Qualified dentist James Cooper has indulged his passion for food by entering the legendary BBC cooking competition MasterChef, and so far he has shown his skills in the kitchen are at least as impressive as those in the dental clinic, after sailing through to the next round. The aspiring chef currently works at Wakefield’s Queen Street Dental Practice and was seen discussing his qualifications with MasterChef presenters Gregg Wallace and John Torode when the show aired on Wednesday night.
James explained to Gregg Wallace that he developed his cooking techniques while away from home studying dentistry for five years and was happy to be the ‘head chef’ for his housemates, who were not shy about telling him their real opinions. When James said that he studied dentistry, Gregg complimented his smile, saying; ‘Is that why you’ve got the most sparkling white teeth I’ve ever seen?’
Dr Cooper managed to impress the culinary experts with his pigeon wellington with glazed shallots, then he faced a busy lunch service at London’s Caxton Grill to prove he could hold his own in a professional kitchen. The 24-year-old from Leeds held his nerve and made it through to the quarter-finals of the competition, where he will battle it out with eleven other contestants to win the Masterchef 2013 title.