Age: 42
From: Isleworth, London, via Dorchester, Dorset
Occupation: Tech Programme Director
Cooking Style: "My cooking is playful, at times elegant, and eclectic. I get inspired by all sorts of things - traveling, being out in nature or the city, culture, films and music."
Why MasterChef?: "MasterChef has always been a dream of mine, but I never had a reason important enough to put aside my abject terror of being on television. When I went vegan my view was: if I can inspire just one person to think about doing more plant-based food then it will be worth it. I'd rather regret the things I did do than the things I didn't!"
Ambition: "My food dream is really simple: I want to change the way we eat. I don't care how I do it; I just want to be part of the shift to more plant-based cooking.
"I would love to consult for restaurants – I'm tired of the only vegan options being plant burgers or sorbet – there's so many more imaginative, and delicious, things we can do!
"Finally, I'd love to maybe do some classes in schools; I work with children and young people as a therapist and am frequently inspired by them. I'd love to find a way of combining the therapy work with food somehow – the link between what we eat and our mental health is proven and we could be doing more there to help all of us live happier."
MasterChef continues tonight at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
Neil Wilkes
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