddie impressed from the moment he set foot in this kitchen. He’s hardly put a foot wrong throughout the competition.”
Who else was in the MasterChef final?
Radha - finalist
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Radha is a 23-year-old law graduate.
Speaking about her food inspiration, she told the BBC: "Drawing on my dual Indian-British heritage, my style combines Indian cuisine with Western adaptations.
"I also love pairing my food with cocktails! I love to recreate classic British desserts as they remind me of the puddings I ate at boarding school.
"I’ve been a vegetarian for the majority of my life, so this inspires me to cook with plant-based products, elevating a humble vegetable and giving it a spicy twist by pairing it with flavours of my Indian heritage."
Speaking about why she wanted to enter MasterChef, she said: "Although I’ve just finished a law degree, my heart lies in food.
"I only started cooking during lockdown as a means to alleviate some of the stress from my final exams at university.
"MasterChef is my programme of choice as it brings back fond memories each year when I look forward to watching the latest series on TV.
"So being on MasterChef was a dream come true."
Pookie - finalist
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Pookie, 45, is a beauty salon owner from Solihull.
Speaking about her food inspiration, she told the BBC: "I was born in Bangkok and grew up in Thailand.
"I am Thai with Chinese heritage and although this has a huge influence on my cooking, I don’t limit myself to Thai-Chinese food.
"I like cooking international foods but love introducing my own style with all the foods I’ve cooked.
"Most of all I want my food to be flavoursome, delicious, fun and put a smile on people’s faces.
Speaking about why she wanted to enter MasterChef, Pookie said: "Friends had often encouraged me, saying my style is very unique and finally my husband made me apply.
"I’d never really thought I was good enough to enter a competition such as that, but one day I just decided to go for it.
"I’m not super competitive but I love cooking, so I will give it a go, have fun and who knows how far it will take me! I’d like to show the world my Pookie Style."
Who else made finals week?
Sarah - finals week
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Mum-of-two Sarah is a marketing consultant from Kinross in Scotland.
Speaking about her food inspiration, she told the BBC: "Both my mother and grandmother are great cooks.
"My mum was the one who taught me how to cook initially and my grandmother was a great baker and made the best homemade chips!
"I feel like they both still inspire the dishes I cook today in their own way."
Speaking about why she wanted to enter MasterChef, Sarah said: "I have wanted to do MasterChef for years, but I have an absolute fear of failure so that’s always held me back.
"There comes a point where you have to take a risk, so I bit the bullet and applied."
Ioan - finals week
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Ioan is a 38-year-old marketing manager with a passion for cooking.
He was raised in North Wales and currently lives with his boyfriend in Salford.
Ioan shared: "I am originally from a farming family and community, raised in the countryside and surrounded with an abundance of fresh produce.
"This has made me passionate about the produce I use and I understand and respect its origins.
When asked why he joined the MasterChef competition, Ioan expressed: "MasterChef has always been a dream of mine. I have avidly watched it over several years, always thinking 'I will apply … one day' – and here I am, I finally plucked up the courage!
"I am a keen traveller and look for inspiration from new produce, cultures and experiences from around the world."
"This is the opportunity of a lifetime. I want to demonstrate my passion, my ability to grow as a cook and most importantly I want to have fun. I am so excited being part of the MasterChef competition this year!"
Eddie - finalist
Who made the semi-finals of MasterChef?
Thomas - semi-finalist - eliminated
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Thomas is a 60-year-old interior designer from Windsor.
He gets his cooking inspiration from all-over.
He said: "I’ve lived in seven different countries in my life: Singapore; UK, USA; Holland; Germany; Hong Kong and China. What I cook is an eclectic mix of these experiences."
Speaking about his decision to join the competition, he said: "I recently turned 60 and now it is about ticking off things from my bucket list - MasterChef is top of that list.
"I’ve cooked all my life but now want to take it to that next level."
James - semi-finalist - eliminated
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James is a 38-year-old PGA Golf Professional from Kent.
James describes his cooking style as: "British homely dishes, but I love learning new dishes."
He adds: "I mainly cook for my family, which includes two young children. I like it when we get a chance to eat as a family and I love making food fun for the kids. Masking different pastas, pizzas or baking some sweet treats is something they love getting involved with."
Holly - semi-finalist - eliminated
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Holly is a 29-year-old theatre director from Poole in Dorset.
Speaking about her food inspiration, she told the BBC: "My style of cooking is fairly undefined in a way. I basically cook what I like and it’s quite varied! I love cooking Asian fusion and also dishes inspired by my travels. I do love to add a bit of drama to my dishes. Food can be fun as well, right?
Speaking about why she wanted to enter MasterChef, Holly said: "I think during lockdown I had the time to up my cooking game.
