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MasterChef contestant has taste of fame





Sophie Allegretti, aged 41, from Farnborough, made it through to the knock-out stages as one of the last 10 cooks in the popular BBC cooking competition.
Speaking to the Newbury Weekly News, Mrs Allegretti said: “It was fab and the biggest, most exciting adventure.”
The mother-of-two described herself as “a very enthusiastic home cook” but said that she had never had any aspirations to own a restaurant, or work as a chef, but decided to apply for the show on a whim last summer.
She said: “It was a fantastic adventure and I’m surprised with how far I got. I was up against some really tough competition and at that point the people who remained were far more serious than I am.
“It’s so much more serious than I thought it was going to be. At the end of it the people who win do get into the business professionally and the calibre is incredibly high.”
Of presenters John Torode and Greg Wallace, Mrs Allegretti said: “They’re great. It’s a serious job for them and that’s a thing that comes across.
"Greg is a laugh and does his stand-up comedy routine. John Torode is very nice but very serious about it, and he’s helpful if he thinks he can be helpful.
“My six-year-old had a quiet pride that I was doing well in the competition but it turned our lives upside down.
“Preparing for it I would have to close the doors and time myself and then put them to bed and drive off to London and come back two days later.
“I’m really happy with where I got, but there’s that personal pride where it’s not nice to know that millions of people could be at home saying that’s a weak effort. But, still, it felt very good being the age that I am.”
She added: “The amount of love and support I’ve had has made the whole experience worthwhile. Everyone has been so positive and impressed with the courage it takes to do this.”



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