MasterChef 2022 has crowned Eddie Scott as this year's winner, which makes him the 18th amateur cook to claim the prestigious title.
Triumphing in a time when the nation is cooking at home and trying out new recipes more than ever before, Eddie took on fierce competition from 44 other contestants.
Through seven weeks of culinary challenges and an exhilarating final cook-off, producing outstanding plates of food along the way, Eddie was awarded the MasterChef trophy by judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace.
On his win, 31-year-old Eddie said: "It’s everything. My whole life I feel has been building up to this moment. I can’t believe I’m standing here as the MasterChef champion. It’s just been the most stressful and the most enjoyable! I feel like I’ve just discovered who I am as cook. It’s the best feeling ever."
John added: "Eddie is nothing short of a culinary powerhouse. His love of classic French food blended with the spices of India, has made us really stand up and take notice. He’s daring, he’s adventurous, he doesn’t play it safe."
Gregg then said: "I think we’ve just seen the birth of a future great chef. Eddie impressed from the moment he set foot in this kitchen. He’s hardly put a foot wrong throughout the competition."
Speaking about why he decided to go on MasterChef, Eddie said: "I sat watching the show for years telling myself to apply. I wanted to go up in front of John and Gregg to see what I could really do.
"I think every amateur cook secretly dreams of having the chance to go onto a show like MasterChef - to have that one chance of totally changing your life in what you love doing!"
Eddie faced off strong competition in the final week from runners up Pookie Tredell and Radha Kaushal-Bolland, as well Sarah Rankin who was in the final four and left the show on Wednesday night.
The Final Three were tested beyond anything they’d experienced, to prove to John and Gregg their skill, tenacity and culinary flair were worthy of success in the intense last challenges.
After tasting Eddie's final dish, Gregg told him: "When I look at you, I can’t honestly imagine you doing anything else but cooking, you are a born cook. I can’t pay you any better compliment."
Eddie lives in Beverley, East Yorkshire with his fiancée, Nami, but he grew up in a small village in Leicestershire, Newton Harcourt.
He spent eight years as a navigation officer in the Merchant Navy travelling the world and has piloted ships on the Humber for the last five years.
Eddie’s love of cooking stems from a family passionate about food – from his mother’s baking skills, to his father’s experimental dishes and his grandparents’ perfection of Punjabi classics – all inspiring him to learn more in the kitchen.
"All of our best memories were cooking together, travelling and eating together," he said of his family.
Looking ahead to the future following his MasterChef win, Eddie said: "Everything in my life has been building up to doing something in food. It would be amazing to be able to cook in a top restaurant and with the most famous royal Awadhi chefs in Lucknow.
"It would also be exciting to write about food or even do some more TV. What I’d really love is to own my own restaurant - sharing my food memories and nostalgia.
"I always knew one day I wanted to pursue a career in food and now MasterChef has made me realise that this can be a reality."
