MasterChef 2024: Why I want finalist Louise Lyons Macleod to win over Brin Pirathapan and Chris Willoughby

Louise Lyons Macleod was diagnosed with cancer when her daughter was just 18 months old and she decided to apply for MasterChef after it had been five years since she had it. Although she had been encouraged by her family and friends to apply, it was this big milestone that led her to want to become part of the show.

Louise’s enthusiasm on the show is palpable and she has said: I’m utterly thrilled to get through to the finals! It’s a dream come true.

"I’ve been the biggest fan of the show forever and it’s the only TV show I religiously watch.

"It’s been a joy to cook for John and Gregg. They are as lovely as I had imagined."

However it is not her enthusiasm alone that makes me want Louise to win it, but what the show has given her, the chance to regain her confidence which is something she still seems to be grappling with. 

In many ways, Louise Lyons Macleod reminds me of another contestant on another show, nother other than Ellie Leach on Strictly Come Dancing. Before she won the show, I wrote an article about why I felt she should win to give her the boost she so deserves and others to have more confidence.

I have to be honest with you that I didn’t know that much about Ellie Leach before watching Strictly Come Dancing for the first time last year. I knew that she had starred in Coronation Street but I didn’t know self-confidence was something she had struggled with. 

Ellie Leach had been in a relationship with dancer boyfriend Reagan Pettman for five years but they split after he allegedly cheated on her. As one could imagine, this had a dire consequence on her confidence and she revealed that she had joined Strictly Come Dancing 2023 to “help me believe in myself a bit more,” and that “being cheated on was upsetting, but now is the perfect time for me to put my all into Strictly and give that 500 per cent.”

Back to Louise Lyons Macleod and MasterChef, like Ellie Leach, Louise has an endearing vulnerability and I feel that by winning the competition, she will regain the confidence she has sadly lost over the years. 

Yes, I know Brin Pirathapan and Chris Willoughby are favourites over Louise Lyons Macleod, but that doesn’t mean I am still not rooting for her to win.

Come on Louise, I am right behind you!