Fishmonger Harry Maguire crowned MasterChef winner in tense finale

Harry Maguire, a 32-year-old fishmonger born in London, was crowned MasterChef champion on Friday night after a tense finale in which he, Claire Syrenne and Sophie Sugrue faced a final three-course challenge in front of judges John Torode and Anna Haugh.

The trio were asked to fuse every skill they had learned across the competition into a single three-course menu. Maguire’s offering, named Past, Present and Future, featured a modern take on a prawn cocktail with dill mousse, salmon roe and avocado cream, followed by a main course built around poached brill with a courgette and potato croissant and a braised fennel and burnt leek sauce, and a dessert centered on kombu seaweed, citrus and olive oil.

The finale’s tasting drew high praise from Torode, who said of Maguire’s main course, “I’d eat the whole thing. I’d pay for it. I’d be very excited. It’s a great, great dish.” Anna Haugh agreed, telling the amateur cook, “There are restaurants across the country trying to do food like that and not succeeding. For an amateur cook, I’ve never seen anything like that. Harry today cooked food that no amateur should be able to do. That’s a magical gift, and Harry has it.”

Before the win, Maguire undertook an eye-opening culinary tour of Greece as part of the trio’s final task. The program sent him to Athens to work with Argiro Barbarigou at one of the city’s best-loved venues, sample courses at Michelin-starred Patio under Panagiotis Giakalis, and later host a sea-front dinner at Akti in Vouliagmeni Bay alongside the other finalists. The challenge culminated in a pressure-filled appearance at Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester in London, where Maguire prepared one of the restaurant’s celebrated dishes under the gaze of Alain Ducasse’s long-time executive chef, Jean-Philippe Blondet.

For the final, Maguire also cooked a dish at the exclusive Chef’s Table, with diners including Alain Ducasse himself and four of his protégés. The final course drew elogious remarks from the tasting group, with Ducasse himself expressing appreciation for Maguire’s dessert approach and the surrounding flavors.

After the tasting, Torode reflected on Maguire’s arc, noting that his growth throughout the series had been evident. Maguire, visibly moved, said that the moment felt surreal. “I didn’t know I had it in me and I’m so happy I did, because I feel really proud of myself, very overwhelmed. I’ve been holding in a lot of emotion over the last few weeks, and it all came pouring out. I feel really content and I’m trying to stay present, because it’ll all be over too quickly.”

Born in London, Maguire grew up in Edinburgh before spending four years at university in Newcastle. He now lives in London with his girlfriend of seven years, Katie, who Maguire has described as his “absolute rock through thick and thin.”

The MasterChef finale marked a high point for Maguire’s ascent from amateur cook to national champion. Viewers can catch up with MasterChef Series 21 on iPlayer.