Circus performer misses out in second helping of MasterChef

A CIRCUS performer from Henley finished runner-up in TV’s MasterChef competition.

Chris Willoughby, 44, was one of three amateur chefs who competed in the final of the latest series of the BBC1 show, which was aired on Wednesday last week.

They had to prepare “the best three-course meal of your life” in three hours.

Mr Willoughby impressed judges and presenters John Torode and Greg Wallace but narrowly lost out to Brin Pirathapan, a veterinary surgeon from Chelmsford.

Mr Willoughby, who lives in the town centre with his boyfriend Kim, said he had still enjoyed himself.

“Doing this was such a special experience and it is really important for me to keep that memory,” he said.

He first competed on the show last year when he was knocked out in the quarter finals. He was one of 10 contestants invited back to mark the show’s 20th anniversary. He said: “I could not believe I got a second chance, the chance to try again. We all came back to prove our mistakes were small, silly mistakes.”

Mr Willoughby, who performs as a fire-breather and has worked in the West End for more than 20 years, said he liked to champion the Asian cuisine he had learned about on his travels.

He said: “Luckily, with my career, I have managed to travel the world, including places in Europe and Asia. My favourite cuisine is inspired by Asia and many of the ingredients which I used in the competition are only available in specialist shops. A lot of it happens in mind as I mentally rehease cooking.”

Each of his courses was named after circus tricks. His starter was a Japanese egg custard he called the Tightrope Walker.

His main, called the Acrobat, was red mullet served with garlic frogs’ legs. His dessert was called the Clown and comprised a berry sugar sphere surrounded by apple candyfloss on a shortbread crumb with toffee popcorn, rhubarb and vanilla crème served with a liquorice and aniseed ice cream.

Wallace, who is known for his love of desserts, told Mr Willoughby that he liked the concept of the Clown.

“I love your imagination,” he said. “The ice cream is just fabulous, liquorice mingling with aniseed and the toffee popcorn. I love the rhubarb and the short, sharpness to it.” Torode praised the main course, saying: “There’s this comfort of fish and chips and then there’s the elegance of a fine French restaurant. You call it the Acrobat because the frogs’ legs remind you of a muscular acrobat. I think it’s a great dish.”

Mr Willoughby said: “What an achievement. I was so proud to be sitting in front of John and Greg. I am still blown away by what they said.”

The other runner-up was Louise Lyons Macleod, a farmer from Staffordshire.