"I felt I was finally at a level that could compete, so wanted to give it a go."
Farokh - semi-finalist - eliminated
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Farokh is a 36-year-old Drama Lecturer from East London.
Speaking about his food inspiration, he told the BBC: "My style of food is experimental European with minimal presentation and hints of flavours from all around the world - particularly Persian and Iranian ingredients and aromas."
He added: "I wanted to see if people whose job it is to think about food would like my cooking."
Who is in the MasterChef 2022 line-up?
The MasterChef 2022 line-up is made up of 45 passionate and talented hopefuls.
They come from all walks of life including an NHS worker, theatre director, beer bike tour guide, childcare worker, bank manager and retired head teacher.
They are split into five groups of nine amateur cooks.
Most of those chefs have now been whittled down into the semi-finalists.
Week Five
Amedeo - eliminated
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Amedeo, 32, is a Senior Marine Officer from Lowestoft.
Speaking about his food inspiration, he told the BBC: "I love cooking traditional Italian food from my hometown of Naples.
Speaking about why she wanted to enter MasterChef, he said: "I love the sea and am passionate about fishing and cooking fish.
"I’d love to showcase this on MasterChef."
Angela - eliminated
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Angela, 31, is a Childcare worker from Yorkshire.
Speaking about her food inspiration, she told the BBC: "I’m a rustic home-cook whose aim is to make engaging food for children.
"I’m passionate about nature and love to bring in my own botanical twists to my cooking, using ingredients you wouldn’t find in a supermarket."
Dean - eliminated
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Dean, 41, is a Multiple Sclerosis campaigner from Edinburgh.
Speaking about his food inspiration, he told the BBC: "I’d describe myself as a rustic British cook.
"I get loads of inspiration from watching YouTube cooking videos and also from going to the butchers and finding out about what different cuts of meat they have."
Hannah - eliminated
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Hannah is a 27-year-old from London.
Speaking about her food inspiration, she told the BBC: "I love to cook food from all over the world and I often dishes I've grown up eating and refining them or adding a bit of a risky twist.
"I’m a feeder and love cooking huge sharing-style feasts for friends and family."
Mark - eliminated
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Mark, 34, is and Accountant from London.
Speaking about his food inspiration, he told the BBC: "I’d say my style is eclectic, but I’m always inspired by my travels and Filipino roots most especially my mum.
"I like to incorporate this with European and modern style of cooking. My husband is British and his family are traditional cooks, so that has influenced my style too."
Martin - eliminated
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Martin, 50 is a Vintage clothing wholesaler from Birmingham
Speaking about his food inspiration, he told the BBC: "I’m half Jamaican so I love cooking food from this side of my heritage but also from all over the world.
"I love cooking good, hearty food that the whole family can enjoy."
Speaking about why he wanted to enter MasterChef, he said: "Cooking is a way to people’s hearts. I remember the first meal I cooked my wife when we started dating.
"It won her over and we’ve been married for 15 years now. If I can win the judges over with my food as well, that would be incredible."
Zizi - eliminated
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Zizi, 56, is a IT business analyst from Oxfordshire.
Speaking about her food inspiration, she told the BBC: "I’d say my style champions my Mauritian roots and also my vegetarian diet.
"I love using spice and try to pack as much flavour as I can into hearty dishes."
Week Four
Bhavina - eliminated
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Bhavina is a 31-year-old from Birmingham, but now lives in London and is head of a marketing firm.
She grew up in a big family, with her mum cooking Gujurati (North West Indian) dishes.
She likes to cook traditional reciplies, but also create her own take on them, "Indian food with a twist I guess you could say," she said.
Carly - eliminated
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Caryl is a 34-year-old dental nurse from Sheffield.
As a mum-of-five she struggled to make time for herself.
But as they are older, she believes now is her perfect chance to enter the competition.
Speaking about her style of cooking, she said: "I’d say my style of cooking is intuitive. I don’t really follow recipes, I just go with the flow and cook by eye and taste. "
Evy - eliminated
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Evy is a 35-year-old artist from Surrey.
She grew up in Poland in a small town called Tomaszow Mazowiecki.
She studied architecture for a year in Spain before moving to London in 2006.
Speaking about her decision to be on the show, she said: "I gave up my career as an architect to be a full-time mum. Now the children are a little older it’s time to do something for me."
Jamahl - eliminated
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Jamahl is a 27-year-old recruitment consultant from London.
His Caribbean roots are what inspire him to cook, but he also loves to show that you can mix it with other cuisines.
Speaking about his decision to join the show, he said: "The greatest thing about food for me is seeing how it brings people together.
"My friends and family all love eating my food so I want to see if the judges do too."
Meg - eliminated
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Meg is a 24-year-old radio producer from Manchester.
She grew up in Preston and went to Newcastle University.
