Irish Masterchef: The Professionals finalist Mark O’Brien - ‘After episode one came out, I was having conversations I’d never been able to have before’

It was a pleasant surprise to see Dubliner Mark O’Brien (35) enter the kitchen on MasterChef: The Professionals on the BBC. Not only did he do well in the competition, filmed over 10 weeks last year and finally reaching screens this February, he was one of the cooks to make the final — and the only Irish finalist in the show’s history.