Celebrity MasterChef fans in tears as star shares heartbreaking reason for dish

01 September 2023 , 08:56

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In a tear-jerking episode of Celebrity MasterChef, contestant Wynne Evans moved viewers as well as judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace with the poignant story behind his semi-final dish. The challenge for the semi-finalists was to create a dish inspired by a personal memory, and Wynne chose to pay tribute to his Belgian grandfather, a war refugee.

Wynne's chosen dish was Boudin Blanc - a creamy white sausage made from chicken mince, truffle, nutmeg, and thyme - served with Stomp (a hearty mash of potato, carrots, leeks, and bacon), and beer-braised chicory topped with an onion and Belgian beer gravy. Reflecting on his culinary choice, Wynne confessed: "When I've tried this dish in the past, it's never gone right. Even though it sounds really simple, it's actually really hard."

He then shared the deeply personal inspiration behind his dish and said: "This memory today is quite personal to me, actually, because my grandfather came over during the war, fleeing the Nazis from Belgium, and he met my grandmother. He fell in love with my grandmother, they had a baby - which was my mother. Unfortunately, he was married and so he went back to his family in Belgium after the war. My grandmother was devastated. So, my memory of my grandfather was always tainted."

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Wynne Evans shared the emotional meaning behind the dish (BBC)

He continued: "And then I was involved in a Welsh television programme at Christmas time and they managed to find my first cousins in Belgium and my first cousin, he said: 'I've got to tell you one thing: Your grandfather used to sit me on his knee all the time and tell me that he wanted to go to his love in Wales but his family would disown him if he went'. So, this is a meal of a love story."The tale took a heartbreaking turn as Wynne revealed, "Unfortunately, he was married and so he went back to his family in Belgium after the war. My grandmother was devastated. So, my memory of my grandfather was always tainted."

"And then I was involved in a Welsh television programme at Christmas time and they managed to find my first cousins in Belgium and my first cousin, he said: 'I've got to tell you one thing: Your grandfather used to sit me on his knee all the time and tell me that he wanted to go to his love in Wales but his family would disown him if he went'. So, this is a meal of a love story."

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Observing Wynne's somber expression, Gregg probed: "How emotional is it Wynne? I've never seen you so quiet."

Wynne responded, "Yeah, it just brings back all those memories of going over to Brussels as a child. At Christmas time we had Boudin Blanc, chicory, stomp, so this is as Belgium as it gets today."

Wynne Evans made it through to the next stage of the competition (BBC /Shine TV)

As he prepared the dish, Wynne confessed his insecurities, fearing he was "screwing this up". However, his efforts were not in vain. Upon presenting his Belgian-inspired meal, a tribute to his grandfather's love story, judge John Torode commended: "Your stomp [is] really well made. Lovely smooth mash potato laden with cream. Love the gravy - sweet onions but the bitterness of the beer. Your boudin blanc is a little bit grainy. It should be more of a mousse texture. It's not quite perfect, but it's pretty good."

Gregg also lauded him for his chicory and admired Wynne for his bravery in attempting the boudin blanc, though he added "but it's such a difficult thing to do and I find yours a little bit dry."

Welsh opera singer Wynne faced disappointment in the kitchen, admitting it wasn't his "finest hour" . However, viewers were deeply moved by the heartfelt story of his grandfather, applauding Wynne's efforts and celebrating his advancement to the semi-finals as one of the top six contestants.

Fellow Welsh actor Steven Speirs expressed his emotional response on social media, writing: "Got through that by the skin of your Belgian sausage mate (btw... I genuinely had tears in my eyes listening to your amazing back story of that dish mate)."

Audience reactions poured in, with one viewer sharing: "Ah Wynne I felt for you but I loved the Story God Bless xx," while another commented: "@wynneevans oh!!!! That's great you are through to the next celebrity @MasterChefUK final six. Well done, it was a difficult recipe but with lovely family story."

Others praised Wynne's performance despite the tension, with one fan penning: "Well done @wynneevans phew. Don't do that again will you. Too much tension before bed. Brilliant though, and love the heart and story in your dish."

One viewer even hinted at a potential future for Wynne beyond the show, tweeting: "@wynneevans watching you on celebrity masterchef & got to say you are so much more than the Go Compare guy. Watched 'Save the Cinema' & was humbled by the story. If you open a food truck or restaurant (or anything similar) I'm there. You come across as a really nice guy Diolch!"

*This article was crafted with the help of an AI tool, which speeds up The Mirror's editorial research. An editor reviewed this content before it was published. You can report any errors to [email protected]