Kayleigh for MasterChef 2025 / BBC
Age: 38
Occupation: Semi-Permanent Make-up Artist
From: Bournemouth via Bedford
How would you describe your style of cooking?
“My cooking style derives from many places. From the classic British food I ate as a child, to my father’s take on Jamaican food. I was interested in food from a very young age, always keen to try and make new things. I would often ask dinner ladies at school for the recipes to their dishes I was cooking as soon as I could see over the hob. As I grew up my love of food remained and grew, and I sampled many different cuisines from all around the world, always keen to learn something new.
“I’ve made it a habit to dine in some well-known places, and always try to recreate what I’ve been served, and try to understand the process behind a dish. My families love of food and tasting many amazing dishes over the years has been my main inspiration for cooking.
“I tend to move with the seasons, unknowingly. I love it when I can feel the onset of spring coming and look forward to cooking outside again. Equally I enjoy the onset of Autumn, when I can start covering everything in gravy and cooking heartier meals.
“I take influence from many different cuisines, I guess that’s the result of being influenced by many different people of many different cultures. I’m from Bedford, one of the most multicultural towns in Europe.”
What is your favourite ingredient to cook with and why?
“Seafood is probably my favourite thing to cook with, purely for the love of it. It’s clean, tasty, versatile and good for you. Whether it be whole fish, fillets, shellfish, crustaceans – I love them all!”
Why did you enter MasterChef this year?
“I’ve been wanting to take part in MasterChef for years, and I have been toying with the idea of applying for a long time, probably over a decade. I’ve realised, as I’ve become older, my passion in life really does lie with food. I can’t stop thinking about it, I wake up planning meals, I go to bed planning meals.
“For me, food is quintessential to life, you can’t live without it, so might as well make it the best it can be. I believe preparing good food, to whatever level you’re capable of, is one of the most important skills in life. The rest is easy, better and tastier after that.
“I’ve had many different roles, career wise, and food is the one thing I always come back to in my mind. Without sounding incredibly cliched, it feels like it’s my calling, it always has done, and now is the time to do something about it.”
MasterChef continues Wednesday and Thursday at 8pm and Friday at 8.30pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
