Thomas Skinner, known for his appearance on The Apprentice, was the first to be ousted during the finals week of Celebrity MasterChef.

The businessman could not win over judges Gregg Wallace and John Torode after tackling a series of formidable tasks in the semi-finals.

Reflecting on his departure, the reality TV personality shared: “I can’t stress enough how much fun I’ve had. I’ve made new friends and picked up some cooking skills. It’s been absolutely brilliant.”

Hanging up his apron: The Apprentice star Thomas Skinner has become the first contestant eliminated from the finals week of Celebrity Masterchef

He added with enthusiasm, “From now on, I’ll be cooking all the time. It’ll definitely save me some money on takeaways, that’s for sure!”

During the intense round of challenges, the remaining contestants were divided into two groups, tasked with preparing meals for 100 people.

They were celebrating the 90th anniversary of Guide Dogs for the Blind with a special meal.

Final hurdle: The entrepreneur failed to impress Gregg Wallace and John Torode after a series of tough challenges in the semi finals

Discerning: Thomas attempted to recreate a curry but it left Gregg Wallace and John Torode unimpressed 

Then back in the kitchen, the stars were given 90 minutes to recreate their favourite takeaways.

Thomas attempted a lamb coconut curry with coconut rice, naan, paneer with peas and onion bhajis.

But it didn’t quite meet John and Gregg’s exacting standards and they duly sent him packing.

Finals week: Amar Latif, Gethin Jones, Riyadh Khalaf, Judi Love, Sam Quek, Phil Daniels and Matthew Pinsent are still in the running for the coveted trophy

Tough: In the challenges for the final eight, the teams were split into two teams to cook for 100 people

Travel presenter Amar Latif feared he would be heading home after a shaky start to finals week. 

The star, who is the popular cooking show’s first blind contestant, said: ‘I feel it was a very close call. A very very close call. And I’m so glad I’ve got the opportunity to keep going.’

Amar had just two weeks to properly prepare for MasterChef. But before that, he visited restaurants and asked friends to describe how plates of food looked so he could visualise them.

He went to celebrity haunt The Ivy in London’s West End and The Foundry in Leeds, while staff at a hotel in Gran Canaria took him through their à la carte menus.

Close call: Travel presenter Amar Latif feared he would be heading home after a shaky start to finals week

Making history: Amar is the first blind contestant to compete on the BBC series, and believes his heightened sense of taste, touch, sound and smell gives him an advantage over his rivals

Despite his preparation, he admitted to begging MasterChef hosts Gregg Wallace and John Torode to be kind about his presentation.

‘I said to them, “I want you to taste it before you take too much notice of what it looks like, so if you need to close your eyes, then please do”.’

Amar feels his blindness can also be an advantage when he dines with friends. ‘We blind people can go into a restaurant and taste the food for what it is,’ he says.

‘I think you guys get a bit ripped off, for you it’s all about how the food looks. I think that sighted people pay too much attention to that detail, so they don’t taste things properly.’

Explorer: The Scottish entrepreneur has explored the world despite losing his sight aged 18 to the genetic eye condition retinitis pigmentosa (Pictured in Istanbul in 2020)

Amar, who was hospitalised in April with coronavirus after filming the show, has praised MasterChef for enabling him to develop the skills that helped him survive the health crisis. 

‘Thanks to the show, I have become self-sufficient during the lockdown,’ he says.

‘It has enabled me to be so independent. And people needn’t worry about me cutting onions. I’ve got my time down to one minute.’

Amar, Gethin Jones, Riyadh Khalaf, Judi Love, Sam Quek, Phil Daniels and Matthew Pinsent are still in the running for the coveted trophy. 

Celebrity MasterChef continues on BBC1 on Thursday and is available on BBC iPlayer.