A MAN from Worcestershire is taking to the TV screens this week hoping to be crowned Masterchef.

Jim Parsons, from Abberley, is on-screen on Wednesday (March 17) in his heat of the competition, and the 44 year-old was delighted to have made the cut.

He said: "I have always enjoyed cooking and some of my earliest memories are of my mum cooking for us, so I've always had a love of it.

"I used to cook with her often and when I went to uni, cooked a lot for my housemates too."

When not cooking, Mr Parsons is a director of a building firm and has been a fan of the show, which is on BBC One at 8pm, since it started.

He added: "I'm incredibly excited to be cooking for John and Gregg and it is a dream come true.

"When every series ends, they open applications for the next one, so I did that and was really excited when I found out I got in.

"There is a questionnaire you have to fill out when you apply and you can send photos and videos of your cooking too to showcase what you can do."

Mr Parsons said he enjoys cooking classic British food using seasonal ingredients when he cooks for his family and friends.

When he announced he would be appearing on the show, friends and family were delighted and he had plenty of messages of good luck.

He said: "They are very excited. I have cooked for some of them over the years and they are usually kind enough to complement me on my cooking.

"I know what happens as it has all already been filmed, but I can't tell anyone, so everyone will have to watch to find out."

Masterchef is on BBC One on March 17 at 8pm.