MasterChef

It's the first heat of this year's competition, and six talented cooks are braced for culinary battle. Their first goal is to secure one of four gleaming MasterChef aprons.

Six more amateurs work to secure a place in this week's quarter-final as they are put through their paces by Grace and Anna in the second heat of the week.

It's the first quarter-final, where this week's six most talented amateurs gather to face off against each other for the first time.

A new set of incredible amateur cooks take on the MasterChef heats hoping to secure a quarter-final place. Their first task is to serve up an impressive signature dish.

A fresh set of hopeful home cooks serve up their signature dishes and precision cooking in a bid to impress the MasterChef judges and get through to the quarter-finals.

The second quarter-final is here, and the six best cooks of the week return to prove they have more culinary skill in the tank, starting with an invention test.

Heat 3 is upon us, which means one thing: six exciting new amateur cooks have left their home kitchens ready to compete for one of four coveted MasterChef aprons.

It's time for the second heat of the week, with six more home cooks putting themselves in the culinary spotlight, ready to show the judges that they have what it takes.

The week closes with the third quarter-final as the six best cooks of the week return, taking on two more challenges to prove they have the nerve and skill to go even further.

It's the last round of heats. A new batch of amateur cooks enter the MasterChef kitchen ready to show off their culinary skills, hoping to get through to the next round.

A brand new batch of amateur cooks enter the MasterChef kitchen, ready to compete in the first round and take their shot at culinary stardom.

It's time for the week's six best cooks to dig deep and deliver in the last quarter-final of the competition.

It's knockout week, and there are just 14 amateur cooks left in the competition. The judges are increasing the pressure to see which contestants can hold their nerve.

Knockout week continues, and the chefs must prove themselves enough to make it into their first professional kitchen.

Knockout week is coming to an end, but not before a few more cooks have to say goodbye. Ten contestants remain, and there is only room in the semi-finals for eight.

It's semi-finals time, and the eight remaining cooks are ready to battle it out for a chance at victory. Anna and Grace ramp things up with their biggest challenges yet.

The semi-finals continue, and just seven extraordinary home cooks remain in the competition. It's time for them to dig even deeper into their culinary books of tricks.

The semi-finals reach their end, and this is the most crucial stage of all. Which four of the five remaining cooks have what it takes to get that coveted place in Finals Week?

Six weeks of fraught competition have produced four exceptional amateur cooks, who all stand a chance of being enlisted into the MasterChef hall of fame.

The finals continue with the last four chefs back in the UK, where they take on their biggest task to date.

MasterChef 2026 has seen seven weeks of competition, all leading to this one moment: it's the final, and one of the three exceptional cooks remaining will take home the trophy.

It's the start of the 2025 competition, bringing together the UK's best amateur cooks, but only one can win the coveted MasterChef trophy.

It's the second heat of the week, where the final challenge is to cook a two-course meal for three past champions to win a place in the quarter-finals.

It's the first quarter-final, with six chefs competing for a place in knockout week. The challenge is to produce a stunning dish combining sweet and savoury ingredients.

The next group of home cooks are ready for a culinary battle in the second week of heats. The contestants will need to hit the ground running if they are to win an exclusive MasterChef apron.

This week's second heat welcomes new hopefuls to take on the cooking competition. The contenders will need to jump straight into action as they cook off for one of the MasterChef aprons.

Grace Dent sets the brief for the quarter-finalists. They must create the perfect picnic, which has to include two savoury items and one sweet.

It's week 3 of the heats, and the latest home cooks are ready to bring their A-game to the kitchen. If they reach the standards expected of them, they could claim a MasterChef apron.

It's the second heat of the week, and another cohort of brave cooks are each hoping to win one of the four MasterChef aprons on offer – their ticket to the rest of the competition.

Esteemed food critic and writer Jimi Famurewa sets the brief for the week's quarter-final – to create a modern American classic that will make him feel like he's back in the USA.

It's the fourth week of heats, and a fresh batch of ambitious cooks, including a fishmonger and a data scientist, are ready to kick-start their MasterChef competition.

The second heat of the week begins with new contenders ready for their first taste of cooking in the MasterChef kitchen. Those who win aprons could earn a place in this week's quarter-final.

Jay Rayner sets the brief for the week's quarter-final. He would like the cooks to make a wrap. They can fill it with their choice of ingredients, but the wrap itself must be made from scratch.

It's the fifth and final week of the heats, and another group of home cooks take the first step towards making their culinary dreams a reality.

It's the final heat as the last group of food-obsessed cooks go all out to try to nab one of the last three quarter-final places in this year's competition.

It's the last quarter-final, and the best cooks from the week's heats are back with one thing in their sights: a place in knockout week.

Knockout week has arrived. Sixteen amateurs compete for the final ten places and the opportunity to tackle their first professional kitchen service.

Knockout week continues as the second group of eight hopefuls return to take on the competition. Those who show they mean business will earn the right to work in their first professional kitchen.

Knockout week comes to a head with just ten cooks remaining in the competition. Success could mean a place in the semi-finals, but it will take every ounce of effort to get there.

It's semi-finals time, and with just eight contestants remaining, the heat is rising. Everyone has their sights set on reaching finals week, but to get there, they will need a steady hand, as they face some of their biggest culinary adventures yet.Glorious Chawton House in Hampshire is the setting for the challenge in this episode. Once owned by Jane Austen's brother, this stunning abode is the location for a special lunch to celebrate the literary giant's birth 250 years ago. Working in two teams of four, the contestants must cook up a lunchtime feast that both suits the occasion and is worthy of a guest list that includes house staff and volunteers, members of the Jane Austen Society and Jane Austen's fifth great-niece! This illustrious crowd, of no less than 80, are hoping for a lunch to remember. Catering for such huge numbers is tough in itself, but the importance of the event just piles on the pressure.The teams need to devise and cook their own three-course menu whilst also getting used to the unfamiliar al fresco kitchens located in the Chawton House gardens. Working together is the only option for success, as any weak links could send lunch service into free fall.If that's not enough, the eight amateurs then head back to the MasterChef kitchen for one more challenge. Working alone this time, they need to cook a plate of food that incorporates layers or swirls, adding texture, colour, beauty and opulence. This should be a feast for the eyes as well as the palate. They have one hour and 45 minutes to deliver a dish that shows progress as well as wondrous levels of creativity.The two cooks who are outperformed on the day must head home, leaving the strongest six still in with a shot at becoming MasterChef Champion 2025.

The semi-finals are in full swing, and just six extraordinary cooks are still in the race. But nothing could have prepared them for what's now in store.The brief in this episode has been set by one of the most revered chefs in the world, a man who needs very little introduction: Heston Blumenthal. Heston is a pioneer in the world of molecular gastronomy, and his three-Michelin-starred restaurant The Fat Duck has inspired generations by ripping up the culinary rulebook. His dishes excite all the senses, giving the diner an experience like no other. This year marks the 30th birthday of his groundbreaking restaurant, and the semi-finalists are honouring the celebration at MasterChef HQ.The contestants must dig deep, as working in teams, they will be asked to recreate some of Heston's most celebrated dishes. The recipes are detailed and complex, but if they do them right, the results should be out of this world. It's time to roll out the liquid nitrogen as the hopefuls take on recipes that have taken years to develop and master.After judging their take on his creations, Heston next gets the chance to taste the semi-finalists' own food, as the contenders' next brief is to cook a dish filled with theatre and magic – something truly ambitious that plays with the senses and is full of wonder. Emotion and storytelling are crucial components, and Heston will be hoping for some passion in the plates he tastes.At the end, five deserving cooks will go through to the next round, leaving one to savour the memories as they head back home. The hunt for this year's champion continues.

It's the end of an extraordinary week of semi-finals as the five contenders left in the competition go all out to stay put. This is the sharp end of the competition, and with such an enormous amount of skill and flair on show, the smallest mistakes can send the hopefuls home.Making the leap to the final stages won't be easy, as the next brief pushes the amateurs to their culinary limit, cooking one dish that celebrates an ingredient they can't stand.How can they create a coherent plate of food which has texture and flavour when the last thing they want to do is taste it? Will they understand how to use an ingredient that perhaps they have never cooked with before?Their choices include offal, bananas and liquorice, which could lend themselves to some great plates of food. Whatever they do to these ingredients, they will need to pull something out of the bag, as only four amateurs can go through to finals week.In one of the toughest challenges yet, one unfortunate competitor will be left kicking themselves if they miss what is surely the opportunity of a lifetime.Next stop is finals week, where one contender's dream of becoming MasterChef champion will become a reality – assuming they can outcook the competition!

Finals week on MasterChef has arrived! Seven weeks of intense competition has seen some extraordinary competitors fall by the wayside, and now just four are left standing.Their journey takes them to the glorious city of Athens, where the four amateurs are immersed in a rich and exciting food culture, thousands of years in the making. Three extraordinary challenges await, designed to broaden their culinary horizons like never before.The first stop on this whirlwind adventure is Margi Farm, which spans ten acres and supplies produce to some of the finest restaurants in Athens. The candidates' first task is to prepare a delicious lunch for locals, including some Margi Farm employees. Working in teams in outdoor kitchens, they have three hours to get to grips with Greek cuisine and deliver a lunch to remember. If that's not enough pressure, they have to cook a selection of meze dishes chosen by one of the country's best-loved TV chefs and restaurateurs, Argiro Barbarigou, who oversees their work. These plates include some Greek classics that take precision and skill to pull off. Can the hopefuls do these dishes justice and please the locals who know exactly how this food should taste?Margi Farm is just the beginning. Day two in Athens pushes the contestants to another level as they head to Michelin-starred restaurant Patio for their next challenge. The kitchens are run by executive chef Panagiotis Giakalis, who delivers an exciting cuisine that combines tradition with innovation. The cooks are put through their paces as they each take responsibility for making one course from Patio's extensive tasting menu. This is no walk in the park.Having got into the swing of Greek fine dining, the contenders have one more chance to shine as they head to the stunning Vouliagmeni Bay, where they are given the keys to a local restaurant – Akti. They will be solely responsible for a dinner service of epic proportions, cooking for mentors Argiro and Panagiotis, as well as some of Athens's leading Michelin-starred chefs. Each finalist must cook one course for the VIP dinner. This is their chance to show what they are capable of, whilst drawing inspiration from their Aegean adventure.Every step they take on this trip of a lifetime matters, because very soon the final four will become the final three!

Finals week continues, and the last four get the chance to take part in one of the most exciting Chef's Tables in MasterChef history, but only three of them will make it. Those that do will be in for an experience money can't buy and secure their ticket to this year's grand final, where one will be crowned MasterChef champion 2025.The four finalists are asked to put their twist on a classic dish. These dishes are classics for a reason - they are tried, tested and loved. Can the amateurs take theirs to the next level, without losing the heart of the original? Amongst the dishes being reworked tonight are beef wellington, the full English breakfast and the Sunday roast. With so much at stake, nobody will play it safe.The judges then have to make their toughest decision to date – which three have shown enough skill to go through to the final? At this point, it all comes down to the finest of margins.The three lucky ones will be counting their blessings as they're about to have one of the most exciting opportunities ever seen on MasterChef. It's time for Chef's Table, which this year is being held at the exclusive Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester Hotel restaurant in Mayfair. They will prepare lunch for Alain himself, who holds a staggering 21 Michelin stars to his name, along with four of his proteges: Tom Kitchin, Clare Smyth MBE, Claude Bosi and Alex Dilling, who all have amassed their own collection of Michelin stars.This would be an intimidating proposition for even the most seasoned chefs, never mind three cooks who, a few weeks ago, had never entered a professional kitchen. To add to the already stratospheric pressure, each takes on one of the restaurant's celebrated dishes – the epitome of modern French haute cuisine. If they can impress today, who knows what the future might hold?Running today's Chef's Table is Alain's executive chef Jean-Philippe Blondet. He's worked with Alain for over 20 years and will expect nothing short of impeccable cooking from the three contenders.After such an intense cooking experience, the finalists will have one more job: prove they have the skills to take home the MasterChef 2025 trophy. Next stop? The grand final.

