WARNING - This article contains spoilers
Leicester’s MasterChef hopeful Dr Dinta Thakkar has missed out on a semi-final place in the BBC One show. The fusion cook fell just short after a tricky canape task did not meet expectations.
Dinta, who grew up in Kenya, faced off against eight fellow rivals in the final Knockout Week challenge, tasked with creating a set of identical canapes that were either sweet or savoury. The Leicester-based GP had become known for her fusion cookery and once again plumped for it in Friday’s episode (May 10) as she opted to make Indian-spiced Full English Breakfast canapes.
The creation led Dinta to make her own vegan sausage as well as deconstruct an egg so everything could fit in one mouthful, but presentation of the dish, which was inside a potato waffle, left a lot to be desired for judge Gregg Wallace. He said: “I like the lightness, the fluffiness and crispiness of the potato waffle. I like the seasoning on the sausages. I’m enjoying eating them, but I don’t think they’re smart enough. They just don’t look that sharp to me.”
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Fellow judge John Torode complimented the Leicester cook’s craft, but felt the flavours were lacking. He said: “There’s a huge amount of work in here - making your own vegan sausage, deconstructing an egg - but the potato itself is bland. When you say Indian flavours, I get a tiny bit. I’d like that to be more pronounced.”
The critiques - the strongest Dinta has faced so far in the competition - left her position on MasterChef in doubt. Dinta admitted that the judges were both spot on, but that she was determined to carry on in the competition.
However, John and Gregg, who both said they wanted more from Dinta, believed her time was up and eliminated her just one step short of a coveted spot in the semi-finals. Speaking after, Dinta revealed her sadness at leaving the show.
She said: “I’m disappointed that I’m going home. But at the same time, just really happy that I got this far. It’s been a tough, but enjoyable experience. I’ve kind of surpassed my own expectations with some of the things I’ve done. I’m going to go home with a smile.”
MasterChef continues without Dinta next week on BBC One as the semi-finals kick-start. All previous episodes can be streamed now on BBC iPlayer.
