A golf pro from Bearsted has reached the semi-finals of BBC's MasterChef.

Father-of-two, James Skelton, said he was "over the moon" to edge his way through to the next stage of the competition, after preparing a meal for three of the show's previous winners.

The 38-year-old has been praised for his simple yet effective style of cooking which harks bark to traditional British dishes.

The quarter-finals saw him and other contestants given an hour and 15 minutes to complete two courses.

This was then presented to three guests who were also winners of the show in the past,: Drhuv Baker from 2010, Dr Saliha Mahmood-Ahmed who won in 2017, and 2020's champion Thomas Frake.

For his main course, James presented a mouth-watering baked cod with green crust, containing bread crumbs, parsley and smoked salmon, accompanied by potatoes and creamy leeks on the side.

Thomas praised it for having "bundles of flavour", while Drhuv said it was a "solid effort".

For dessert, James prepared a lemon posset with apple and cinnamon - a dish which left the judges with mixed feelings.

Saliha said it was smooth with a nice wobble but Drhuv wanted more sharpness.

Thomas thought it missed a 'textural element' - something judge John Torode agreed with.

He said: "I want a biscuit, I want a crumb."

Luckily, James had done enough to impress the judges to make it through to the semi-finals in a nail-biting decider.

James said: "The more you're in that kitchen and the more you've got that buzz around you, the more you want to stay in it."

He later added: "It's obviously extremely close, just can't believe it. It's a great experience and adventure to have."

The show, which has been on our screens for more than 15 years, uncovers Britain's best food talents.

If James is to win the semi-finals, he will be part of a final three who will get to take on a chef’s table challenge at the Michelin starred Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in London.

The next episode is to air next Tuesday.