This is the big one. The 21st MasterChef grand final. Weeks of hard graft have led to this moment when one of the three finalists will come out on top.This will no doubt be a tight race as the finalists draw out every ounce of culinary know-how in the hope of victory. It's a moment that changes lives, but with such pressure resting on their shoulders, will nerves get the better of them?They have three hours to prove they are the best amateur cook in the country. May the best cook win. It's time to crown the MasterChef 2025 champion.

The MasterChef arena opens its doors for the first of five heats, welcoming 58 amateurs from all over the UK to take on the challenge.The first six hopefuls arrive with their sights set on one goal: to win one of the four exclusive MasterChef aprons that secure their place in the competition. Those that make it will head straight back into battle, as only the best reach the quarter-final.John and Gregg kick things off with a brand-new challenge: Basic to Brilliant. The contestants must take an everyday ingredient and turn it into something truly spectacular. In the invention test, the contestants are tasked with creating a dish celebrating one of Gregg's favourite foods: potato gnocchi.The crescendo of this heat sees the remaining contestants cook their own two-course menu for three invited guests – 2023 champion Chariya Khattiyot and finalists Anurag Aggarwal and Omar Foster.Three are guaranteed a place in the quarter-final as they compete to become MasterChef Champion 2024.

 Six more amateur cooks throw themselves into the world of MasterChef. Their aim is to reach the quarter-final, but first they need to fight for the right to wear a MasterChef apron.John and Gregg task the six competitors with elevating an everyday ingredient in the new Basic to Brilliant challenge. With competitors including a farmer, bartender and a musical director, John and Gregg can be guaranteed a broad range of culinary delights.The remaining contestants must think on their feet when they are given a trout which needs to be filleted, cooked, and served in the most delicious way possible.The two that make it through join those from the first round for the most daunting task yet: cooking their best two-course menu for three guests who have been in their shoes. This time they are past champions Jane Devonshire, Irini Tzortzoglou and Ping Coombes. With only an hour and 15 minutes to deliver eight plates of food, it will take steady nerves not to crumble.Will John and Gregg agree with the MasterChef alumni's feedback?

In the first quarter-final, the most talented six of the week return to compete for a place in Knockout Week.The competitors take on an intense challenge set by formidable food critic William Sitwell, who calls for an exquisite plate of food based on infamous school dinners. This is not a time for lumpy mash, overcooked fish or gloopy gravy. William doesn't carry fond memories of what his school served up, so he's praying for some originality and humour.Those who come out with poor grades will be on the next bus home, as only the best head into Knockout Week.

Expect twists and turns as the MasterChef kitchen opens its doors for the second week of heats, welcoming 12 amateurs from all over the UK to take on the challenge.Six more amateurs set out to prove their worth as they battle for the right to wear just four coveted aprons and take one step closer to this week's quarter-final. Their first stop is the brand new challenge - Basic to Brilliant. Using an everyday ingredient, the contestants must create a dish that not only puts the ingredient front and centre, but also tastes incredible. One thing is for certain - these dishes must sing with potential. John and Gregg will reward the cooks of their two favourite dishes with MasterChef aprons and a place in the next round.It's not over for the remaining four, as they are given one more shot at staking their claim on an apron, but this time they must face the Think On Your Feet round, an invention test with a difference. They will be briefed to recreate a classic recipe of floating islands – a perfectly poached meringue island sitting in a sea of creamy custard and topped with caramel. They then have free reign to embellish their dish in any way they see fit using a range of ingredients including fruits, nuts or even a touch of booze. Will they deliver a twist on a classic that makes the judges hop with glee, or will they be left stranded? The two standout contestants will nab the last two aprons.The strongest four amateurs will then come together once more for their first taste of cooking their own menus on MasterChef. They must deliver two courses in one hour and 15 minutes for John, Gregg and three specially invited guests – 2022 champion Eddie Scott, finalist Pookie and 2020 finalist Claire Fyfe. All three have gone on to forge careers in food and will be expecting the contestants' menus to be executed to perfection. Will they play it safe, or go all out to impress?There are only three places in this week's quarter-final up for grabs, meaning one more cook's MasterChef dreams will be left behind and the remaining three will push through to next-level cooking.

Six more amateur cooks kick-start their MasterChef adventure as they go all out to get their hands on their very own MasterChef apron, before battling for a place in this week's quarter-final.Making a good first impression is key as the contestants will be tasked with taking an everyday ingredient from Basic to Brilliant. John and Gregg will be expecting their chosen ingredient to shine on a plate that shows personality and great flavours. Will their ingredients be the stars or understudies of the show? The two who can wow the judges the most will get their hands on a gleaming white MasterChef apron and whizz straight through to the next round.The four who impress the least will need to prove their MasterChef worth as they are challenged to think on their feet. The cooks will each be given two whole quail, but who will turn the majestic game bird into a complete dish that sets the judges' pulses racing? They have a range of protein, fruits, veg, grains and spices to choose from as they endeavour to create something truly spectacular. With just two more aprons left, it is now or never.Just one more challenge awaits the four still standing – a chance to cook their best two-course menu for the judges and their invited guests. Sampling the contestants' dishes will be MasterChef champion Simon Wood and finalist Tony Rodd from 2015, and 2012 MasterChef champion Shelina Permalloo. Now is the time for the contestants to lay all their cards on the table, as these diners will expect nothing short of restaurant-standard food that makes their taste buds tingle.Armed with the diners' input, John and Gregg will deliver a verdict that sees another contestant leave the competition. The other three become quarter-finalists, where they will encounter their biggest challenge yet.

It's the second quarter-final, and this week's most talented amateurs return to test their mettle with their sights set on a place in Knockout Week. But getting there won't be easy.The brief will be set by one of country's finest restaurant critics – Jay Rayner. The dish in mind is a true crowd pleaser – the perfect pie. It can be sweet or savoury, but they must make their own pastry and deliver it with the most exceptional accompaniments in just one hour and 30 minutes. Soggy pastry and lacklustre fillings will not be well received.Nobody wants to go home now, but only the best will secure a spot in Knockout Week, where truly extraordinary challenges await in the race for the title of MasterChef champion 2024.

Television's biggest cooking competition continues with a third week of culinary heats. Twelve more of the country's best amateur cooks must go all out for the chance to reach the quarter-final.The first six go all out to prove they deserve one of the four coveted MasterChef aprons on offer, as John and Gregg set their first challenge – Basic to Brilliant. They must turn the judges' heads with a dish that celebrates a staple ingredient. Whether their humble ingredients can be transformed into a thing of majesty remains to be seen. The two who come up with the best plates will head straight into the next round wearing gleaming new MasterChef aprons.The four lagging behind will need to get stuck in once again as they are asked to think on their feet. This time John and Gregg are hankering for a brunch dish. Their creation must include a poached egg and hollandaise sauce, but the cooks have free reign to embellish it however they choose from a bounty of brunch goodies, including avocado, bacon, mushrooms and smoked salmon. There are only two more places in the next round, so rubbery eggs and split hollandaise will not be well-received - this needs to be a brunch to remember.Then it's time for the final showdown of the heat as the four left standing come together for a corker of a challenge. They must prepare their own two-course menu in one hour and 15 minutes for three diners who know their stuff – MasterChef 2017 champion, Dr Saliha Mahmood-Ahmed, 2020 champion, Thomas Frake, and 2018 semi-finalist Nisha Parmar. The contestants will be hoping for clean plates and positive reviews as the diners' opinions will weigh heavily on the judges' final decision.One more will miss out on a place in this week's quarter-final, as the three best move forward with their dream of claiming the title still intact.

Six more brave souls take on the MasterChef challenge, but they will need to win an apron for the adventure to take off. Everything is riding on this, as they all have their sights set on becoming MasterChef champion 2024.Nothing in life comes easy – and if the contenders want an apron, they will need to stake their claim by proving their skills. Basic to Brilliant is the initial challenge, where they must make an everyday ingredient shine on the plate. John and Gregg will deliver aprons to the two best, who will then skip the next round.There's no rest for the four remaining who can forge their way to one of the last two aprons by showing the judges they can think on their feet. Creativity will be key as they are asked to prepare a humble salad using an array of tasty goodies, including chicken, fennel, salmon fillets, tomatoes and bacon. There are just two stipulations – it must include a caesar dressing and blow the socks off judges John and Gregg. Making a stand-out salad might not be as easy as it seems.For the final challenge, the four remaining contenders go head-to-head serving up eight plates of food in one hour and 15 minutes. In addition to the judges, their best two-course menu will be tasted by three diners who now have 14 years' experience of working in the food industry – 2010 MasterChef champion, Dhruv Baker, and runners-up Tim Kinnaird and Alex Rushmer. They will be looking for flavour pairings that work harmoniously on a plate, with glimmers of originality and something that makes them sit up and take notice.With the diners' feedback in hand, it's then down to John and Gregg to dish out the result. Three will have big smiles on their faces as they head into this week's quarter-final.

The third quarter-final gets underway, and this week's most exceptional cooks must push themselves further to hold on to their place in the competition. Make it through this, and a place in Knockout Week is guaranteed. Nobody will want to miss out on what comes next.Esteemed food writer Leyla Kazim is the guest of honour and has an inspired brief for the six quarter-finalists. They will need to deliver a dish that will Nourish and Restore - a proper culinary comforter that they would offer to someone who needs a pick-me-up. They will only have 90 minutes to make the judges finish with a spring in their step. Those who fail to do so will have to say goodbye.A place in Knockout Week is a complete game-changer, but only the best cooks make it through in the quest to become the MasterChef champion 2024.

Week four of the heats has arrived, and 12 fresh-faced contenders are pinning their hopes on winning a MasterChef apron - their ticket to progress in the competition. Only the best on the day will make it into this week's quarter-final and still be in the running for the title.Four sparkling MasterChef aprons are on offer, as John and Gregg ask the first six contenders to transform a chosen everyday ingredient from Basic To Brilliant. There have been some ingenious plates delivered so far, so the bar is extremely high. Restaurant-quality dishes will be expected from the hopefuls, who include a doctor, a lawyer and an actor. This is the first time the judges will sample their cooking, so they will be hoping for plates that sing with personality. It's straight through for the two strongest as they try their MasterChef aprons on for size.The stakes are high for the remaining cooks, who need to come back fighting as there are only two more aprons up for grabs. To win one, they will need to think on their feet and produce a stunning dish featuring prawns. The bountiful larder is there for the odd flourish, and they will have just 45 minutes to show John and Gregg what they are made of. The two who manage to make their prawns pop will don the prized remaining MasterChef aprons.The action-packed episode ends with the true test of endurance. The four best cooks must prepare an exquisite two-course menu for three diners who have all faced this pressure head-on: 2007 MasterChef champion Steven Wallis, 2021 finalist Alexina Anatole, and 2006 finalist Dean Edwards. They, along with the judges, will be anticipating food that hits high standard and leaves them wanting more. So the average dinner-party dish will not be enough, and the cooks must pull out all the stops to impress.All four will be hoping to hear their name announced as a quarter-finalist, but two will be sorely disappointed as their dream of becoming the next MasterChef champion will be over.

