A contestant on the BBC's MasterChef: The Professionals has revealed he joined the competition as a tribute to his sister, who died of cancer in 2017.
Charlie, who grew up in Surrey but now lives in Cullompton, Devon, said his sister was his biggest fan and always encouraged him to apply. 'After losing her to cancer in 2017, it took time to build the courage to put myself out there. I did this for her, and with my fiancée’s support, I finally made the leap,' he explained.
Charlie also credited his mother for inspiring his culinary career. 'My mum was a chef and even wrote a cooking column in an Australian magazine. Being surrounded by great food growing up planted the seed early on,' he said.
The chef is competing alongside Tom, Polly and Ben in the latest heats, aiming for a place in the quarter-finals. The show features 32 of the nation's most ambitious chefs, with judges Marcus Wareing, Monica Galetti and newcomer Matt Tebbutt, who replaced Gregg Wallace after he was let go last year following an investigation into misconduct.
MasterChef: The Professionals airs on BBC One on Tuesday, 24 February.
