Amar Latif hopes to inspire other blind people to try new adventures after he made it through the first round of Celebrity MasterChef.
The TV travel presenter impressed judges Gregg Wallace and John Torode with his “fabulous and fantastic” seabass on a vermicelli noodle salad with ginger.
Amar, 45, told the Mirror: “It just confirmed you can turn your hand to anything if you really put your mind to it. I’m hoping that blind people can be inspired to not let their blindness send them down a spiral.
“You might have to work harder, but once you achieve something, you can change the world.”
Amar had two weeks’ training before going on the show, having little cooking experience before.
He added: “Having to come up with ways I can actually cook required a lot of work."
TV host Jeff Brazier became the first to leave the contest, meaning Amar beat him and arguably served one of the best dishes.
Amar told the Mirror: “It was such an incredible feeling. It just felt so surreal to be able to go through to the next round, I just couldn't believe it."
“That's why I do television, because it gives me a bigger stage to help inspire people, help remove preconceptions of the sighted world.
"There's a lot of preconceptions there. There's mass unemployment amongst people with disabilities and people that are blind. For example, 66% of blind people of the working age are unemployed.
"I'm hoping that the blind people can be inspired to not let their blindness send them down a spiral of depression and a dead end street.
"Instead, even if the world is unfair, I'd say roll up your sleeves and get involved.
“It might not be fair. You might have to work harder, but that's great, because once you get there and you achieve something, then you can change the world.”
*Celebrity MasterChef continues on BBC1 tomorrow night at 8pm
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