It's the last chance for MasterChef novices to enter the arena, as six new amateurs give their all to win the right to wear a gleaming apron. Get through this round, and an incredible journey awaits as the quest for the MasterChef title continues.First up, John and Gregg are after a dish that celebrates an everyday ingredient and puts it on the pedestal it rightly deserves, turning it from Basic to Brilliant. The creations include influences from Italy, China and South Africa. Whether they taste any good is another story. That's down to John and Gregg who must pick the best two and hand over the ultimate kitchen accessory – the MasterChef apron – and their ticket straight into the next round.It's not over yet for the other four, as they can still progress by proving to John and Gregg that they can think on their feet. Each of them has been presented with a butternut squash. Their job is to deliver a tasty plate of food in 45 minutes that wows the judges and celebrates this versatile ingredient. After the tasting, one more will be leaving the competition.It's then time for the four apron wearers to return to their cooking station ready to make their ultimate two-course menu. They will also be feeding three hungry diners – all MasterChef champions in their own right: 2013 champion Natalie Coleman, 2018 champion Kenny Tutt, and 2021 champion Tom Rhodes. It's a tall order for the hopefuls, who have just 75 minutes on the clock. Nothing will get past these guys, and only cooking of the highest order will be worthy of praise.Armed with the diners' input, it will be down to the judges to deliver their verdict and choose the three amateurs to continue in the race to become MasterChef champion 2024.

It's quarter-final time, as this week's six best cooks don their well-earned MasterChef aprons ready to bring their A-game. A place in Knockout Week is now within touching distance, but any slip-ups might cost them the competition.John and Gregg have invited a special guest to set the brief – one of the country's most exciting culinary stars, April Jackson. They will have 90 minutes to deliver a dish that celebrates cheese. April loves everything about cheese, but she wants something that will truly linger in the memory. Every cheese offers its own strength and taste, so this really is a test that will get the amateurs' creative juices flowing. After a total cheese-fest, it's down to the judges to pick their favourites.There's only room in Knockout Week for three, and the lucky ones that make it will be well on the way to MasterChef stardom.

MasterChef 2024 has reached the final week of heats, and this time there's a twist. To celebrate the 20th anniversary, ten familiar faces have been invited back to battle for the title for the second time in Comeback Week. They will face two challenges specially designed to see just how much they have progressed since their last visit. This is an opportunity that none of them will want to waste, as only the best six will earn a place in the last quarter-final.The first five re-enter the MasterChef arena hoping to redeem themselves. It won't be an easy ride, as John and Gregg want to see how far they have come by way of their two best plates. Each dish will need to demonstrate top-notch execution and exquisite flavours. The comeback crew include a fire-breathing circus performer and a DJ, so creativity and performance from the group should get off to a flying start.All five will need to keep their wits about them as they head straight into their next task, and this time it's all about the classics - think beef bourguignon, a roast dinner or even fish and chips. They will need to produce one dish based on a classic of any origin that captures its essence and demonstrates why it is so loved. Can the competitors turn the traditional up a notch, or will they push things too far? Joining the judges will be one of the country's most exciting cookery talents and a past MasterChef: The Professionals finalist – Matthew Ryle. Matthew is not only trained in the classics, but is now executive chef at Maison Francois in London, where he delivers a menu that celebrates classic cookery at the highest level. He's also taken his cookery prowess online and has achieved a following of over 1.6 million. The comeback contestants will need to pull out all the stops if they want to live up to Matthew's expectations.With every morsel scrutinised, the final decision will be left to John and Gregg, who will pick their best three cooks of the night. They will head into this week's quarter-final, while the other two will experience déja vu and say goodbye.

Five more comeback contestants return to the competition to try their luck again. A quarter-final place awaits those who outperform the others across two tough challenges.The first request from John and Gregg is for two outstanding plates of food - a main course and dessert that prove they have learnt from past mistakes. Some might be brave enough to recreate recipes from their past attempt. They will have one hour and 45 minutes to get creative and nail the brief. Nobody will head home after this round, but the judges won't forget dishes that leave a bad taste in their mouth.Next up, the comeback crew must show drive as they each design a dish that they would serve from a food truck. It will need to be a street-food gem to set socials alight and leave people queuing for more. This food style is right up the street of the guest taster - MasterChef: The Professionals 2019 champion, Stuart Deeley. Stuart's food is a celebration of what he likes to eat, so he'll be expecting to see real personality in the contestant's creations. Will they deliver a trucking treat that will tickle the taste buds? Or will their truck be towed back home?It's then crunch time, and the three who have impressed the most can celebrate with a place in the last quarter-final, with their dream of becoming MasterChef champion 2024 still very much alive.

It's all to play for as this week's six best comeback contestants return for the last quarter-final and the chance to push on into Knockout Week. Just one challenge awaits, so the hopefuls will need to go big or risk going home.Success won't be easy as the judges have invited renowned restaurant critic Jimi Famurewa to set the brief, which is all about fusion. The super six will need to create one dish that brings two unrelated food cultures and cuisines onto one plate in perfect harmony. Fusion is incredibly risky business, but done well, it can result in some of the most thrilling food imaginable.With limited places left in Knockout Week, the three whose fusions fail to make their mark will lose out on a place, leaving the best remaining cooks to take on next-level cooking, as the hunt for this year's MasterChef champion continues.

The first group of eight head into battle and are immediately hit with an Invention Test. The larder has been stocked with some of the finest foods, so the only limitation will be the contestants' imaginations. The hopefuls need to step up when it matters and serve up John and Gregg a dish worthy of Knockout Week, as at the end, three of them will be emptying their lockers and heading for the exit.The five lucky cooks who make it through will be rewarded with a shift in their first professional kitchen. There's no better place to start than in fine-dining bistro Nessa in London's glittering West End, where Michelin-trained executive chef Tom Cenci delivers a stunning menu packed with both originality and twists on the classics. This is a real chance for our amateurs to roll their sleeves up, sample life in the industry and deliver some top-notch cooking.No more amateurs will leave the competition, but John and Gregg will be in the dining room scrutinising every plate that leaves the pass. With the MasterChef trophy in sight, nobody will want to leave a bad impression.

Knockout Week continues, and the second group of eight remaining amateurs return to MasterChef for the opportunity of a lifetime – the chance to cook in their first professional kitchen. To get there, they will need to dig into their repertoire for some killer culinary ideas, as their first task is a daunting Invention Test. The larder is open for business with some stunning fish, poultry, meat and veg ready to be scooped up and turned into something outrageously good. The three who impress the least will lose out on the ultimate culinary adventure.The five who manage to keep it together and win the judges over will head off into unfamiliar territory as they get their first taste of life as a professional chef. The successful five will earn their stripes at Joia restaurant, which overlooks Battersea Power Station. Under the watchful eye of Portuguese head chef Jose Jara, it will take every ounce of focus for the competitors to impress diners with dishes that celebrate the food of Jose's cultural roots.John and Gregg will be keeping a close eye from the dining room and hoping the cooks can knock it out the park. At this stage of the game, any mistakes could come back to haunt them as the race for the MasterChef 2024 trophy forges on.

Knockout Week draws to a close as the week's best cooks return to compete for a place in this year's semi-finals. This is the sharp end of the competition, so it will take bags of self-belief and some perfect plates to get there.What better way to celebrate MasterChef's 20th birthday than with some canapes? The contenders need to create sweet or savoury bite-size chunks of loveliness that would elevate even the most sophisticated of parties. With just under two hours to come up with nine identical portions of canape heaven, they need to produce morsels that would have the most seasoned party-goers clamouring for the silver trays.The one who doesn't bring the party as much as the rest will be sent home, leaving the rest with a huge sense of achievement as they sail into the semi-finals, one step closer to becoming MasterChef champion 2024.

It's semi-finals time on MasterChef, and for the remaining eight, a whole new set of adventures await. Everything is on the line, so this stage is not for the faint-hearted, as those who come out on top will be rewarded with a place in Finals Week.The week kicks off in central London at the sublime Fishmonger's Hall, which is playing host to a banquet for one of the most glittering culinary events of the year – the MasterChef 20th Anniversary Celebration Dinner. The guest list includes 70 extraordinary people who have all played a part in the MasterChef journey across the last two decades – from champions and finalists to guest critics and top chefs. The pressure is on the eight semi-finalists to pull out all the stops. Working in teams, they will deliver a three-course feast at a volume none of them have experienced before. This service must be hitch-free, so John will don his whites to take on the role of executive head chef, overseeing this amateur brigade. The team that impresses the most will head straight through to the next round, while the future of the others will hang in the balance.They will hear their fate back at the MasterChef kitchen, where one team will be jumping for joy, and the other team faces a second challenge that tests their love of cooking. Each contender has admitted to one ingredient they dislike, but they will now need to cook a dish that puts that food front and centre. The dreaded ingredients include grapefruit, rabbit and mussels, and the judges will be tasting dishes by people who usually can't bear them. A recipe for disaster?With only six places remaining, for two cooks the dream of becoming MasterChef champion 2024 will be over.

As the semi-finals continue, it's down to the remaining six amateurs to stave off the competition.For the chance to be part of a truly wild experience, the contestants will first need to impress John and Gregg with a dish that turns on the theatrics. It must sing creativity, magic and sparkle, and invoke memories long after the last bite. With the standard of competition so high, their dishes should be real showstoppers, leaving the judges with a problem on their hands. For one, the show will be over as the curtain falls on their time in the competition.The show goes on for the remaining five as they are whisked off to Buckinghamshire, home to an ancient forest which will provide the stunning backdrop for a truly extreme challenge. The amateurs will be cooking at Nomadic – a wilderness dining experience where they will be at the mercy of the elements. A table will be set for a special dinner hosted by a guest who knows a thing or two about the outdoors – bush-craft expert Ray Mears. Some of the world's leading conservationists have been invited to join him for a dinner that will celebrate the wonder of nature and some of the stunning produce found within the forest itself.The amateurs will rustle up a five-course menu designed by a chef who will be right at home in the forest – Swedish Michelin-starred chef Niklas Ekstedt, who is renowned for delivering modern cuisine that celebrates foraged ingredients, cooked using the most primitive technique of all – live fire. The semi-finalists are about to get a taste of precision cooking in one of the harshest environments yet as they battle flames, heat and smoke in the hope of delivering food that hits Niklas' Michelin standard.Nobody else will leave the competition, but John and Gregg will be observing closely. The smallest details matter as the temperature soars in the hunt for this year's champion.

It's all on the line as the semi-finals come to an end. The fabulous five now have one shot of making the ultimate leap into Finals Week. Turn it on now, or risk missing out on what might just be one of the most exhilarating weeks of their life.The last 20 years have seen vast numbers of inspirational cooks enter the MasterChef arena, and John and Gregg would like one plate of food inspired by one of those exceptional cooks. Can the semi-finalists enhance a dish which rocketed a former contestant to glory? The dishes have been inspired by 2011 winner Tim Anderson's Asian flavours, 2023 finalist Omar Foster's risky combinations, and some Mexican spice inspired by the first ever MasterChef champion, Thomasina Miers.At the end, just four will remain standing. Expect a mixture of fireworks and tears as the battle to become MasterChef champion 2024 reaches fever pitch.

