MODELLING underwear and being on the TV screen have been his turfs, but now Lunga Shabalala will put his skills in the kitchen to the test from next Sunday.

The 25-year-old has always been aware that he draws women's attention, but refuses to let it get to his head. "I appreciate the attention, but if I don't make a big deal of it then it doesn't become one," he says.

Shabalala burst onto TV after winning the entertainment show Selimathunzi presenter search competition, and he has not looked back since. Today his claims to fame include being a TV presenter, model and actor. Now he is about to add reality TV star as a competitor on Celebrity Masterchef.

The cooking series has already been shot in Cape Town and premieres on February 8.

Shabalala says he was honoured to be invited to the Masterchef kitchen but was nervous too.

"I don't see myself as much of a cook . Every time I step into the kitchen it's a game of roulette. You never know what you are going to get," he says.

He currently co-presents The Man Cave on SABC 3 alongside Janez Vermeiren, and his acting inroads have led him to shows such as Task Force on SABC1.

Shabalala chose Project Gateway in Pietermaritzburg as his preferred charity should he win the Celebrity Masterchef loot.

mahlanguba@sowetan.co.za

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