MASTERCHEF CHAMPION - ‘I AM A NATURAL BORN ATTENTION SEEKER'

CELEBRITY MASTERCHEF WINNER RIYADH KHALAF EXCLUSIVELY INVITES OK! INTO HIS HOME

- KATIE LANGFORD-FOSTER

Being crowned Celebrity MasterChef winner was a dream come true for Riyadh Khalaf. But don’t think for one second it was an easy feat or luck of the Irish, though he certainly made it look that way!

The 29-year-old spent the two weeks’ notice he had honing his skills, with his boyfriend of two years, Josh Harrison, on tasting duty.

As he invites us inside the pair’s two-bedroom south London home, Riyadh jokes, “He wasn’t complaining, until he had to eat the same dish four times and the kitchen was covered in pots and pans!”

Unfortunately for the nation’s taste buds, Riyadh isn’t considering a full-time move to the kitchen. He laughs, “I love what I do... also, I am a natural born attention seeker. I need to be around cameras.” Following the success of his YouTube channel and various TV and radio projects, he has certainly had his hands full over the past few years.

And paving the way for the next generation of LGBTQ+ youth is also a big priority for the star. As well as penning his own book, Yay! You’re Gay, Now What?, Riyadh presented BBC Three documentary Queer Britain, examining the challenges faced by the community.

The star credits his “wonderful” parents for his success, and explains that though his father initially found his coming out difficult, they are now both the ultimate allies. “I really hit the jackpot with my parents, and I am reminded every day of how wonderful they are,” says Riyadh.

His parents have also given Josh their seal of approval, and though Riyadh insists a wedding is “a long way off”, that’s not going to stop us nipping out to buy our hats!