The MasterChef 2024 finalists have been revealed ahead of the grand final on Wednesday, where they will compete to be champion.
After seven weeks of battling it out in the kitchen, 58 cooks have been whittled down to just four, but only one can win.
Competing for the final time are Abi Kempley, Brin Pirathapan, Chris Willoughby and Louise Lyons Macleod.
And adding an extra level of excitement is the fact that it marks the 20th Finals Week on MasterChef, after the show debuted in 2004.
Monday’s episode will begin with the finalists jetting off to Singapore and visiting one of the bustling hawker markets, full of street food classics.
The MasterChef 2024 finalists have been revealed ahead of the grand final on Wednesday, where they will compete to be champion (John and Gregg pictured)
After seven weeks of battling it out in the kitchen, 58 cooks have been whittled down to just four – Chris Willoughby, Louise Lyons Macleod, Abi Kempley and Brin Pirathapan (L-R)
However, the chefs won’t be allowed anytime to rest, as John Torode and Gregg Wallace will be putting them to work straight away with their first challenged.
Under the guidance of the godfather of Singapore heritage cuisine, chef Damian D’Silva, they will work in teams to cook traditional dishes for the locals to judge.
The Final Four will then head to one of Singapore’s most renowned restaurants, Pangium, where they will have to cook one of Chef Malcolm Lee’s dishes for an exclusive lunchtime service.
Their last chance to impress will be cooking a VIP lunch at a five-star hotel, creating their own menu inspired by their experience so far.
Tuesday’s episode will see the cooks return to London to give it their all, as judges John and Gregg choose the final three.
First they will have the honour of taking charge of one of the last ever restaurant services at Le Gavroche, guided by Michel Roux Jr. himself.
On top of that, they will be serving these dishes to a dining room that includes revered chefs who have also grafted in this very kitchen, including Pierre Koffmann, Monica Galetti, and Michel’s daughter, Emily.
Back in the MasterChef kitchen, their last challenge will see them asked to deliver one exceptional plate of food that has special meaning, relates to something or someone they love, and comes straight from the heart.
Brin, 29, said that his love for cooking developed while he was studying veterinary science at university and wanted to making delicious meals on a student budget
Louise, 44, credited her family for her culinary skills and explained that she had decided to apply for MasterChef to mark her five-year anniversary from her cancer diagnosis
John and Gregg will then have the tough decision of choosing who will go home and who will go on to compete for the trophy.
In Wednesday’s nail-biting Grand Final, these last three will then have to deliver a three-course menu, showing their progress in the contest, and the judges will crown the MasterChef Champion of 2024.
Hailing from four very different walks of life, this year’s winner will either be vet Brin, farmer Louise, saleswoman Abi or circus performer Chris.
Brin, 29, said that his love for cooking developed while he was studying veterinary science at university and wanted to making delicious meals on a student budget.
He said: ‘That’s when I realised I had a passion for cooking, not just eating!’
He added that cooking runs in his family, with his parents both growing up in Sri Lanka and being incredible cooks.
Brin explained: ‘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.’
He gushed that he’s watched MasterChef ‘for as long as I can remember’ and said it was ‘one of the reasons I am the cook I am today.’
Youngest finalist Abi, 22, said she got into cooking during lockdown in 2020, after growing frustrated by not being able to go to restaurants and food markets
Chris, 44, said lockdown also helped him develop his love for food, as his performing work was cancelled leaving him ‘time to think and eat’
Louise, 44, credited her family for her culinary skills, saying: ‘I’ve been cooking since I could walk!’
She said that her parents taught her to experiment with food and running a 25-acre farm has given her a passion for sharing home grown food as well as be as sustainable as possible.
She explained that she had decided to apply for MasterChef to mark her five-year anniversary from her cancer diagnosis.
Louis said: ‘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.’
Youngest finalist Abi, 22, said she got into cooking during lockdown in 2020, after growing frustrated by not being able to go to restaurants and food markets.
She said that her strength is Asian flavours and French techniques, admitting her dream would be to cook in Japan.
Abi added that she was nervous to apply for the show, but her mum pushed her to give it a go by believing in her.
She admitted: ‘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.’
Chris, 44, said lockdown also helped him develop his love for food, as his performing work was cancelled leaving him ‘time to think and eat’.
He called his love for cooking ‘an obsession’ and credited his boyfriend of seven years, Kim, for being ‘so supportive’ through his MasterChef journey.
Chris said he had wanted to be ‘tested’ by the competition and said his desire to win has increased with every stage.
His circus performer skills mean he’s passionate about presentations and flavours in particular and hopes to write cookbooks ‘based on food and its concepts, theatre and home entertaining’.
MasterChef continues on Monday at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer and the Grand Finale is on Wednesday at 8pm
