For many, cooking for family can be a daunting enough task, let alone cooking for the country's top chefs or judges.

But Billy Wright's passion for food was not quelled by the thought of John Torode and Greg Wallace as he filled in his application for Masterchef 2016, and the commercial property agent made it through to finals week. 

September 2015: MasterChef star John Torode opens Balham Food Festival

Mr Wright, who works for Randell Commercial in Northcote Road, applied for the show for the first time this year and has beaten off some stiff competition as he cooked on a navy ship and in Bluebird in Chelsea.

Wandsworth Times:

Billy Wright cooking with Michael O'Hare. Pic: BBC. 

His dishes, including southern fried quail and bacon waffles, won mixed reviews on some occasions by the judges, but he has picked up plenty of praise. 

He said: "The first day was mental, I was proper rabbit in the headlights when I walked into the kitchen and they were gazing at me.

"It was like 'is this really happening?'

"As I got further along, you get more confident and you can tell John and Greg to go away when they come to talk if you're busy but sometimes they ignore that."

Mr Wright had been toying with the idea of entering but this was the first time he did so. 

He said: "A lot of my friends and family have been badgering me for about five years to enter and I finally plucked up the courage this year.

"I was worried about the invention tests but they don't seem to do as many of those now.

"The relay, the gravy in my shoe, is one I will be remembered for."

Mr Wright, who lives near Clapham Common, said one of his highlights was the family favourites round, where contestants were asked to cook a meal based on something from their childhood, or something that meant something to them. 

Wandsworth Times:

He said: "The scariest challenge was cooking for the previous finalists.

"It was the third time I had been in the Masterchef kitchen because I had got straight through the first round so cooking those two courses was scary.

"Cooking the family favourite dish was a highlight, it was the first time I was able to cook without making mistakes.

"Mexico was a big highlight too, that was a once in a lifetime experience." 

Mr Wright said his dishes were planned firstly by what would taste good and secondly by what could be done in the time.

He said: "Those two things do not always correlate.

"It is risk and reward, I was always pushing myself to the end."

Although strange at first, Mr Wright said he had been watching the series and getting used to his own mannerisms and voice on television.

He has also been cooking as much as ever, paying back family and friends who have supported him on the show. 

Mr Wright said he was in awe of many of the other contestants during the series and has stayed in touch with several, including Jack Layer, who lives in Fulham.

He did not turn down the idea of a pop-up kitchen with his fellow finalist, saying "watch this space" about future projects. 

Masterchef finals week is on all week on BBC One.