The finalists jet across the globe for the trip of a lifetime to Singapore – a country of six million, brimming with diverse cuisines and cultures.They start their adventure in one of the bustling hawker markets – the place to come if you want to sample the vast array of street food that fuels Singaporeans daily. The amateurs will need to get over any jet lag sharpish, as John and Gregg are already there, ready with their first challenge. Under the guidance of the godfather of Singapore heritage cuisine, chef Damian D'Silva, they will work in teams to cook traditional dishes for the people who know them best – the locals. Hawker markets form part of this multicultural society where the cuisine has flourished with foods from all neighbouring regions, including China, India and Malaysia. The dishes to deliver are complex and can take years to master. Are the finalists up to the job? Sizzling woks await as they attempt to turn out a meal that the hawker regulars will never forget.After a well-earned sleep, the final four will be back on the road as they head to the city's stunning botanical gardens, the perfect setting for one of Singapore's most renowned restaurants – Pangium. This is the second venture by chef Malcolm Lee, who already has a Michelin star to his name. Here, he delivers a spectacular high-end menu that has its roots firmly based in the region's unique shared cultural heritage. The finalists will each have the honour of preparing one of Malcolm's dishes for an exclusive lunchtime service. The pressure is truly on as Malcom's mum and wife will also be popping in for lunch.This whirlwind of a trip doesn't end there, as there's one more chance to impress. Inspired by their experience so far, the finalists will now have the chance to create their own menu. They will host a VIP lunch at the five-star Fullerton Bay Hotel for some of the island's leading culinary figures, including their mentors, Damian and Malcolm. Will they manage to stamp their own personality on dishes that will wow this illustrious crowd?No one is leaving yet, but John and Gregg will be watching their every move. Soon, they will decide who becomes the next MasterChef champion.

It's finals week as the MasterChef anniversary celebrations continue, and two incredible challenges await our final four. They will have to give it their all, as at the end, John and Gregg will pick the three lucky cooks to move ahead to the grand final, where the 20th MasterChef champion will be chosen.Things kick off in the exclusive London district of Mayfair. The fabulous four are about to get an experience that no amateur will ever get the chance to tackle again. This year marks the closure of Le Gavroche, one of the world's most celebrated restaurants, which has been at the forefront of gastronomy for the last 35 years. The brainchild of the Roux culinary dynasty, Le Gavroche was the first restaurant in the UK to be awarded three Michelin stars. The finalists will have the honour of taking charge of one of the last ever restaurant services, guided by Michel Roux Jr. himself. They will each cook one of the restaurant's classic dishes which catapulted it to stardom. If that's not demanding enough, they will be serving these dishes to a dining room that includes revered chefs who have also grafted in this very kitchen, including legendary three-star chef Pierre Koffmann, MasterChef's own Monica Galetti and Michel Roux Jr's daughter, Emily. They know the standards expected and will be hoping the finalists deliver a stunning menu befitting of this iconic restaurant before it closes its doors forever.It's then back to the MasterChef kitchen, where just one challenge separates the contenders from this year's final. John and Gregg will be looking for them to deliver one exceptional plate of food that has special meaning, relates to something or someone they love and comes straight from the heart. This is for a place in the final three, so nothing short of spectacular will do the trick.At the end, our grand finalists will be chosen, each of whom will be within touching distance of this year's trophy.

MasterChef's 20th series comes to a nail-biting end, with just one challenge standing between the final three and a place in the MasterChef Hall of Fame.The path to greatness is not an easy one. They will each need to deliver a sumptuous three-course menu that delivers on every front. Tantalising tastes, perfect presentation and outstanding originality is what it will take to claim the title. Who will show the most ambition and progress?John and Gregg will have the difficult task of separating these worthy cooks as they choose the ultimate winner of this historic series. Only one can become MasterChef champion 2024.

Each week for five weeks, nine home cooks have their dreams and their skills put to the test by judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace.The first test is an audition round, where the best three cooks automatically win themselves a coveted MasterChef apron and their place in the next stage of the competition. To give them their best chance to succeed, the judges ask them to cook their Family Favourite dish and make it MasterChef worthy. The dish must show John and Gregg who they are as a cook and how good they could become.After tasting all nine plates, John and Gregg pick their three favourite dishes, giving those cooks immunity from cooking in the next round. The remaining six contestants then get another chance to impress the judges and win themselves one of four remaining aprons.Faced with an invention test, they must pull out all the stops to cook a dish – sweet or savoury – good enough to get them into the next round. The pressure is intense and the stakes are high as two contenders will be eliminated from the competition.

This week's seven remaining home cooks return to test their culinary wits and show judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace that they have the potential to be MasterChef Champion 2023.Their next challenge is the most difficult so far - cooking a dish to a brief set by one of the country's toughest food critics, William Sitwell. William wants them to prepare a dish inspired by their favourite celebrity chef.Then, one more challenge remains in which to earn a place in this week's quarter-final. With just four places up for grabs, the contenders must each cook a dish with layers. Who will handle the pressure and show they have what it takes to progress further in the competition?

It's the first quarter-final, and this week's four most talented cooks return to fight for a place in Knockout Week. They face just one intense challenge: cooking two courses that will excite not just John and Gregg but also some of MasterChef's most inspiring winners, finalists and contestants, all of whom have gone on to careers in the food industry.Tonight, their fate is in the hands of last year's MasterChef finalists and champion: Eddie Scott, Pookie Tredell and Radha Kaushal-Bolland.Only the best cooks can earn themselves a place in Knockout Week, so these amateurs need to show real flair and ambition to edge closer to the MasterChef 2023 trophy.

It's the second week of heats, and once more the judges have a set of challenges the passionate amateurs must complete in order to progress in the competition.Nine home cooks arrive with both their dreams and ingredients ready for their first test, the Audition Round. This year's auditionees come from all over the UK, cooking a range of dishes that aim to challenge the palettes of the judges and make their taste buds dance. Cooking their Family Favourite Dish and making it MasterChef worthy, the hopefuls must show John and Gregg who they are as a cook and how good they could become.John and Gregg don't witness them cook in the MasterChef kitchen. Instead, they taste each dish in the Tasting Room. Just like diners in a restaurant, they judge each contestant's food solely on the plate that is put in front of them. After tasting all nine plates, John and Gregg pick their three favourite dishes, giving those cooks a well-earned MasterChef apron and immunity from cooking in the next round.However, for the remaining six contestants, the competition is not over. Faced with an invention test, they must pull out all the stops to cook a dish – sweet or savoury – good enough to get them into the competition, and this time, John and Gregg are in the kitchen witnessing their every move. The pressure is intense, and the stakes are high, as at the end, only four cooks can join the three already fast-tracked in the next round of challenges. For two - their MasterChef dream is over.

This week's seven best home cooks from the first rounds return to test their culinary wits and try to prove to judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace that they have the potential to be MasterChef Champion 2023.Tonight, the contestants face two more challenges designed to gauge both their creativity and culinary repertoire. The first is their most difficult test so far – cooking a dish to a brief set by one of the country's toughest food critics, Jay Rayner. Jay has asked them to put their finest plates forward, cooking a dish using a batter or a dough.The pressure is on to impress, because at the end of this test only the best cooks will remain in the competition.Then, the remaining cooks face one more challenge to earn a place in this week's quarter-final – by cooking a dish featuring chocolate. With just four places up for grabs, who can handle the pressure and show they have what it takes to progress further in the competition and take another step closer to being crowned MasterChef Champion 2023.

Tonight, it's the second quarter-final, and this week's four most talented cooks return to fight for a place in Knockout Week. Tonight, they face just one intense challenge. They must cook two courses that will excite not just John and Gregg but also some of MasterChef's most inspiring winners, finalists and contestants, who have all gone on to careers in the food industry.Tonight, their fate is in the hands of three MasterChef champions – Thomasina Miers (2005), Kenny Tutt (2018) and Saliha Mahmood-Ahmed (2017).With just two Knockout Week places up for grabs, these amateurs need to show real flair and ambition to edge closer to the MasterChef 2023 trophy.

Nine home cooks arrive with both their dreams and ingredients ready for their first test, the Audition Round. This year's auditionees come from all over the UK - cooking a range of dishes that not only aim to challenge the palettes of the judges, but to make their tastebuds dance. Cooking their Family Favourite dish and making it MasterChef worthy, the hopefuls must show John and Gregg who they are as a cook and how good they could become. John and Gregg don't witness them cook in the MasterChef kitchen. Instead, they taste each dish in the Tasting Room. Just like diners in a restaurant, they judge each contestant's food solely on the plate that is put in front of them.After tasting all nine plates, John and Gregg pick their three favourite dishes, giving those cooks a well-earned MasterChef apron and immunity from cooking in the next round. However, for the remaining six contestants, the competition is not over. Faced with an invention test, they must pull out all the stops to cook a dish – sweet or savoury – good enough to get them into the competition, and this time, John and Gregg are in the kitchen witnessing their every move. The pressure is intense, and the stakes are high, as at the end, only four cooks can join the three already fast-tracked in the next round of challenges. For two, their MasterChef dream is over.

This week's seven best home cooks from the first rounds return to test their culinary wits and try to prove to judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace that they have the potential to be MasterChef Champion 2023.Tonight, the contestants face two more challenges designed to gauge both their creativity and culinary repertoire. The first is their most difficult test so far – cooking a dish to a brief set by one of the country's toughest food critics, Leyla Kazim. Leyla has asked them to put their finest plates forward, cooking a dish that showcases sourness or bitterness.The pressure is on to impress, because at the end of this test only the best cooks will remain in the competition.Then, the remaining cooks face one more challenge to earn a place in this week's quarter-final – by cooking a dish celebrating stuffings and fillings. With just four places up for grabs, who can handle the pressure and show they have what it takes to progress further in the competition?

It's the third quarter-final, and this week's most talented four cooks return to fight for a place in Knockout Week. They face just one intense challenge. They must cook two courses that will excite not just John and Gregg, but also some of MasterChef's most inspiring winners, finalists and contestants, who have all gone on to careers in the food industry.Their fate is in the hands of 2019's MasterChef champion Irini Tzortzoglou, Tom Rhodes, who won the trophy in 2021 and Nisha Parmar, who was a semi-finalist in 2018.With just two Knockout Week places up for grabs, these amateurs need to show real flair and ambition to edge closer to the MasterChef 2023 trophy.

It's the fourth week of heats, and the judges are mixing it up once again. They have a set of challenges the contestants must complete in order to progress in the competition.Nine home cooks arrive with both their dreams and ingredients ready for their first test, the Audition Round. This year's auditionees come from all over the UK - cooking a range of dishes that not only aim to challenge the palettes of the judges, but to make their tastebuds dance. Cooking their Family Favourite dish and making it MasterChef worthy, the hopefuls must show John and Gregg who they are as a cook and how good they could become. John and Gregg don't witness them cook in the MasterChef kitchen. Instead, they taste each dish in the Tasting Room. Just like diners in a restaurant, they judge each contestant's food solely on the plate that is put in front of them.After tasting all nine plates, John and Gregg pick their three favourite dishes, giving those cooks a well-earned MasterChef apron and immunity from cooking in the next round. However, for the remaining six contestants, the competition is not over. Faced with an invention test, they must pull out all the stops to cook a dish – sweet or savoury – good enough to get them into the competition, and this time, John and Gregg are in the kitchen witnessing their every move. The pressure is intense, and the stakes are high, as at the end, only four cooks can join the three already fast-tracked in the next round of challenges. For two, their MasterChef dream is over.

