Contestant Gareth from Whitefield has made it through the semi-finals of MasterChef: The Professionals 2026.
Episode 18 of Series 18 of the popular TV show aired on BBC One on Thursday evening and saw the five remaining chefs face two challenges, including Gareth, who lives in Whitefield.
The 39-year-old private chef lives in the Greater Manchester town with his wife and two children.
The self-taught chef was inspired by his mother, Barbara, who was also a chef at Carlisle Golf Club when he was young.
He described his cooking style as 'modern British with influences from around the world' and says nostalgia plays a big part in the building of his dishes.
Aside from cooking, he is also passionate about singing and playing blues music in addition to fell walking.
In the episode that aired on Thursday, March 19, professionals took a trip to the Scottish Highlands to the Glenturret Lalique restaurant in the Strathearn Valley, run by Mark Donald.
The two-Michelin-star chef put contestants through their paces and had them deliver lunch service at the restaurant.
Gareth was tasked with a sea bream dish and at one point things were looking quite hairy for him.
Speaking to the cameras, he said: "I'm finding this quite stressful.
"I'm trying my best and I still haven't quite got it right."
Thankfully, he pulled everything together on time and ended up presenting something he was proud of.
Back at the MasterChef kitchen, the final five were tasked with cooking a dish dedicated to someone special in just one hour and 45 minutes.
Determined Gareth was sure not to let the pressure get to him, he said: "As intense and as high as the pressure is, I'm not ready to let it go yet."
He cooked a Moroccan-inspired lamb dish for his partner Catherine, explaining that when the pair first met she made him lamb tagine.
Judges described the dish as "beautiful" and "packed with flavour" and said Catherine would be proud.
In a nail-biting moment, it was revealed that Georgia was the chef who would be sent home and Gareth had made it through to finals week.
Bowled over by the news, Gareth said: "I can't believe it.
"I'm doing things that I never thought I was capable of.
"I probably wasn't capable of them a few weeks ago.
"Now I'm here, I think it's anyone's game and it's all to play for."
In the next episode, which airs on Monday (March 23), the chefs will have to cook for an entire room of culinary royalty to battle for a spot in the final three.
All episodes released so far are available on BBC iPlayer.
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