Camila Angelucci, the Ibiza resident who won MasterChef 14, is entering a new chapter after seven years of trying to make it onto the Spanish television cooking competition.

What began with a trip to Madrid carrying a nearly empty suitcase ended with Angelucci winning the competition and securing a place on a professional master's programme at the Basque Culinary Center.

Now, she is preparing to temporarily move from Ibiza to San Sebastián with her husband and their two children while continuing to develop her culinary career.

Seven Years of Trying

Angelucci says she had been trying to enter MasterChef for seven years before finally receiving the call this year.

When she travelled to Madrid, she says she did not expect to make it far in the competition.

She describes leaving Ibiza with a very small amount of luggage because she assumed the experience might be short-lived.

Instead, she reached the final and won.

“I didn't think I was going to win,” she says, explaining that the unexpected victory made the experience even more emotional.

From Home Cooking to a Cooking Competition

Before entering MasterChef, Angelucci had not worked professionally as a chef.

Her cooking experience came primarily from preparing food for her family at home, something she says had always been a passion but could also become an everyday responsibility.

The competition introduced her to professional-style kitchen environments, unfamiliar colleagues and the pressure of preparing dishes under strict time limits.

She says the experience made her realise how important it is to genuinely love cooking if she wants to pursue it professionally.

Ibiza Was Part of Her Final Menu

Ibiza played a central role in Angelucci's final menu.

Contestants were asked to prepare dishes that told something about their personal story, and Angelucci chose to represent the island that she says has transformed her life.

Her interpretation of bullit de peix included dressed potatoes, raw grouper and a crispy element inspired by the socarrat.

She says entering MasterChef without previously eating or cooking much fish ultimately changed her relationship with the ingredient.

Fish became one of her favourite products during the competition.

For Angelucci, the dish was also a way of presenting another side of Ibiza, beyond its nightlife, through the island's food, culture and local products.

A New Life in San Sebastián

Winning MasterChef comes with a major educational opportunity.

Angelucci will study at the Basque Culinary Center in San Sebastián, where she intends to develop professional culinary skills.

The temporary move involves the entire family.

She has already arranged schooling for her children and found a home in San Sebastián for the academic year.

The plan is to return to Ibiza after completing the programme with a stronger professional foundation.

Her Husband and Children

The competition was also a major challenge for Angelucci's family.

She says her husband found the weeks apart particularly difficult, partly because they have no wider family support network in Ibiza.

The couple have two children, and Angelucci says the experience has involved considerable organisation around school, activities and family life.

She also says she wanted her children to learn that pursuing a dream can be worthwhile, while maintaining that personal happiness is important to being a good parent.

The family will now experience another major change as they temporarily relocate to San Sebastián.

Life After MasterChef

Angelucci says her life changed immediately after the programme.

She has been recognised in public, asked for photographs and autographs and invited to MasterChef-related events.

Despite the increased attention, she says she still considers herself the same person who entered the programme.

The main difference is that she now has considerably more professional opportunities.

She also describes the culinary training as one of the most important parts of the prize.

A Book of Italian Recipes

Angelucci has also published a recipe book.

Released on July 22, the book focuses on traditional Italian dishes from her home city of Terni.

Her Italian background remains an important part of the way she approaches food, alongside the influence of her years living in Ibiza.

She says simple food is often her favourite to prepare at home.

Pasta, particularly spaghetti with garlic, cherry tomatoes, olive oil, Parmesan and basil, is among her preferred comfort dishes.

She also enjoys risottos, grilled meat and seasonal local produce.

What Comes Next

Angelucci has previously spoken about opening a restaurant in Dalt Vila.

For now, however, she says she does not want to rush into opening a restaurant without first gaining professional experience in the business side of gastronomy.

Her immediate plan is to study at the Basque Culinary Center and then explore a number of smaller projects.

One possibility is a private events business.

Another is a laboratory producing fresh pasta for restaurants, companies and private events.

She also expects to work as a private chef.

The restaurant dream has therefore not disappeared, but she wants to gain more experience before taking that step.

Ibiza Remains Part of the Plan

Despite the temporary move to the Basque Country, Angelucci says Ibiza remains central to her future.

The island was a key part of the menu she presented in the MasterChef final and remains the place she intends to return to after her studies.

Her long-term ambitions combine her Italian culinary background, the professional training she is about to receive and the influence of Ibiza's food culture.

For now, the next stage begins in San Sebastián.

From Unexpected Winner to Culinary Career

Angelucci entered MasterChef expecting that she might leave after only a short time.

Seven years after first trying to get onto the programme, she instead became the winner of its 14th edition.

Her victory has now opened the door to professional culinary training, a new recipe book and several possible business projects.

The next step will take her and her family temporarily away from Ibiza, but her plans remain closely connected to the island that she says changed her life.

And the woman who arrived in Madrid expecting very little now has an entirely different challenge ahead: turning an unexpected television victory into a professional career in food.