This week's seven best home cooks from the first rounds return to test their culinary wits and try to prove to judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace that they have the potential to be MasterChef Champion 2023.Tonight, the contestants face two more challenges designed to gauge both their creativity and culinary repertoire. The first is their most difficult test so far – cooking a dish to a brief set by one of the country's toughest food critics, Jimi Famurewa. Jimi has asked them to put their finest plates forward, cooking a dish using leftovers or waste.The pressure is on to impress, because at the end of this test only the best cooks will remain in the competition.Then, the remaining cooks face one more challenge to earn a place in this week's quarter-final – by cooking a dish celebrating citrus. With just four places up for grabs, who can handle the pressure and show they have what it takes to progress further in the competition?

It's the fourth quarter-final, and this week's most talented four cooks return to fight for a place in Knockout Week.They face just one intense challenge. They must cook two courses that will excite not just John and Gregg, but also some of MasterChef's most inspiring winners, finalists and contestants, who have all gone on to careers in the food industry.Their fate is in the hands of two MasterChef champions - from 2020, Thomas Frake, and from 2010, Dhruv Baker – and the finalist from 2021, Alexina Anatole.With just two Knockout Week places up for grabs, these amateurs need to show real flair and ambition to edge closer to the MasterChef 2023 trophy.

It's the fifth and final week of the heats, and once more the judges have a set of challenges the passionate amateurs must complete in order to progress in the competition.Nine home cooks arrive with both their dreams and ingredients ready for their first test, the Audition Round. This year's contestants come from all over the UK, cooking a range of dishes that not only aim to challenge the palettes of the judges but make their taste buds dance too. Cooking their Family Favourite Dish and making it MasterChef worthy, the hopefuls must show John and Gregg who they are as a cook and how good they could become.John and Gregg don't witness them cook in the MasterChef kitchen. Instead, they taste each dish in the Tasting Room. Just like diners in a restaurant, they judge each contestant's food solely on the plate that is put in front of them. After tasting all nine plates, John and Gregg pick their three favourite dishes, giving those cooks a well-earned MasterChef apron and immunity from cooking in the next round.However, for the remaining six contestants, the competition is not over. Faced with an invention test, they must pull out all the stops to cook a dish – sweet or savoury – good enough to help them advance in the competition, and this time John and Gregg are in the kitchen witnessing their every move. The pressure is intense, and the stakes are high, as at the end, only four cooks can join the three already fast-tracked in the next round of challenges. For two, their MasterChef dream is over.

This week's seven best home cooks from the first rounds return to test their culinary wits and try to prove to judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace that they have the potential to be MasterChef Champion 2023.The contestants face two more challenges designed to gauge both their creativity and culinary repertoire. The first is their most difficult test so far – cooking a dish to a brief set by one of the country's toughest food critics, Grace Dent. Grace has asked them to put their finest plates forward by cooking the ultimate pot luck supper dish.The pressure is on to impress, because at the end of this test only the best cooks will remain in the competition.Then, the remaining cooks face one more challenge to earn a place in this week's quarter-final – cooking a dish using spice. With just four places up for grabs, who can handle the pressure and show they have what it takes to progress further in the competition and take another step closer to being crowned MasterChef Champion 2023?

It's the last quarter-final, with this week's most talented four cooks returning to fight for a place in Knockout Week. They face a single intense challenge. They must cook two courses that will excite not just John and Gregg but also some of MasterChef's most inspiring winners, finalists and contestants, who have all gone on to careers in the food industry.Their fate is in the hands of two MasterChef champions, 2014's Ping Coombes and 2015's Simon Wood, and one of the finalists from 2020, Claire Fyfe.With just two Knockout Week places up for grabs, these amateurs need to show real flair and ambition to edge closer to the MasterChef 2023 trophy.

After five weeks of fierce competition in the heats, the amateur cooks have been whittled down to just 14 to kick off Knockout Week. All of them have just one goal – to lift the coveted MasterChef trophy. Only the best can become semi-finalists at the end of this week. Over the next two nights, the heat intensifies as the remaining 14 contestants are split into two groups.The first group of seven returns to compete for the chance to experience the pressure of a professional kitchen for the first time. They must cook a dish that they would have on the menu of their own restaurant, pop-up or feature in their cookbook. Gregg is away, so guest judge Anna Haugh joins John in the MasterChef kitchen to decide which five contestants will go on to cook at a restaurant and which two will be going home.The remaining five contestants then head to London's Kings Cross, where they will be working at Decimo under Peter Sanchez-Iglesias, a chef with two Michelin-starred sites in his home town of Bristol that specialise in a combination of Spanish and Mexican cuisine.During a busy lunch service, the five amateurs will be entirely responsible for serving the restaurant's menu to paying customers. Who will buckle under the intense pressure as they cook in a demanding and totally new environment?In a competition where only the food matters, these amateurs will need to stand out to survive – taking another precious step towards being crowned MasterChef Champion 2023.

Knockout Week continues, and last time, two more contestants left the competition. At the end of this week, only the best ten cooks will remain.Tonight, the second group of seven amateurs return to compete for the chance to experience the pressure of a professional kitchen for the first time. They must cook a dish that they would have on the menu of their own restaurant, pop-up or feature in their cookbook. With Gregg away, guest judge Monica Galetti joins John in the MasterChef kitchen to decide which five contestants will go on to cook at a restaurant and which two will be going home.The remaining five head to the Royal Opera House to work in their flagship restaurant Piazza, under the guidance of Michelin-trained executive chef Richard Robinson, which focuses on modern British cuisine.Only the best cooks will make it through to the final challenge in Knockout Week and have the chance to become a semi-finalist.

It's the end of Knockout Week, and the competition has now been whittled down to ten extremely talented amateur cooks, all of whom are desperate to reach the MasterChef semi-finals.Their challenge is to make a dish that the judges can eat with their hands.The stakes are high, because at the end, two contestants will be sent home and their dream of raising the MasterChef 2023 trophy will be over. For the remaining eight who have become semi-finalists, they are about to embark on a culinary adventure like no other.

The competition reaches fever pitch as the remaining eight hopefuls enter the semi-finals. All of them have just one goal – to lift the coveted MasterChef trophy.The semi-finals kick off with a journey to the Fire Service College in Gloucestershire, one of the world's leading fire-training facilities. Each year, it equips over 15,000 firefighters and emergency responders with the skills required to provide first-rate care. Many risk their lives in the line of duty, and today our semi-finalists will honour their work with a celebratory lunch.Cooking in teams for the first time, they face the enormous challenge of combining mass catering with fine dining. Each team will have just three and a half hours to cook and serve a feast for 120 of the emergency responders and trainers.Expert planning and delegation will be crucial if they are to have any chance of success, delivering sophisticated food on a scale they have never experienced. It's vital the two teams perform at their absolute best and produce a lunch worthy of the occasion. After tasting the offerings, John and Gregg will pick the weakest team, who will have to return to the MasterChef kitchen and cook off against each other in a special Invention Test.To keep their place, the four contestants must use their creativity to turn tinned and jarred food into a spectacular MasterChef-worthy dish.With one contestant going home, there's everything to play for as only seven will stay in the race for the 2023 title.

The MasterChef semi-finals continue with just seven outstanding amateurs vying for the title.They will need to step outside their comfort zone as they take on a brand new brief – cooking a dish that is ‘so wrong that it's right'. A dish with ingredients that on paper shouldn't work, but that becomes an unlikely tasty treat. How far will they push themselves, and will their risks pay off? Those who deliver will earn the right to cook for a legendary chef. For two contestants, however, their MasterChef journey will be over.There is no rest for the best, as five head off to the Francis Crick Institute in central London. Home to 2,000 scientists, the institute is Europe's largest biomedical laboratory. It carries out groundbreaking research with the aim of helping to treat, diagnose and prevent human disease, including cancer, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.This year marks the 70th anniversary of the discovery of DNA, and the remaining five contenders are tasked with cooking a five-course celebratory lunch. They are working under the eye of acclaimed chef Jozef Youssef, who honed his craft in some of the world's greatest Michelin kitchens and who now works tirelessly with artists and scientists, devising dishes that create the ultimate multisensory experience in fine dining. The contestants embark on an experience like no other, as they are each tasked with recreating one of Josef's technically demanding recipes, pushing each of them to their limits.There is no room for error as prestigious guests include knights of the realm and a Nobel Peace Prize winner, meaning the semi-finalists will need to be at the top of their game.

Semi-finals week reaches its crescendo as the remaining five cooks go head-to-head, with just one challenge to overcome to win them a place in the coveted MasterChef finals.Imaginations run wild as the contestants' brief is to cook a dish that is both ‘theatrical and fantastical'. The hopefuls need to create a dish that pushes boundaries, playing with both mind and senses.At the end, judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace are faced with their toughest decision so far. Who has what it takes to go through to finals week and be in with a shot of becoming MasterChef Champion 2023?

It's finals week. Judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace have put 45 of the UK's most passionate and talented home cooks through their paces in the ultimate test of their culinary prowess as they search for one exceptional cook, worthy of being crowned MasterChef Champion 2023.The final four talented amateur cooks have given their all to get to this point in the competition. This week marks the last opportunity for them to prove their worth, as they are forced outside their comfort zone, requiring every last ounce of energy and skill. Only one will take the title, and for them, life will never be the same again.The finalists embark on the culinary adventure of a lifetime as they head to Istanbul, where they face three extraordinary challenges that they will remember for the rest of their lives.Their journey starts in a community garden in the historic village of Kuzguncuk. Split into teams of two, each pair will be tasked with cooking two well-known local dishes, rooted in centuries of tradition, for local people. To help the finalists make sense of this unique multicultural cuisine, they will be mentored by one of Turkey's best-known chefs, Refika Birgül.Next, the finalists have the honour of working with chef Fatih Tutak at Turk, the only restaurant in Istanbul to have been awarded two Michelin stars.The four contestants work a busy lunch service and are tasked with recreating a dish from Fatih's celebrated tasting menu. These dishes represent the future of Turkish fine dining, where classic cuisine is re-imagined in spectacular fashion. Cooking at this level will require precision and a steady nerve as the final four try to impress Fatih by proving they have what it takes to hit his two-Michelin-star standard.The final four muster up some last reserves of energy as they head off to one of the city's most exclusive addresses, Pera House – home to the British Consulate General and the political centre of Turkish-British relations for over 200 years.Here the finalists face the daunting challenge of creating an exceptional lunch, hosted by the British Consul General himself- Kenan Poleo. The finalists will need to pull out all the stops if they are to impress the esteemed guests which include not only their Turkish mentors Fatih Tuta and Refika Birgül but also the three judges of MasterChef Istanbul.Inspired by their culinary adventure and showcasing the skills they have developed through their entire MasterChef journey, the finalists dishes must be truly exceptional for them to stand out and prove they have what it takes to be crowned MasterChef Champion 2023.

In the penultimate show of the series, the final four go head-to-head for the chance to take on one of the series' most iconic challenges – Chef's Table.Standing between them and a place in the final three is just one task – their interpretation of a classic dish. It's their last chance to bring together everything they have learned, let their creativity fly and prove to judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace that they are worthy of a place in the final. This high-pressure cook-off will be the end of the journey for one of the four finalists.The remaining three need their wits about them as they depart for central London for the dream chance to work at a restaurant unlike any other, the three-Michelin-starred Core, run by one of the most celebrated chefs in the world, Clare Smyth MBE, who cut her teeth with pioneers Gordon Ramsay and Alain Ducasse.Clare opened Core in 2017, and within three years had achieved the ultimate culinary accolade by delivering the finest British gastronomy, using humble ingredients rooted in nostalgia and giving her food an unmistakeable personal touch but with exceptional flair and skill.The three finalists have never faced anything like this before as they each take on one of Clare's most breathtaking creations for a special lunch for a select group of chefs who are all leaders in their field, including Sat Bains, Tom Kitchin, Jonny Lake and Nieves Barragán Mohacho.Can our three amateurs hold their nerve and reach a three-Michelin-star standard, or will the pressure to deliver be too intense?

