Author and broadcaster Dawn O'Porter has shared an intimate and unusual romantic gesture live on national television, revealing a permanent tribute to the moment her husband, actor Chris O'Dowd, first declared his love for her.
A Permanent Tribute to a Greasy Spoon Romance
During Tuesday night's semi-final of Celebrity MasterChef on BBC One, the 46-year-old writer explained the story behind the dish she was cooking—a kebab. She dedicated the meal to O'Dowd, recalling the pivotal night in a late-night eatery. 'I'm dedicating this to my husband Chris, who first told me he loved me in a kebab shop,' Dawn told hosts John Torode and Grace Dent.
She painted a vivid picture of the unconventional but memorable occasion: 'We sat in there and ate this kebab and drank champagne out of a blue plastic bag, and it obviously changed my life.' The shop in question was named 'Munchies'.
The Ultimate Wedding Gift: Ink on Skin
The story took an even more personal turn when O'Porter disclosed how she chose to commemorate that life-changing spot. As a wedding gift for the Bridesmaids star, she decided to get the shop's name tattooed on her bottom. She had the ink done just one week before their three-day London wedding ceremony in 2012, forcing her to keep it hidden throughout the final preparations.
'For Chris's wedding present, I got a tattoo of the name Munchies on my bottom because that was the name of the shop,' she confessed to the stunned judges. In another nod to her husband, she also chose to hyphenate her name with an 'O' rather than take his full surname and has a small 'O' tattooed on her right hand.
MasterChef Drama and the Final Showdown
O'Porter's culinary tribute proved successful, with John Torode praising the 'fantastic' meat and 'fluffy' bread, and Grace Dent declaring it 'fabulous'. A delighted Dawn responded: 'I think Chris will have loved all that. I think he'll feel very well represented and loved.'
The episode also saw the elimination of singer Alfie Boe, 52, after his 'eggy' Belgian Le Miserable cake failed to impress. His exit means the Celebrity MasterChef 2025 champion will be one of the final three: Dawn O'Porter, retired rugby player Alun Wyn Jones, 40, or RuPaul's Drag Race UK winner Ginger Johnson, 37.
The trio faced a daunting 'Chef's Table' challenge at the three-rosette restaurant The Boat in Lichfield, Staffordshire, cooking for a panel of elite chefs. No one was eliminated after this round, setting up a tense finale.
The Celebrity MasterChef 2025 Final will air on Friday, December 19, 2025, at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
