Can Charley claim Celeb MasterChef crown?

Charley Boorman vies for Celebrity MasterChef title.

Charley Boorman may have tried all sorts of food on his global travels but he says those experiences didn’t help when it came to Celebrity MasterChef.

The actor, adventurer and TV presenter has made it to the final of the BBC cooking contest, but few of his recipes were from his trips abroad.

“Different countries have different cultures and what people like in some of those places is nothing like what we’re accustomed to here,” explained the 47-year-old Londoner.

“My mum said: ‘Never refuse, always try it once.’ Some of the things I’ve had look horrendous, but actually tasted all right. The strangest thing I tried was fruit bat stew I used the wing as a spoon!

“I’ve also tried turtle, squirrel and dog and in Cambodia we stopped at a bus stop where they were selling bugs on a stick! But I don’t think coming across all of these different foods helped me in the show.”

The married father-of-two, son of German costume designer Christel Kruse and Deliverance director John Boorman, said his love of cooking came from his mum.

“She was a great cook and was always making meals for big groups. That was where I got my love for it. When I started on the show I thought I could cook, but I quickly realised I had a lot to learn.

“I’ve been taking the competition really seriously I want to win. I would go home and do research and pressure myself to become better it’s been like a real job for me. My respect for people who work in kitchens has really rocketed.”

Charley, best known for his Long Way Round travel series with friend Ewan McGregor, said the heat of the kitchen was similar to the rush he receives on his adventures.

“I didn’t realise what an adrenaline kick it would be. I’ve taken part in rallies and parachuted off mountains and when we took part in the challenges I had a similar sort of adrenaline rush. That was a lot of fun.”

Joining Charley in the final are Sophie Thompson, Wayne Sleep and Jodie Kidd, meaning there is no place for Jason Connery, who helped Charley get on to the show.

“He’s a great friend and he was chatting to me about coming on to MasterChef.

“I said I would love to do it too, so we made a few calls and worked it out. We asked if we could be in the same group and take part together. It was sort of bittersweet when he didn’t make it through.”