Cooking Through the Pain! The SHOCKING Rare Illness That Only 14 People on Earth Have Which This MasterChef Star

MasterChef favourite Casper Kenworthy has revealed he is one of just 14 people around the world living with a particular type of cystic fibrosis.

Cystic fibrosis is a genetic condition that causes the body to produce abnormally thick, sticky mucus, which blocks the airways and leads to chronic lung infections and breathing difficulties.

The young chef said the condition can be particularly difficult to manage when cooking, as it can affect how his food smells and tastes.

There are more than 2,000 variants of the condition, grouped into categories such as common, rare, and very rare.

There are only 3,730 people living with cystic fibrosis in Australia.

The 28-year-old revealed he was diagnosed with the condition after his sister discovered she had it.

“I’m incredibly lucky because my symptoms are much milder than many people living with cystic fibrosis,” he told TV Week.

Cystic fibrosis – a currently incurable condition – makes people more susceptible to certain illnesses.

Being on the set of a show such as MasterChef, which films in Melbourne, meant he was away from the support team of doctors he normally had in Canberra.

He became quite unwell earlier in the season when chefs Rick Stein and Josh Niland were guest judges.

He also missed an episode during Dessert Week, when he was up in the gantry and safe from competing.

But viewers haven’t been privy to any of this.

Casper, who has made it to the top five, also revealed that his rare condition has also sparked pancreatitis twice during the competition.

“It’s one of the most painful things you can experience,” he said.

“But it’s something that is going to pop up for me now in life.”