Meg is hoping to inspire the judges with her vegan dishes.
She said: "I’m vegan, so I love to experiment with all sorts of vegan dishes.
"Having fun with my food is really important. For me it’s about sharing delicious food with my friends. I love using spices and never compromise on flavour with my dishes."
Oli - eliminated
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Oli is a 31-year-old wine merchant from London.
Oli comes from an Italian background so his roots are established in Southern Mediterranean food.
Talking about his decision to join the show, he said: "I work in the wine industry so whilst I don’t work directly with food, I do work indirectly with it in many ways, wine pairings, the world of restaurants.
"It’s my day job but I love it and I food and cooking is a natural progression from this.
";I want to now see if I can bring the two things together and take it to that next level."
Vanessa - eliminated
Vanessa is a 28-year-old credit controller from London.
She wants to give Caribbean food the recognition it deserves.
She says: "My parents are Jamaican, my grandma was born in Costa Rica, and I have other relatives from South America and Asia, which influence and inspire what I cook.
"Those are my main food inspirations, along with the places I’ve travelled to."
Week Three
Daryll - eliminated
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Daryll is a 60-year-old stockbroker from London.
He grew up in Marlow, Buckinghamshire then moved to London when he was 20.
The keen chef is a husband with a daughter and two step-daughters.
On discussing his food inspiration Daryll shared: "I love cooking traditional comfort foods - British and French classics with my own twist. I will often cook the same dish in order to perfect it. You can say my curries are never the same!"
Ibz - eliminated
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Ibz is a 23-year-old chef from London who works as a retail supervisor.
He grew up in Brixton, South London and shared he has family all over the globe including areas such as Birmingham and Guyana.
He lives with his parents and eight younger siblings - four brothers and four sisters.
When asked his food inspiration Ibz shared: "My West Indian Guyanese and Jamaican heritage is the main source of my inspiration. Many of the dishes from Guyana and Jamaica have a deep-rooted history. "
Jan-Paul - eliminated
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Jan-Paul is a 34-year-old fashion sales executive with a talent for cooking.
The amateur cook shared how he was raised in London but lived in Manila, Philippines, for a few years during his 20s.
He shared: "I have so many influences. My parents emigrated to the UK in the late 1970s from the Philippines, so I grew up on Filipino food as well as Western food at home."
Johnny - eliminated
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Johnny is a 40-year-old customer service manager from Wolverhampton.
He was born in Birmingham but said he spent most of his childhood living in Walsall in the West Midlands.
He now lives in a village called Tettenhall in Wolverhampton with his wife and son.
Michaela - eliminated
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Michaela is a 27-year-old market research director from London.
She grew up in Enfield and has lived in North London with her boyfriend for the past two years.
Michaela shared: "Coming from a Jewish household, a culture of communal cooking and eating has characterised my upbringing.
"Food sits as a centre point of all my family events whether that be Friday night dinner, Jewish festivals, or visiting restaurants for special occasions.
"I cook dishes from these experiences but also love to try new dishes inspired by other cultures and cuisines."
Nazya - eliminated
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Nazya is a 42-year-old NHS worker from Bolton.
She lives with her three daughters and explained she grew up in Pakistan before moving to England 10 years ago.
The cook shared: "I take inspiration from the cuisine of my heritage (Karachi, Pakistan), and love using recipes that have been in my family for years, but then like to add my add twist to them by incorporating different cuisine’s ideas."
Sonu - eliminated
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Sonu is a 46-year-old homemaker from West London.
She was born and raised in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India and migrated to the UK after getting married at the age of 25.
The chef has one son called Maanav aged nine and a daughter called Shanaya who is four.
Sonu shared: "Being deaf has been a struggle at points and cooking has always been there as my way of relaxing.
"I now feel ready to show that being deaf doesn’t mean I have limited options, or I can’t have a go at the competition and I feel ready to give it my best shot."
Week Two
Ally - eliminated
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Property Solicitor Ally, 28, hails from Edinburgh.
Speaking about his food inspiration, he told the BBC: "I love fresh ingredients and seasonal produce.
"If I had to define my style of cooking, it would be classical, or modern European, however I am an adventurous cook and like to cook all types of cuisines.
"My main cooking inspiration when I was younger was my granny in Fife. I remember baking with her when I was little and have learnt so much from her over the years."
Has - eliminated
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Police Officer Has, 38, is from London.
Speaking about his food inspiration, he told the BBC: "As a Cypriot, I love to cook authentic dishes from Cyprus, but also branches out and fuse different cuisines together.
"I enjoy barbecuing and have three different barbecues at home! So when it comes to deciding what to cook, I draw upon all of these things."
Joanna - eliminated
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Joanna is a 28-year-old social media manager who lives in London.
