Opera singer and broadcaster Wynne Evans has been crowned the 2023 Celebrity MasterChef Champion, becoming the 18th person to claim the coveted title on BBC One’s celebrity cooking competition.
After facing off the talents of 19 other celebrities, BBC Wales presenter Wynne triumphed at the end of six nail-biting weeks, which culminated in an intense cook-off against his fellow finalists, actor Amy Walsh and reality star Luca Bish. Wynne was awarded the revered Celebrity MasterChef trophy this evening (Friday 8th September) by judges Gregg Wallace and John Torode.
Reacting to his win, Wynne said: "This is a brilliant feeling. The kids will love this, they’ll be like ‘Dad! I can’t believe you did it when all you cook for us is beans on toast!’ The experience has totally changed my life. It has just been beautiful and I can’t thank Gregg and John and everybody here at MasterChef enough.
"When you start to believe in yourself, that’s when good things start to happen. I don’t know how a MasterChef winner celebrates but I know how a bloke from Carmarthen celebrates!"
Gregg Wallace said: "Wynne gives us theatre. I have never seen a celebrity like him ever before and I’m not sure we ever will again.”
While John Torode added: "Every single dish tells a story. His food, it’s exciting, it’s ambitious, and it’s got a little bit of artistic flare. He’s a proud Welshman with a big heart."
In the final episode, Wynne, alongside Amy and Luca, had two hours to present a flawless three-course meal, cooked to the very highest standards to impress the judges.
His winning menu featured a starter of Carmarthen-Japanese sumo tuna tartare with avocado, edamame beans and wasabi, served with deep-fried cockle popcorn and a mango egg; followed by a main course of bread of Evans cannon of lamb, served on samphire with wild garlic, porcini mushrooms and lamb rendered fried bread, with pomme dauphine and a fondant leek, finished with a red wine and red currant jus; and for dessert, Bara Brith with Caerphilly cheese and fig jam, served with brie ice cream on crumbled Bara Brith and poached figs.
While describing his winning menu, Wynne said: "I think these dishes represent everything that I am – local produce, stuff that I can easily get at home, and everything that I like to eat."
Finals week saw the remaining cooks battle it out as they were pushed to deliver food on a whole new level. The celebrities began the week travelling to East Sussex to cook a very special lunch in a kitchen like no other at Hunter Gather Cook. Guided by the founder and head chef Nick Weston, the finalists had to use only an open flame to make a three-course lunch for 20 of the country's top Scouts, who were out on the South Downs completing their survival badge.
For a chance to secure a place in the final three, the celebrities were later tasked with putting on a show as they each created a fantastical theatrical showstopping dish.
With the final three confirmed, the penultimate challenge was the toughest and most daunting of the competition: Chef’s Table. This year’s challenge was hosted by one of the country's most exciting young chefs, Robin Gill, at his restaurant Darby’s, where the finalists had to deliver food of an exceptional standard to impress a table of guests including Robin’s mentor, Raymond Blanc (Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons), Daniel Clifford (Midsummer House), Anna Haugh (Myrtle), Nieves Barragan Mohacho (Sabor) and Matt Gillan (Heritage).
Wynne Evans follows in the footsteps of previous winners: Lisa Snowdon, Kadeena Cox MBE, Riyadh Khalaf, Greg Rutherford, John Partridge, Angellica Bell, Alexis Conran, Kimberly Wyatt, Sophie Thompson, Ade Edmondson, Emma Kennedy, Phil Vickery, Lisa Faulkner, Jayne Middlemiss, Liz McClarnon, Nadia Sawalha and Matt Dawson.
AH5
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