A MasterChef contestant from Forest Gate has the semi-final in sight after getting through the competition’s first knockout stage.

Michael Sanders, 30, impressed during a busy lunch service at London’s Caxton Grill and back at MasterChef HQ where Michelin-starred chef Marcus Wareing judged his efforts.

He says watching Wednesday’s episode brought back a whole host of emotions.

“When we found out we were cooking for Marcus Wareing I felt physically sick because of his reptutation,” Michael admitted. “Last year he made a couple of contestants cry so it was so nervewracking. To have such positive feedback from him and find out that I was going to go through was awesome.”

Michael watched the episode with friends after baking bread and a cooking a roast dinner for them all to enjoy - but admits that he finds it “horrible” to watch himself on television.

“It is pretty cringey because you are just watching yourself hoping that the little cringey sound bits that you know that you said havn’t made it onto the programme - but they often do,” he said.

Michael, who works at a digital marketing training company, was encouraged to enter the competition by friends who were impressed with his culinary skills.

Although he is keeping tight-lipped on how he fares, Michael confessed that the MasterChef experience has made him determined to turn his hobby into his job.

“I would like to gain as much experience on lots of different things to do with food and work out what I do and don’t like,” Michael said. “But I don’t know in what form it is going to take as there are so many options available.”

MasterChef continues tonight on BBC1 at 8.30pm.