Eamon Sullivan was crowned king of the kitchen after winning Celebrity MasterChef. The WA swimming star beat INXS musician Kirk Pengilly, and 2009 Miss Universe Australia Rachael Finch, over three rounds, in the Channel 10 cooking show.

As well as taking the coveted title, Sullivan also won $50,000 for the charity of his choice, the Royal Life Saving Society.

"I was definitely competitive from the start," he says. "I went in telling people, 'We'll see what happens' but as soon as I stepped into the kitchen I wanted to have a good stab at it."

Sullivan was training while he took part in the competition, which meant he had to get up at 4.30am to swim before filming.

Despite his busy schedule he managed to impress the judges throughout the competition - even getting full marks for one of his desserts.

Sullivan has always been interested in cooking but says he takes after his mum in the cooking stakes.

"More so from my mum; my dad is more of a bangers and mash, charcoal sausages that kind of thing," he says. "I took home economics at school and it sort of went from there. I'd read cookbooks and watch TV shows and saw different ways of cooking things.

"I've always cooked a lot for myself. After the series was over it was the last thing I felt like doing. It was very draining but enjoyable at the same time."