Lisa Snowdon said winning Celebrity MasterChef has been “life-changing”.
Last month the 50-year-old TV presenter triumphed after six weeks of challenges culminating in a three-course meal to impress judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace.
Speaking to Hello! magazine about the experience, Snowdon said: “I think I’ve proved to myself that if you want something you can go out there and get it and if you try hard enough, things can go your way.
“I’m the sort of person that doesn’t always have that much confidence in myself – I’m often so hard on myself. So to be able to go into that show and keep gaining more self-belief is life-changing for me.”
Snowdon’s winning menu featured a starter of poached rhubarb and pan-fried mackerel with a fennel slaw and thyme oil, while her main course was pan-fried duck breast on a sunflower seed puree with pickled, sauteed and fried mushrooms and cavolo nero.
To finish, she served chocolate tart with a cigar filled with creme fraiche and sour cherries.
She said she still cannot believe she was crowned the winner after going head to head with fellow finalists McFly singer Danny Jones and All Saints star Melanie Blatt.
“When they said my name, everything went into slow motion and I couldn’t quite believe it,” she said.
She added: “It was massively overwhelming because I felt like I was at the bottom of a really steep hill when I first started.
“I was super-proud that I’d made it all the way to the final, and then to be crowned champion was absolutely incredible.
“I don’t think I’ll ever forget it as long as I live.”
During the final of the celebrity cooking competition, the finalists travelled to Alexandra Palace in north London, the home of the BBC’s first regular public television service, to cater for an event marking the centenary of the broadcaster.
They then returned to the MasterChef kitchen where they had to create a dish inspired by their childhood, before finally facing the chef’s table hosted by Italian Michelin-starred chef Giorgio Locatelli.
Reflecting on the experience, Snowdon said: “When I was competing, I just thought: ‘Come on, you got this, you know, you love food. Just put everything into it.’
“And that’s what I did. I’m so happy I pushed myself. I said it on the show: I’m 50 and I feel like I’m just getting started. That was my motto that I took with me throughout it all.”
The former Britain’s Next Top Model presenter also revealed she would like to continue working with food on TV.
“I would love to do more cooking on television,” she said.
“I feel like my MasterChef win is going to open up doors in an area that I’m really passionate about.
“I’d like to go on a food tasting journey around the world; or maybe I could host a show where I’m watching people cook. I definitely want to work more in that area.
“I don’t want to win Celebrity MasterChef and not do anything with it.”
The full interview with Lisa Snowdon is available in Hello! magazine out now.