It’s now down to the final two in the first season of “ MasterChef South Africa”, and Durban contestant Deena Naidoo is nervous about being in front of the cameras again.
Naidoo will go head-to-head with Cape Town’s Sue-Ann Allen on Tuesday night as they battle it out for the title.
Speaking from his Queensburgh home, Naidoo said he and his wife, Kathy, would be travelling to Johannesburg on Tuesday for the screening of the 90-minute finale at the Mondovino restaurant at Montecasino.
“It will be nice to meet the contestants that Deena worked with, as well as all the people who worked behind the scenes in making the show,” Kathy Naidoo said.
Mondovino also serves as the winner’s grand prize. Other prizes include R250 000 from Robertsons spices, a brand new Hyundai Elantra 1.6 GLS, a seven-day culinary experience in Italy, an Italian cookery course courtesy of Woolworths, and a customised sommelier course at Nederburg Winemaster’s Reserve.
Naidoo said as he and Sue-Ann were from different regions, he was interested to see how the winner would be awarded if they chose not to move to Johannesburg to work at Mondovino.
Filming of the show was completed in February, but when it comes to the final outcome, Naidoo has been sworn to secrecy.
“I’m quite nervous about being back in front of the cameras, but I’m looking forward to seeing the other contestants again,” he said.
“Whatever the outcome is, I want to celebrate my MasterChef journey.”
Throughout the show, Naidoo aimed to develop a cuisine range representing the whole of South Africa, instead of being labelled as “the curry guy”.
He hinted at a possible second season of “ MasterChef SA”, and advised future hopefuls to be prepared. “It’s a very tense and demanding competition, and people should enter for the right reasons,” he said.
The “ MasterChef SA” finale airs on M-Net on Tuesday at 7.30pm.