After eight gruelling weeks of intense competition, the final three return to the MasterChef kitchen for the very last time as the search for the country's best amateur cook reaches its climax.Nothing short of exceptional will cut it. The finalists have one last chance to pull out all the stops, show everything they've learned along the way and in three hours demonstrate the kind of cook they have become. Tonight, they must produce the best three dishes of their lives, push their culinary boundaries and produce jaw-droppingly good food for the judges.To stand out, they must push themselves to the absolute limit and showcase their very best in what will be the biggest cook-off of their lives.It's now or never, as at the end only one will lift the trophy and become MasterChef Champion 2023.

This year the judges are mixing it up – introducing a whole new set of challenges the passionate amateurs must complete in order to progress in the competition.Each week for five weeks, nine home cooks cook for the judges. This year their first test is the Audition Round, in which they must cook their signature dish - one that tells John and Gregg who they are as a cook and how good they could become. John and Gregg don't watch the chefs in the kitchen. Instead, they taste each dish in the new MasterChef Tasting Room. After they have tasted all nine dishes, the best three dishes will be awarded a coveted MasterChef apron, securing their place in the competition.The remaining six contestants then get another chance to impress the judges and win themselves an apron. If they cooked a sweet dish in the first round, they must prepare a savoury dish now, or vice versa. This time, John and Gregg are in the kitchen witnessing their every move. The pressure is intense and the stakes are high as only four cooks can join the three already fast-tracked in the next round of challenges. For the other two, their MasterChef dream will be over.

The seven home cooks who made it through the first episode return to face two more challenges designed to gauge both their creativity and culinary repertoire. The first is the Market Challenge, in which each of the seven is tasked with inventing a dish on the spot from a market full of ingredients, including monkfish, quail and lamb. The pressure is on because at the end of this test one contestant will be sent home.The remaining six then face their most difficult assignment so far - cooking a dish to a brief set by one of the country's toughest food critics, Tom Parker Bowles. Tom tries to get their creative juices flowing by asking them to cook a dish inspired by their favourite holiday destinations.Only four cooks can go through to the quarter-final. Who can handle the pressure and show they have what it takes to move another step closer to being crowned MasterChef champion?

In the first quarter-final, this week's four most talented cooks return to fight for a place in the semi-finals. They must cook two courses that will excite not just John and Gregg, but also three previous MasterChef champions - Irini Tzortzoglou from 2019, Jane Devonshire from 2016 and Tim Anderson from 2011.With just two semi-final places up for grabs, the contenders need to show real flair and ambition to edge closer to the MasterChef 2022 trophy.

Nine home cooks arrive for the second week of heats.Their first test is the Audition Round. Each must cook a signature dish, which John and Gregg judge solely on taste. Their three favourite dishes earn a MasterChef apron and immunity from having to cook in the next round.The remaining six contestants then get another chance to impress the judges and win themselves a coveted apron. If they cooked a savoury dish in the first round, they must deliver a sweet one now, and vice versa. This time, John and Gregg are in the kitchen witnessing their every move. The pressure is intense and the stakes are high as only four cooks can join the three already fast-tracked to the next round. For two, their MasterChef dream will be over.

This week's seven best home cooks from the first round return to test their culinary wits and show judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace that they have the potential to be MasterChef champion 2022.Tonight's first task is the Market Challenge, with the seven having to invent a dish on the spot using a marketful of ingredients, including whole mackerel, squid and pork tenderloin.The pressure is on to impress because at the end of this test one contestant will be sent home. The remaining six then face their most demanding assignment so far - cooking a dish to a brief set by one of the country's toughest food critics, Grace Dent. Grace has asked them to cook a dish centred around one of her favourite ingredients, the humble potato.In a competition where only the food matters, and with just four places up for grabs, these amateurs will need to be good to make it through to the quarter-finals.

It's the second quarter-final, and this week's most talented four cooks return to fight for two places in the semi-finals. To get there, they face just one intense challenge - cooking two courses that will excite not just John and Gregg but the three finalists from 2021, Alexina Anatole, Mike Tomkins and champion Tom Rhodes.

It's the third week of heats, and nine home cooks arrive with both their dreams and ingredients ready for their first test, the Audition Round. This year's auditionees come from all over the UK and must start by cooking a signature dish that shows John and Gregg who they are as a cook and how good they could become.John and Gregg don't witness them cook in the MasterChef kitchen. Instead, they taste each dish in the new Tasting Room. Just like diners in a restaurant, they judge each contestant's food solely on the plate that is put in front of them. After tasting all nine plates, John and Gregg pick their three favourite dishes, awarding those cooks a MasterChef apron and immunity from cooking in the next round.For the remaining six contestants, there is another chance to impress the judges and win themselves a coveted apron. If they cooked a savoury dish in the first round, they must deliver a sweet dish now, or vice versa. This time, John and Gregg are in the kitchen witnessing their every move. The pressure is intense and the stakes are high as only four cooks can join the three already fast-tracked in the next round of challenges. For two, their MasterChef dream will be over.

This week's seven remaining home cooks return to try to prove to judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace that they have the potential to be MasterChef champion 2022.Tonight, the contestants face two more challenges that are designed to gauge both their creativity and culinary repertoire. The first is the Market Challenge, where the seven must invent a dish on the spot for judges John and Gregg from a market full of ingredients including poussin, clams and whole bream. At the end of this test, one contestant is sent home.The remaining six take on their most demanding assignment so far - cooking a dish to a brief set by one of the country's toughest food critics, Jimi Famurewa. Jimi has asked them to cook a dish with an interactive, playful or theatrical element to surprise and delight him and the judges.At the end of this episode, only four contestants can go through to this week's quarter-final. Who can handle the pressure and show they have what it takes to progress further in the competition?

It's the third quarter-final, and this week's four most talented cooks return to fight for a place in the semi-finals. Tonight, they face just one intense challenge: to cook two courses that will excite not just John and Gregg, but also MasterChef champions Simon Wood (2015), Ping Coombes (2014) and Shelina Permalloo (2012).With just two semi-final places up for grabs, the contenders need to show real flair and ambition to edge closer to the MasterChef 2022 trophy.

It's the fourth week of heats, and nine talented home cooks arrive with both their dreams and ingredients ready for their first test, the Audition Round. Each must prepare a signature dish that shows judges John and Gregg who they are as a cook and how good they could become.John and Gregg don't witness them cook in the MasterChef kitchen. Instead, they taste each dish in the new Tasting Room. Just like diners in a restaurant, they judge each contestant's food solely on the plate that is put in front of them. After tasting all nine plates, John and Gregg pick their three favourite dishes, awarding those cooks a MasterChef apron and immunity from cooking in the next round.The remaining six contestants then get another chance to impress the judges and win themselves a coveted apron. If they delivered a savoury dish in the first round, they must now prepare a sweet, or vice versa. This time, John and Gregg are in the kitchen witnessing their every move. The pressure is intense and the stakes are high as only four cooks can join the three already fast-tracked in the next round of challenges. For the other two, their MasterChef dream will be over.

The seven best home cooks from this week's first round return to test their culinary wits and try to prove to judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace that they have the potential to be MasterChef champion 2022.Tonight, the contestants face two challenges that are designed to gauge both their creativity and culinary repertoire. The first is the Market Challenge, where the seven must invent a dish on the spot for judges John and Gregg from a market full of ingredients including chicken thighs, rack of venison and whole John Dory. The pressure is on to impress because at the end of this test one contestant will be sent home.The remaining six then take on their most demanding assignment so far: cooking a dish to a brief set by one of the country's toughest food critics, Jay Rayner. Jay has asked them to cook a dish with one of the most versatile ingredients in the world, rice. Whether it be used in a savoury or sweet dish, it must be the star ingredient, not just an accompaniment.Just two places are up for grabs in this week's quarter-final, so the dishes must be flawless.

This week's four most talented cooks return for the fourth quarter-final, with two places in the semi-finals up for grabs. They face just one intense challenge: they must cook two courses that will excite not just John and Gregg, but also three former MasterChef champions - Thomas Frake, Dhruv Baker and Saliha Mahmood Ahmed.

It's the fifth and final week of heats, and the last nine home cooks arrive to face the Audition Round. They must cook their signature dish that will show judges John and Gregg who they are as a cook and how good they could become.John and Gregg don't witness them cook in the MasterChef kitchen. Instead, they taste each dish in the new Tasting Room. Just like diners in a restaurant, they judge each contestant's food solely on the plate that is put in front of them. After tasting all nine plates, John and Gregg pick their three favourite dishes, awarding those cooks a MasterChef apron and immunity from cooking in the next round.The remaining six contestants get another chance to impress the judges and win themselves a coveted apron. If they delivered a savoury dish in the first round, they must now cook a sweet dish, or vice versa. This time, John and Gregg are in the kitchen witnessing their every move. The pressure is intense and the stakes are high as only four cooks can join the three already fast-tracked in the next round. For the other two, their MasterChef dream will be over.

This week's seven best home cooks return to test their culinary wits and try to prove to judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace that they have the potential to be MasterChef champion 2022.Tonight's challenges are designed to gauge their creativity and culinary repertoire. The first is the Market Challenge, where they must invent a dish on the spot for judges John and Gregg from a market full of ingredients including Bavette steak, plaice and oysters. The pressure is on to impress because at the end of this test one contestant will be sent home.The remaining six then take on their most demanding assignment so far - cooking a dish to a brief set by one of the country's toughest food critics, William Sitwell. William has asked them to cook a dish inspired by a favourite ready-bought food item - sweet or savoury. The four who produce the best dishes will go through to this week's quarter-final. Who can handle the pressure and show they have what it takes to progress further in the competition?

In the last of the quarter-finals, this week's four most talented cooks face just one intense challenge. They must cook two courses that will excite not just John and Gregg but also three former MasterChef champions: Steven Wallis, Kenny Tutt and Thomasina Miers.With just two semi-final places up for grabs, they need to show real flair and ambition to edge closer to the MasterChef 2022 trophy.

To kick off semi-finals week, the ten remaining hopefuls are given their first taste of what it's like to work in a restaurant setting. MasterChef turns into a professional kitchen for the day, with judge John Torode running the pass. Tables are laid in the dining room and filled with 20 past MasterChef quarter-finalists, semi-finalists and finalists – all of whom have gone on to have full-time careers in the food industry since taking part in the competition.The semi-finalists must create a three-course menu that they would be proud to serve in their own restaurant or put in a cookbook. Split into three groups, three contestants must each cook their starter, four must each cook their main and the remaining three their dessert. With John running a tight ship, it's up to the teams to bring all their orders to the pass upon call of service. It's feedback from the dining room, however, that lays bare how the contestants cope with a service environment. They hope to receive rave reviews, but instead could fall behind the pack.At the end of this mammoth task, two contestants will be saying goodbye to their dream of becoming MasterChef champion, while the remaining eight continue to the next round.

