An East Lancashire woman is hoping to impress judges with her cooking and go home with a Masterchef trophy this year.
Cliodhna Gibson, who lives in Darwen, is set to take part in this year’s series of the BBC cooking show, which sees home cooks test their culinary wits and attempt to impress show judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace.
Cliodhna, who grew up in Oswaldtwistle, said she entered the show to test her skills in the kitchen.
The 25-year-old said: “I entered MasterChef to challenge myself and see how far I could push my culinary abilities.
“To be able to cook against fellow amateur foodies from across the country is so exciting and I can’t believe I’m actually there competing.”
The personal trainer said loves to cook healthy dishes that are loaded with flavour.
She said: “I cook totally different things depending on the season, what mood I am in, where I am in the country and whether I’m training for a sporting event.
“I love nothing more than having friends and family over at my house for drinks and a meal cooked from scratch, inspired by whatever they like.
“My favourite kind of food is a fusion of healthy food that doesn’t compromise on flavour and portion size.”
Cliodhna’s earliest cooking memory is sitting at the table and peeling garlic for her mum, Jackie Jackson, who owns Bullough’s Sandwich Bar and Eatery, in Accrington.
She said: “My earliest cooking memory is being at the kitchen table peeling and chopping fresh garlic for my mum whilst she prepped homemade lasagne for our tea.
“This is probably where my obsession for cooking, and garlic, began.”
Cliodhna, owner of No Body Better personal training in Darwen, said her dream is to start a healthy meal preparation business.
She said: “My entrepreneurial brain is always working overtime and I’d love to set up a healthy meal prep business to run alongside my personal training.
“I’d love to help my local community by taking the hassle and fuss away from healthy eating and share my healthy, restaurant standard meals.
“Following on from this, writing my own recipe book showcasing these meals would be a dream.”
Cliodhna’s Masterchef episode is set to air on Tuesday, April 18, on BBC One at 9pm.
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