It wasn't easy, but John and Gregg now have a winner! The title goes to James Nathan. Relive the moment when he discovered he was to be MasterChef 2008.
MasterChef 2008 champion
After eight weeks searching for the nation's top amateur chef, John and Gregg decided that James had the edge over competitors Emily and Jonny. John says, "From the first day I saw James I said 'he belongs in the kitchen'," and it was his final menu of Smoked mozzarella ravioli, Tea-infused venison and Chocolate and orange sponge pudding that clinched it.
"MasterChef is an intense experience and to have beaten such talented competitors is overwhelming, bordering on the surreal. Each episode revealed a new batch of fiercely passionate and skilled cooks and I need to pinch myself to remember that I won.
"Winning means a total change in the direction of my life. I intend to enter the professional arena and do justice to this incredible opportunity. The high point for me was cooking at Bras, the three Michelin-starred restaurant where I realised I may have what it takes to be a professional. The low for me was being away from my wife and child.
"My next steps will be to find an experienced chef willing to take me into their kitchen. I have learned that a sound grasp of basic cooking skills with a little bit of ingenuity and passion can go a long way. I would say to anyone who wants to enter MasterChef that if they find themselves dreaming about plating up (as I do), then you have no choice but to apply!"
"Leaving a kitchen covered with flour is like walking away from a canvas coated in paint. A plate of food may be fleeting, consumed in its appreciation, but the memory of a mouthful can be as moving as any painting. I believe food is art, and anybody with a tongue and sense of adventure can do it. I entered MasterChef with this philosophy in mind, and thanks to it, I somehow made it to the finals.
"I was continuously surprised by the judges' reaction to my off the wall creations. I still can't believe they ate my mud pie! MasterChef was one of the most thrilling, challenging, and surreal experiences of my young life. And I've learned so much, both about myself... and the anatomies of chickens! I'm now sitting English at university, and in between bad student meals I dream of a time when I can combine my literary and culinary passions."
"Competing on MasterChef has given me experiences that I will hold dear to my heart throughout my whole life. It really did become a major part of my life and though I was disappointed not to win, I always felt that James was consistently excellent throughout and a deserving champion.
"Personally I do feel a winner as my own skills improved so much just by competing on MasterChef that I am now able to deal with food in a way that I could not have done before. My big highlight was cooking at Troisgros restaurant in France. Troisgros is up there with my top five restaurants in the world. I have my tasting spoon stuck proudly on my home kitchen wall!
"My soggy chips were definitely a low point. MasterChef has confirmed that food is the industry I want to be in and my life goal is to open up a bistro-brasserie in Northern Ireland. The show was demanding as I had to try to see my kids as much as possible while giving 100 per cent to MasterChef, which was hugely demanding. However, if it were possible, I would apply again next year, I had that many fantastic experiences. I would have no reservations recommending people with an interest in food to apply, though it is NOTHING like cooking at home and to have cameras watching every move can be daunting, so it is not for the faint-hearted."
"The MasterChef experience has strengthened my love for food. I learned to cook because my mum couldn't. It was then that I found that I had a real passion for it. I want it to always be a large part of my life. I really loved the filming side to the show as well as the opportunities I was given by taking part; I would love to incorporate the two going into the future.
"I was disappointed at not getting to the final, but the last meal I cooked for the critics was diabolical. I regret it so much and wish I had the opportunity to do it again. I don't know what I was thinking. The best bit was John and Gregg's comments about both my coral sauce and my raspberry and rosewater biscuit dessert. To put such a smile on their faces brought me sheer joy and the knowledge that maybe I can cook as well as I have been told I do.
"There was so much that I learned during MasterChef that as a whole I think it has made me a more competent and confident cook, and I owe MasterChef for a truly exhilarating experience."