The best eight remain semi-finalists take on a daunting Invention Test in which they must create a dish inspired by the chicken or the egg. The MasterChef market is open, and with a larder full of ingredients to choose from, they must create a dish worthy of being put through to the next round. Two contestants will be eliminated at the end of this task.The six survivors then travel to Middle Temple in central London, where a very special centenary event is taking place. The Royal British Legion is celebrating 100 years since the nation's collective remembrance traditions were first bought together and the organisation began its important work supporting serving and ex-serving personnel and their families. The poppy appeal, the two-minute silence, Armistice Day, the service for the unknown warrior and the march past at the Cenotaph are traditions that millions participate in every year. Under the supervision of Glynn Purnell, head chef of Michelin-starred Purnell's restaurant in Birmingham, the contestants are split into teams of two to deliver a three-course menu for a prestigious lunch celebrating over 20 war veterans and crucial fundraisers - all of whom have bravely served their country - so expectations are high.

The last semi-final challenge is a celebration of MasterChef's surprise musical fame. Ten years after MasterChef judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace were sampled on the hit single Buttery Biscuit Bass, this episode marks this momentous achievement by returning the favour. The final six contestants must prepare a dish that is inspired by that song and one of over 20 different food references within it. Savoury or sweet, it's up to the contestants to interpret the brief, and the dish must impress the judges enough to secure a place in finals week. At the end of this challenge, one contestant's MasterChef dreams will be dashed, while the other five move closer to becoming MasterChef champion.

Over centuries, chefs have created dishes in honour of great people that have inspired them, from the peach Melba to the beef Wellington. This year's five finalists must each create a dish inspired by a public figure or an artwork, film, song, TV series or book. This plate of food must tell a story, and the contestants must strive to make it as extraordinary as the inspiration behind it. At the end of this challenge, one of them will be eliminated from the competition.The second challenge takes the remaining four cooks to the Emerald Isle. Situated in the south west of Ireland, Ballymaloe House and Cookery School is where chefs from all over the world come to learn the philosophy put forth by the late, great patron of Irish cuisine, Myrtle Allen. Led by the school's renowned founders, Darina Allen and Rory O'Connell, the contestants get an incredible whirlwind education in local Irish produce and the ethos of ‘farm to table'. Then they must use everything they have learned to prepare a celebratory dinner for some of Ireland's finest food producers and food historians, and for relatives of Myrtle, all of whom are continuing her legacy.

In the penultimate episode, the four remaining contenders face a single cooking task to earn a place in the final three and an opportunity to take part in a challenge of a lifetime. They are asked to prepare their interpretation of a classic dish that will showcase their growing cooking talent to judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace. It's their last chance to bring together everything they have learned, to let their creativity fly and to prove they are worthy finalists. This high-pressure cook-off will be the end of the journey for one of the four finalists.For the three that remain, there is the dream chance to work with one of the world's greatest chefs in the toughest and most daunting challenge of the competition, the Chef's Table. This year, it's hosted at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in London, by Gordon Ramsay himself. It's a special anniversary for the restaurant as it celebrates 21 years of holding an incredible three Michelin stars. The three finalists must work harder than ever to deliver food of an exceptional standard and impress some of the best chefs in the country. Dining are members of Gordon Ramsay's original brigade who have gone on to achieve culinary fame themselves, including Clare Smyth and Paul Ainsworth, as well as his old mentor, former three-star Michelin legend Pierre Koffman. Gordon, along with his head chef Matt Abé, put the finalists through their paces as they try to master Restaurant Gordon Ramsay's classic dishes. Can these amateur cooks hold their nerve, or is the pressure to deliver too intense?

After an arduous seven-week journey, the search for the country's best amateur cook reaches its climax with the MasterChef final. The three finalists have to stretch themselves to their absolute limits and lay everything on the table one last time before John Torode and Gregg Wallace make the ultimate decision. The cooks' task is to produce the best three dishes of their lives, push their culinary boundaries in order to impress the judges. It's now or never for these exceptionally talented cooks, as only one of them can lift the trophy and become the 18th MasterChef champion.

In the first heat, five amateur cooks compete for two quarter-final places. This year's competition features a new round in which each cook must showcase their favourite ingredient.

Five amateur cooks compete in the second heat. To win a quarter-final place, they must impress judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace along with former champions Saliha Mahmood Ahmed and Kenny Tutt.

The four winners from the first week of heats return to compete in the first quarter-final. They are challenged by food critic Grace Dent to prepare a great British pudding.

Five more amateur cooks compete for places in the quarter-finals. In the first heat of the second week, they cook for former champions Irini Tzortzoglou and Jane Devonshire.

In the second heat of the second week, five more amateur cooks compete for places in the quarter-finals.

The week's four heat winners return for the quarter-final, chasing a place in knockout week. They face a Critic's Test set by one of the country's toughest food critics, William Sitwell.

Five more amateur cooks compete for places in the quarter-finals. In the first heat of the second week, they cook for former champions Shelina Permalloo and Mat Follas.

Five more amateur cooks compete for places in the quarter-finals. In the second heat of the second week, they cook for former champion Steven Wallis and 2006 finalist Dean Edwards.

It's the third quarter-final and the four talented heat winners return to fight for a place in the semi-final.

In the last week of heats, five more hopefuls try to impress judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace.

In the last of this year's heats, five contestants cook for judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace and two previous MasterChef champions.

In the last of this year's quarter-final, four talented heat winners return to fight for a semi-final place in the Critic's Test. The challenge is to cook a dish inspired by global street food, and it will be judged by one of the country's toughest food critics, Grace Dent.

Just ten chefs remain. Split into two groups of five, they now face the pressures of cooking in a professional kitchen for the first time. With guest judge Anna Haugh.

The second group of five semi-finalists experience the pressure of a professional kitchen for the first time. With guest judge Marcus Wareing.

It's the last challenge of the semi-finals, and the six remaining amateurs must cook-off in front of three esteemed food critics to win a coveted place in the finals.

For the first challenge of finals week, the five finalists cook a five-course lunch at the resplendent Plaisterers Hall in the City of London.

The final four amateur cooks interpret a classic dish of their choice before the best three face a Chef's Table challenge at Michel Roux Jr's acclaimed restaurant Le Gavroche.

It's the MasterChef final. After an arduous six-week journey, the search for the country's best amateur cook reaches its climax. The finalists have to push themselves to the limit one last time before judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace crown one of the three talented cooks the MasterChef champion 2021.Tonight, they must produce the best three dishes of their lives, push their culinary boundaries and produce jaw-droppingly impressive food for the judges.It's now or never for these exceptional amateur cooks, as only one of them can lift the trophy and become the 17th MasterChef champion.

John Torode and Gregg Wallace return with the cookery competition, as a new batch of contestants are put through gruelling culinary challenges to test not just their skills, but also their knowledge of food and ability to cope in a professional kitchen. This year they will have to cook not only for their place in the competition but also the right to wear a coveted MasterChef apron, with six contestants in each heat and only four aprons up for grabs, beginning by preparing their signature dish.

The next six amateurs try to prove themselves and impress judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace, presenting them with a dish of their own design. John and Gregg will pick their two favourites, and those cooks earn themselves a place in the next round. The four remaining contestants are now challenged to cook off in a new test - The Three Ingredients Challenge - conjuring up a dish using squid, courgette and chilli.

The first quarter-final sees the six talented heat winners return to fight for a place in Knockout Week. Facing the Critic's Test, the week's best-performing amateurs take on an intimidating task, cooking to a brief set by top food critic Jay Rayner, who asks them to produce an exceptional dish incorporating stuffing.

It's the second week of heats, with six more hopefuls getting their first chance to win an apron by cooking their signature dish.

The second week of heats continue with six more contestants vying to win an apron by cooking their signature dish.

It's the second quarter-final, with six heat winners returning to fight for a place in Knockout Week.

It's the third week of heats, with six more hopefuls getting their first chance to win an apron by cooking their signature dish.

The third week of heats continues with six more contestants vying to win an apron by cooking their signature dish.

It's the third quarter-final, with six heat winners returning to fight for a place in Knockout Week.

It's the fourth week of heats, with six more hopefuls getting their first chance to win an apron by cooking their signature dish.

The fourth week of heats continues with six more contestants vying to win an apron by cooking their signature dish.

It's the fourth quarter-final, with six heat winners returning to fight for a place in Knockout Week.

It's the fifth and final week of heats, with six more hopefuls getting their first chance to win an apron by cooking their signature dish.

The last group of contestants get their chance to win an apron by cooking their signature dish.

It's the last quarter-final, with six heat winners returning to fight for a place in Knockout Week.

After five weeks of fiercely competitive heats, 16 amateur cooks remain to battle it out in Knockout Week.

Knockout Week continues with the second group of eight amateur chefs put to the test.

On the final day of Knockout Week, the best ten amateur chefs remain - all of them desperate to reach the semi-finals.

The MasterChef semi-finals begin with a spectacular challenge as the contestants head to the Royal Navy base in Portsmouth.

The remaining seven contestants are surprised by a very special guest. Joining them in the MasterChef kitchen is one of the country's best chefs, Tom Kitchin.

The remaining five chefs tackle the last challenge of the semi-finals, cooking for four of the country's most feared restaurant critics.

It's finals week, and only four chefs remain. Tonight, they embark on a culinary adventure of a lifetime on the island of Mauritius.

The four finalists face a challenge set by the world's greatest pastry chef, Albert Adria.

It's the MasterChef final. After an arduous eight-week journey, the search for the country's best amateur cook reaches its climax.

In this first episode, the first seven hopefuls need to pull out all the stops to prove to judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace that they have the potential to rise above the rest to become MasterChef 2019 Champion.

Seven more amateur cooks try to prove to judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace that they have the potential to be the 2019 MasterChef Champion.

In this first quarter-final of the series, the six winners of the heats must impress food critic William Sitwell to keep their place in the competition.

It's the second week of heats and seven more hopefuls need to pull out all the stops to prove to judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace that they have potential.

The four remaining cooks must prepare an impressive menu before John and Gregg decide who has what it takes to go through to the quarter-final.

It's the quarter-final, and the six talented heat winners face a daunting test set by one of the country's toughest food critics, Grace Dent.

Seven more hopefuls pull out all the stops to prove to the judges they have what it takes as the third week of heats gets under way.

Seven more amateurs try to prove that they have what it takes in the hope of being put through to the quarter-final.

It is the quarter-final and the six heat winners continue to fight for their place.

It's the last week of heats and even cooks compete for a place in the quarter-finals.

In the final heat, the last group of seven amateur cooks try to impress the judges.

Six talented heat winners compete in the last quarter-final. Amol Rajan challenges them to prepare their version of a classic British afternoon tea.

After four weeks of heats, the amateur cooks have been whittled down to just 16. Now they come together for the first time to cook against each other across two shows.

Knockout week continues as the 16 remaining chefs continue their high-pressure cook-off.

Knockout week continues as the 16 remaining chefs continue their high-pressure cook-off.

Knockout week continues with 12 remaining chefs vying to become semi-finalists at the end of the week.

It's the end of knockout week and the competition has now been whittled down to ten extremely talented amateur cooks.

Last week, five contestants were guaranteed a semi-finals place. Now, the other five remaining cooks are going head-to-head to fight for their place alongside them in the semi-finals.Judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace are joined by renowned chef Alexis Gauthier, whose London restaurant now offers a completely plant-based menu. The five contestants are set a brief by Alexis to prep and cook one outstanding plant-based dish in just 90 minutes.

The nine remaining cooks battle it out in the semi-finals at Glyndebourne opera house in Sussex.

The MasterChef semi-finals continue with the remaining eight contestants challenged to create a dish inspired by someone they admire. After this challenge, one more cook will be leaving the competition while the others move on to a daunting challenge of cooking a three-course lunch at Grocers Hall, home to one of the oldest companies in the City of London. Then its back to the MasterChef kitchen for the last challenge of the semi-finals: to cook an outstanding dish to win over five of the country's most feared restaurant critics.

