Celebrity MasterChef contestant Alfie Boe caused concern as a task was paused due to his visible distress. The opera star, who has reached the final week of the BBC cooking show, struggled with an afternoon tea challenge under the watchful eye of pastry chef Cherish Finden.
Before starting, Alfie admitted that he shakes when nervous and stressed, saying: 'Hopefully I'm just in charge of brewing the tea.' As he attempted to dice cucumber and mango into precise cubes and weigh dough into 15-gram portions, he repeated: 'This is really hard, the accuracy is ridiculous.'
Cherish Finden noticed his trembling hands and said: 'I'm actually very worried about Alfie. He is shaking.' She instructed him to stop and take a deep breath, commanding: 'I want you to take a deep breath and calm down yourself.'
Alfie later broke some garnish and was left with his head in his hands. He told the cameras: 'That was another level, ridiculously hard. I couldn't do this particular side of the job.' Earlier, he had joked: 'This is why I'm a singer.'
Judge Grace Dent praised his efforts, saying: 'I know that Alfie went to hell and back but it was worth it.' Reflecting on the experience, Alfie said it was about learning and being strong on timings, not just winning.
