BBC MasterChef's self-taught Welsh cook who's modelled for Dior
23-year-old Finley Richards from Newport is on the new series of BBC One's MasterChef, but cooking is just one of his talents
"Making cooking videos online led me to applying as I had amassed a total of two million views, and I had a few comments from friends and family urging me to apply so I thought 'why not?'."
A logistics manager, part-time model and social media chef from south Wales is one of this year's MasterChef contestants. 23-year-old Finley Richards has managed to fit a lot into his young career and now the self-taught chef from Newport is on one of the BBC's most hotly discussed shows.
Finley grew up in Newport where he lives today with his mum, dad, brother, sister and two dogs. Both before and after graduating from Cardiff University, he pursued a career in modelling, where he landed himself opportunities with huge fashion houses Louis Vuitton and Dior.
So how did the leap from modelling for some of the biggest designers to being on MasterChef come about? The idea to apply for the cooking show, which in recent months has been mired in controversy due to investigations levelled against hosts Gregg Wallace and John Torode, came soon after Finley began showing off his cooking skills on platforms such as Instagram and TikTok.
Viewers will see Finley's journey air after the BBC decided to still show this year's amatuer series because it was the "right thing to do" for those who took part. Torode and Wallace were both fired last month after a report into conduct on the cooking show upheld allegations against them.
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The Welsh cook told WalesOnline: "I wanted to challenge myself and see how good I was under pressure so I applied to MasterChef.
"Making cooking videos online led me to applying as I had amassed a total of two million views, and I had a few comments from friends and family urging me to apply so I thought why not."
Finley and his girlfriend Molly went viral on TikTok, accumulating hundreds of thousands of views as they started their own "Come Dine with Me" style series, cooking for each other and rating the dishes. There was one important rule - make everything from scratch.
The popularity of this series not only created a trend, with couples recreating it across the UK, but also sparked some more food content from Finley, where he shows his followers how he makes his 'Sunday morning eggs,' and other fun recipes. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter
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"I've always enjoyed cooking from a fairly young age. I think I've cooked for myself since I was mid-teens. At that point it was probably just pesto pasta, but the obsession has evolved," said Finley.
"Cooking at university forced me to get creative and experiment with what I had. It also taught me that if I don't know how to cook then I'd starve.
"If anything, I'd say my dad has impacted my love for cooking the most. He's great and has always cooked at home.
"His late brother was a chef, and his dad also cooked in the army. Perhaps it's innate in me."
"My style of cooking is intuitive and creative. I like to think I can open a fridge or a cupboard and work with whatever is in there.
"I just cook what I love to eat, and I enjoy being creative with it. I've learned a lot from watching chefs online and on social media, but my favourite way to learn is sitting at a restaurant counter, watching chefs cook right in front of me."
As for his plans after the show, Finley hopes to grow his social media platforms and eventually, make a cookbook of his own.
"I'd love to work with food in some capacity. Whether that's on social media or something else."
You can follow Finley on TikTok @finleyrichardss and Instagram @finleyrichards for his latest recipes.
"I've always wondered whether I could cope in a professional kitchen and seeing chefs operate intrigues me," he added.
"I would love to have my own cookbook, but it would have to be really credible. I've got such respect for chefs who do this for real in a professional kitchen.
"I think that's why I applied, to prove I'm capable to myself and everyone else that I can cook under pressure.
"So maybe if I was to be successful one day, I'd create a cookbook with all of my favourite dishes, that I've created myself."
You can watch the start of Finley's MasterChef journey on BBC One on Thursday night at 8pm. You can click here to catch up on BBC iPlayer.
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