Come and see what our favourite past MasterChef contestants are up to now. From Lisa Faulkner to Shelina Permalloo, from Andrew Kojima to Matt Dawson...
MasterChef (opens in new tab) is back for the 13th series of the current format, with judges Gregg Wallace and John Torode taking the helm once again. So in its honour we've rounded up some of our favourite past contestants from all three variations, including the Celebrity (opens in new tab) and Professional (opens in new tab) versions.
Celebrity MasterChef 2022 contestants (opens in new tab) have just been confirmed.
We often wonder what contestants get up to after MasterChef, especially if they're crowned the winner. Some seem to disappear off the face of the earth, whereas others get busy building a food career for themselves - with lots of them go on to be very successful!
From Lisa Faulkner to Shelina Permalloo, Andrew Kojima to Matt Dawson, we found out what our favourite past MasterChef contestants have up to since being on the show. Most of the contestants, especially the ones who go on to win, do very well for themselves, starting successful careers as chefs, publishing cookbooks and even opening their own restaurants.
First up are the winners of the original MasterChef, who start out as amateur cooks and often go on to become professional chefs. In the show they have to overcome gruelling challenges under pressure, and perfect their cooking skills as they go along. So it's no surprise most of the amateurs come out on the other side with very successful careers in the food world.
Winning MasterChef is not only a testament to their quality as cooks, it also shows how quickly they can learn and adapt to new challenges and come up with new dishes.
'It's not the best cooks at the start that win MasterChef, it's the ones that learn the most and the quickest', said judges John and Gregg about the former MasterChef contestants who went on to win the programme.
You'll probably recognise many of their faces from the past 13 seasons of the show, from the first winner Thomasina Miers, to the latest cook to become MasterChef, Jane Devonshire.
Jane Devonshire
Who: Jane Devonshire.
Simon Wood
Who: Simon Wood
Ping Coombes
Who: Ping Coombes.
Natalie Coleman
Who: Natalie Coleman.
Shelina Permalloo
Who: Shelina Permalloo.
She's published two cookbooks - Sunshine on a Plate, featuring recipes inspired by Mauritius, and The Sunshine Diet, which explains how she lost 22 kilos with the recipes included, offering the dishes to inspire others.
And if that's not enough, she's popped up at various food festivals, been spotted cooking on This Morning and is currently writing a blog for The Huffington Post - what a busy bee!
Andrew Kojima
Who: Andrew Kojima.
Now with some impressive Michelin-star chef skills up his sleeve, Andrew has been busy cooking for well-known celebs and hosting cooking demonstrations.
Dhruv Baker
Who: Dhruv Baker.
The former MasterChef contestant has also opened his own pub, The Jolly Gardeners, in Earlsfield, South London.
Mat Follas
Who: Mat Follas.
Thomasina Miers
Who: Thomasina Miers.
Thomasina has also published a few different cookbooks including Soup Kitchen and is now more famously known as the founder of the Wahaca chain of Mexican street food restaurants.
Celebrity MasterChef contestants
Who doesn't like a good dose of Celebrity MasterChef? There's nothing like seeing our favourite celebs whipping up delicious dishes from the comfort of our own home. But once the show is done, do any of them go on to have a culinary career? Let's find out...
Matt Dawson
Who: Matt Dawson.
The former Celebrity MasterChef contestant has also published his own cookbook, Matt Dawson: Fresh, Simple, Tasty.
Lisa Faulkner
Who: Lisa Faulkner.
Lisa recently published her fourth cookbook - From Mother to Mother: Recipes from a family kitchen - and has been dating MasterChef judge, John Torode, since 2015 - aw!
Phil Vickery
Who: Phil Vickery.
Phil hasn't embraced his cooking skills as much as other celebs have once winning but he says he's been catering for his wife, friends and family and has made an appearance at a variety of food events over the years including MasterChef Live.
MasterChef: The Professionals contestants
The contestants on MasterChef: The Professionals are already professional working chefs, but the exposure of being on national television could forever alter their careers - especially if they get the coveted title of MasterChef! Have any of them gone on to greater things in the food world? We found out for you!
Keri Moss
Who: Keri Moss.
