Age: 28
From: Bristol via Chelmsford
Occupation: Veterinary Surgeon
Cooking Style: "My cooking style is unique – I try to balance an array of bold flavours in one dish whilst also using quite classical techniques. I like to push the boundaries and give the people I cook for flavour combinations they wouldn't always expect. The flavour profiles I use are influenced by Asian ingredients. This includes both the influence from my Tamil Sri Lankan heritage and from the food I love to eat and recreate from East Asia."
Why MasterChef?: "I applied for the series because I wanted to see how good a cook I truly am. I was very nervous about the idea of going on the show but Anna, my fiancée, really pushed me to take part as she believed I'd be able to go far. Friends and family had also been pushing me to apply for the show for a while as they've seen what I can do in the kitchen.
"I feel like I am a really creative person but I'm not necessarily in a creative industry. Cooking allows me to be original, bold and innovative and showcase my passion. One of the reasons I applied to the competition was to see if I was good enough to make a career out of cooking."
Ambition: "I want my future to be surrounded by food. Be it through cookbooks, cookery shows or opening a restaurant, I want to bring food to others and share my passion. I'm not sure in which direction that will be, but being part of the competition has lit a culinary fire in me and I want to make the most of it."
MasterChef begins Monday, April 1 at 6.30pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
Neil Wilkes
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