Irini Tzortzoglou, a 61-year old Greek woman living in the UK, has made it to the finals of the fifteenth season of “Masterchef UK,” the world-famous cooking television show produced by BBC One.
Tzortzoglou was born in Heraklion, Crete, but in her early twenties she moved to the UK; for years now, she has lived in Cumbria, but divides most of her time between Britain and her native island.
A graduate of London’s Kingston University, she had a very successful career for decades as a banker in the thriving British financial sector.
But her true passion was always cooking, and she found that her memories of Greek cuisine had shaped her character forever.
Tzortzoglou decided to apply to join Masterchef 2019, and she brilliantly showcased her talents right from the outset once she entered their kitchen.
She breezed through every stage of the competition, competing against fifty-seven other cooks during the televised stages of the show.
Using unique Greek products and flavors, Tzortzoglou has amazed not only John Torode and Gregg Wallace, the two judges and presenters of the show, but visiting chefs as well, including some of Britain’s most distinguished culinary artists.
Some of the adjectives the judges and the visiting chefs have used when describing Tzortzoglou’s dishes are ”divine,” ”amazing” and ”fantastic.”
The Greek banker showed how passionate she is about cooking and promoting Greek cuisine during both the personal and the group challenges.
She managed to bring it in front of an audience of millions of Britons who religiously watch Masterchef each and every time it is on TV. In the process, she has become a great ambassador for Mediterranean and Greek culinary techniques.
Tzortzoglou has made it through the knockout and the semifinals stages, and she is now one of the five finalists on this year’s hugely popular show.
Whether she wins the top prize or not, the chef from Heraklion has already made her dream come true, becoming a finalist on one of the most famous and demanding cooking shows on Earth.
So, as the judges have been constantly saying… “Well done, Irini!”
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