Speaking about her food inspiration, she told the BBC: "I’ll always try something new and creative but Greek food obviously has a special place in my heart...
"I don’t like taking things too seriously when I’m the kitchen, because it’s all about having fun. But I have a passion for refinement and making things look pretty."
Leon - eliminated
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Leon, 35, is a Bank Manager who hails from Swansea.
Speaking about his food inspiration, he told the BBC: "I’d say my style is a mixture of street food and fusion.
"I love researching different cuisines and having a go at cooking them myself with my own twist.
"I’m inspired by the food I grew up eating and also the food my family loves me to cook."
Niall - eliminated
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Niall, 57, is a retired head teacher from Belfast.
Speaking about his food inspiration, he told the BBC: "I would describe my food as ‘Hearty Irish Fair’ but that it also draws influence from my time spent in Italy.
"I love using herbs and spices and championing what I think is the best seafood in the world from Northern Ireland."
Stephanie - eliminated
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Stephanie, 36, is a social care partner from Luton.
Speaking about her food inspiration, she told the BBC: "My mum, who is of Dominican descent, my sister, and my grandparents have all been huge influences on my cooking.
"My father as well, who is Jamaican, loves food from his home country.
";We love spices in our food! So I take inspiration from my heritage but also just love to try and make different foods that I love and try to make them look pretty on a plate."
Tigi - eliminated
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Tigi, 46, is an insurance broker from Surrey.
Speaking about his food inspiration, he told the BBC: "I love to cook what I grew up with – West African dishes.
"I started cooking from a very young age, being in the kitchen with my mum when she cooked, and then later on, my older brother took over the teaching, giving me the basic skills I needed as I was growing up."
Week One
Clive - eliminated
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Married dad-of-three Clive, 50, is a school facilities manager who hails from Chafford Hundred, near Grays.
Speaking about his food inspiration, he told the BBC: "I predominantly focus on Caribbean cooking but am happy to try my hand at everything, including Thai, Italian and Chinese cuisine.
"I take inspiration from my family, and the food I ate as a child but also where I have travelled to as an adult.";
Haylee - eliminated
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Haylee hails from London and is a 29-year-old events manager.
Speaking about her food inspiration, she told the BBC: "My mum is Finnish, my dad’s family is Jamaican and I grew up in the UK so I am a Fimaican!
"My cooking is a combination of my heritage. I love the big bold flavours of Caribbean food but also the lighter touches of Nordic dishes."
Laura - eliminated
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Mum-of-two Laura, 32 lives in Bath and is a politics student.
Speaking about her food inspiration, she told the BBC: "My big passion is Sri Lankan soul food.
"My mum is Sri Lankan and is a wonderful cook. I love recreating the dishes I grew up eating and those I’ve tried whilst visiting family in Sri Lanka.
"I have a 110 year old cookbook that has been passed down in my family so I love working my way through that."
Lisa - eliminated
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Lisa, 39 is a cleaning business owner from Glasgow
Speaking about her food inspiration, she told the BBC: "I’d say I’m quite a classical cook.
"I like cooking hearty dishes but in a fine dining way. I particularly love cooking with game, taking inspiration from the amazing Scottish produce I’m surrounded by.
"And any opportunity to make burgers and barbecue, I take it."
Paul - eliminated
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Paul is a builder and former police officer from Dorset.
Speaking about his food inspiration, the 53-year-old told the BBC: "I love cooking a whole range of dishes from all over the world, and also traditional British dishes, all with the focus of packing a punch with flavour.
"Living on the coast I cook a lot of seafood and I also take massive pride in making really good sauces."
Rachel - eliminated
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Rachel, 22, is a beer bike tour guide from Belfast.
Speaking about her food inspiration, she told the BBC: "I love using interesting ingredients.
"My dad once drove 80 miles to drop off some fresh nettles from his garden for me to cook with!
"My nana was a baker by trade and my mum is a fantastic cook. My fiancé’s mother was a chef in her younger years and she was definitely my main inspiration to cook."
Rishi - eliminated
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Rishi is a 26-year-old dentist from Harrow.
Speaking about his food inspiration, he told the BBC: "I’ve been a vegetarian all my life and really want to showcase the potential that vegetarian and vegan food really has, especially with a fusion of pan-Asian flavours.
Speaking about why he wanted to enter MasterChef, Rishi said: "I was running a food blog as a passion project and creative outlet, it then proceeded to take off during lockdown."
How can I watch MasterChef on TV?
Season 18 of MasterChef came to an end on Thursday, May 5, 2022.
The BBC One cooking competition saw the cooks whittled down over 24 episodes.
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If you want see the journey of the competitors, then you can catch up with all the episodes on the .
And if that's not enough to appease your appetite, seasons 12 to 17 are also available to watch.
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