John Partridge has been crowned this year’s Celebrity MasterChef champion!
The former EastEnders actor, who is best-known for playing Christian Clarke in the soap, saw off competition from reality star Spencer Matthews and former rugby player Martin Bayfield to seal victory in Friday night’s final.
Following his win, John admitted taking part in the cooking competition was “one of the best experiences of my life”.
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John said: “I thought it was going to be all about cooking and about food and it ended up being so much more than that.
“I cooked to remember. To remind myself of who I am, where I’m from and what I can still be. And now to have actually won … it just feels really really good.”
John’s performance on the show drew praise from presenter John Torode.
The host explained: “John along the way has thrilled me. The guy draws on every bit of emotion to deliver the food he knows and loves to eat.
“It’s been an absolute joy from beginning to end. Getting to know myself… remembering my childhood and the things that I loved is more than any trophy.”
🏆 Your #CelebrityMasterChef 2018 winner, @mustbejp! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/HrPNU04qLi
— MasterChef UK 🍴 (@MasterChefUK) 28 September 2018
“It’s about him, there’s a story attached to it and you can taste it.
“Anybody who walks into a final, cooks food from his heart and makes us smile, is a worthy winner.”
Gregg Wallace was similarly enthusiastic about John’s cooking skills, saying he was a worthy winner of the show.
Gregg shared: “John only cooks what he truly believes in, truly loves, and has got a bit of his history in it – do you know who else does that? The great chefs of the world – and that is why he is our MasterChef champion.”
The finalists were all tasked with making a three-course meal in just two-and-a-half hours for the judges.
John called his MasterChef-winning menu There’s No Taste Like Home, which was inspired by his upbringing in Lancashire.
Of his triumph, John added: “It’s been an absolute joy from beginning to end, getting to know myself, remembering my childhood and the things that I loved.”
Following his win, John took to Twitter to pay tribute to his late mum.
My mum’s passing to winning @MasterChefUK was exactly one year to the day. I definitely had an angel on my shoulder for that final cook! The whole experience was healing for me. Cooking the food from my past has helped me to live in the present.. what a gift. pic.twitter.com/VsJm9Gry25
— John Partridge (@mustbejp) 28 September 2018
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He wrote: “My mum’s passing to winning @MasterChefUK was exactly one year to the day. I definitely had an angel on my shoulder for that final cook!
“The whole experience was healing for me. Cooking the food from my past has helped me to live in the present.. what a gift.”
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