The final five head to the Royal Society in London. They have the immense task of cooking a five-course tasting menu to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Transglobe expedition.

The final four amateur cooks embark on a culinary adventure in Hong Kong where they will face three challenges, including recreating dim sum dishes at the Lung King Heen restaurant.

Raymond Blanc and his executive chef Gary Jones demonstrate one of the dishes on the menu of their Oxfordshire restaurant, which the contestants must then recreate.

The search for the show's 15th champion reaches its climax, as the remaining three amateur cooks produce the three courses they hope will secure them the title.

In this first episode, the first seven hopefuls try to impress judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace. This year sees the return of the MasterChef Market. The challenge is to invent and then cook one dish using anything from the market. This time the featured ingredients include beef mince, duck breasts, pancetta, cod and mussels. The cooks have an hour and ten minutes to prepare their food, and after tasting all seven dishes, John and Gregg decide which four cooks are good enough to stay, while three are sent home. The four remaining contestants must then cook two courses that will excite not just John and Gregg but also some very special guests - MasterChef 2017 finalists Steve Kielty and Giovanna Ryan and 2017 champion Saliha Mahmood-Ahmed. After the four hopefuls have cooked, John and Gregg decide which three contestants go through to Friday's quarter-final.

Seven more amateurs try to prove to judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace that they have the potential to be the 2018 MasterChef Champion. In this episode the MasterChef Market featured ingredients include lamb neck, lamb mince, chicken breast, clams and brown shrimp. The contestants have an hour and ten minutes to cook, after which John and Gregg decide which four cooks are good enough to stay, while three are sent straight home. The four remaining cooks now have one more challenge standing between them and a quarter-final place. They must cook an impressive menu that will excite not just John and Gregg but also some very special guests. In this heat, the contestants must attempt to impress the MasterChef finalists from 2010 - Alex Rushmer, Tim Kinnaird and champion Dhruv Baker. After the four hopefuls have cooked, John and Gregg decide who has what it takes to go through to Friday's quarter-final.

It is the first quarter-final of the series, and the six heat winners continue to fight for their place in the competition. In the Critic's Test, the contestants are put through the mill with a seriously daunting test set by critic William Sitwell. His challenge for the amateur cooks is to create a dessert showcasing either alcohol or spices. After cooking their dish based on this brief, the contestants stand before William and judges John and Gregg to hear what they think of their dish and whether they have managed to rise to the challenge and meet the expectations. At the end of this quarter-final, the best cooks go through to Knockout Week.

It's the second week of heats, and seven more hopefuls need to pull out all the stops to impress judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace. This year sees the return of the MasterChef Market, stocked full of the best-quality produce from across the world. The challenge is to invent and then cook one dish using anything from the market. The featured ingredients include venison, chicken, parma ham, sea bream and pollock, and the contestants have an hour and ten minutes to dazzle the judges. After tasting all seven dishes, John and Gregg decide which four cooks are good enough to stay, while three are sent home. The four remaining cooks must cook two courses that will excite not just John and Gregg but also some very special guests - 2015's MasterChef finalists Tony Rodd and Emma Spitzer and champion Simon Wood. After the four hopefuls have cooked, John and Gregg decide which three contestants deserve to take the next step in the competition and go through to Friday's quarter-final.

Seven more hopefuls try to impress judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace. This year sees the return of the MasterChef Market, stocked full of the best-quality produce from across the world. The challenge is to invent and then cook one dish using anything from the market. The featured ingredients include lamb rump, pork chops, pigeon, sea bass, turbot and langoustine, and the contestants have an hour and ten minutes to dazzle the judges. After tasting all seven dishes, John and Gregg decide which four cooks are good enough to stay, while three are sent home. The four remaining cooks must cook two courses that will excite not just John and Gregg but also the MasterChef champions from 2005, Thomasina Miers, and 2006, Steven Wallis, and finalist from 2006 Daksha Mistry. After the four hopefuls have cooked, John and Gregg decide which three contestants deserve to take the next step in the competition and go through to Friday's quarter-final.

It is the quarter-final, and the six contestants face the Critic's Test. This episode's brief has been set by Jay Rayner. His challenge for the amateur cooks is to make an exceptional pie - it can be any pie they like, sweet or savoury, but they must make their own pastry. After cooking their dish based on this brief, the contestants stand before Jay and judges John and Gregg to hear what they think of their dish and whether they've managed to rise to the challenge and fulfil the expectations. At the end of this quarter-final the best cooks go through to Knockout Week.

It's the third week of heats and seven more hopefuls need to pull out all the stops to prove to judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace that they have the potential to rise above the rest. This year sees the return of the MasterChef Market, full of quality produce from across the world including meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, nuts, pulses, grains and dairy. The challenge is to invent and cook one dish using anything from the Market. This time, the featured ingredients include chicken thighs, chorizo, crab, sea trout and prawns. They have an hour and 10 minutes to dazzle the judges and prove they are good enough to stay. The stakes are high and it's important to choose wisely because after tasting all seven dishes, John and Gregg will decide which four cooks will stay, while three cooks will be sent home. The four remaining cooks will have one more challenge standing between them and a quarter-final place.

In this episode, seven more amateurs try to prove to judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace that they have the potential to be the 2018 MasterChef Champion. This time, the featured ingredients in the MasterChef market include poussin, beef cheeks, pork mince, mackerel and tiger prawns. They have an hour and 10 minutes to dazzle the judges and prove they are good enough to stay in the competition. The stakes are high and it's important to choose wisely because after tasting all seven dishes, John and Gregg will decide which four cooks are good enough to stay, while three cooks will be sent straight home.

It's the quarter-final and the six heat winners continue to fight for their place in the competition. In the Critic's Test, the week's best amateurs will be put through the mill with a seriously daunting test set by one of the country's toughest food critics. Tonight's brief has been set by Grace Dent. Her challenge for the amateur cooks is to make their best comfort food dish - something Grace would want to eat on her day off. After cooking their dish based on this brief, the contestants stand before Grace Dent and judges John and Gregg, to hear, face-to-face, what they think of their dish and whether they've managed to rise to the challenge and fulfil the expectations. At the end of this quarter-final, the best cooks will go through to Knockout Week.

It's the last week of heats and seven more hopefuls need to pull out all the stops to prove to judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace that they have the potential to rise above the rest to become MasterChef 2018 Champion. Their first challenge is to invent and then cook one dish using anything from the market. This time, the featured ingredients include quail, chorizo, bone marrow, cod and squid. After tasting all seven dishes, John and Gregg decide which four cooks are good enough to stay. The four remaining cooks now have one more challenge standing between them and a quarter-final place. They must cook two courses that will excite not just John and Gregg, but also some of MasterChef's most inspiring winners and finalists, who return to judge the food of this year's new contenders to the throne. After the four hopefuls have cooked, John and Gregg will decide which three contestants deserve to take the next step in the competition and go through to Friday's quarter-final.

In this heat, the last group of seven amateur cooks try to prove to judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace that they have the potential to be the 2018 MasterChef Champion. This year sees the return of the MasterChef Market, stocked full of the best quality produce from across the world including meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, nuts, pulses, grains and dairy. The featured ingredients include lamb lion, chicken thighs, scallops, salmon fillets and prawns. The stakes are high in this round and it is important to choose wisely because after tasting all seven dishes, John and Gregg will decide which four cooks are good enough to stay, while three cooks will be sent straight home. The four remaining cooks now have to cook an impressive menu for MasterChef champion Ping Coombes and 2011 finalists, Tom Whittaker and Jackie Kearney. John and Gregg then decide who has what it takes to go through to Friday's quarter-final.

It's the last quarter-final and the six talented heat winners have no time to rest on their laurels as they continue to fight for their place in the competition. In the Critic's Test, the week's best amateurs will be put through the mill with a seriously daunting test set by one of the country's toughest food critics. Tonight's brief has been set by Amol Rajan. His challenge for the amateur cooks is to make their own interpretation of the British classic, a full English breakfast. After cooking their dish based on this brief, the contestants stand before Amol and judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace to hear, face-to-face, what they think of their dish and whether they have managed to rise to the challenge and fulfil the expectations. At the end of this quarter-final, the best cooks will go through to Knockout Week, taking another step closer to being crowned MasterChef Champion 2018.

After four weeks of fierce competition in the heats, 56 amateur cooks have been whittled down to just 16. Now these talented cooks come together to cook off against each other across two shows. In this episode the amateurs are split into two groups - the blue group and the red group - with eight cooks in each. Both groups face a cook-off based on a brief given by John and Gregg. Their challenge is to create one dish inspired by a personal or family-favourite recipe. After cooking, John and Gregg decide who is good enough to continue in the competition. The blue group are the first to cook. In one hour and 30 minutes they must hold their nerve to deliver a dish that stands out from the crowd and prove to the judges that they have a future in the competition. However, they won't find out their fate just yet, as they have to wait until the red group have cooked before John and Gregg choose who stays and who goes.

Knockout Week continues, as the best 16 amateur chefs continue to battle it out in a high-pressured cook-off. With the blue group having already cooked, it is now the turn of the red group to face the same daunting challenge set by John and Gregg. Their brief is to create one dish inspired by a personal or family-favourite recipe. In one hour and 30 mins, they must hold their nerve to deliver a dish that stands out from the crowd and prove to the judges that they have a future in the competition. John and Gregg must then make a difficult decision as they choose who has what it takes to continue in the competition and whose MasterChef journey is about to end. Who will crumble under the pressure and who will prove they have what it takes to take another precious step towards being crowned MasterChef champion 2018?

Over the next two nights the remaining twelve contestants are split into two groups and get their first taste of a professional kitchen when they have to run an entire lunchtime service. In this episode the first group head to Eneko in Covent Garden, London. This is Spanish chef Eneko Atxa's second restaurant and specialises in Basque cuisine. During a busy lunch service, the six amateur cooks are entirely responsible for serving the restaurant's menu to paying customers. Then it is back to MasterChef HQ for an invention test for John and Gregg. The contestants also discover that they must also impress renowned fish chef and two Michelin-starred Nathan Outlaw, who has picked his favourite ingredients which the contestants must cook with. After this challenge, one of them is sent home. Only the best five make it through to Friday's challenge - the gateway to the semi-finals.

The second group of amateurs get their first taste of professional cooking. They are heading to Sartoria in London's Mayfair, run by renowned Italian chef patron Francesco Mazzei. The six contestants are responsible for serving up every dish on the menu to paying customers during a packed lunch service. Then it is back to MasterChef HQ for an invention test for John and Gregg. In a last-chance bid to stay in the competition, each cook has to show they have learned from their experience and can create a unique and outstanding dish worthy of gracing the table of a restaurant. Guest judge two Michelin-starred Nathan Outlaw returns to help John and Gregg evaluate the six amateur cooks' dishes After this challenge, one of the contestants is sent home.

It is the end of Knockout Week and there are just nine amateur cooks remaining. At MasterChef HQ, they have only one challenge - cook one dish to win over the judges and secure a semi-final place. They have 90 minutes to create their masterpiece. The best three cooks become semi-finalists, while the other six will have to fight it out again to earn their place.

With three contestants already through to the semi-finals, the best six remaining cooks go head to head to fight for their place alongside them. Judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace are joined by renowned chef Theo Randall, who sets the competitors a brief to create one outstanding dish inspired by Italian cuisine, with just 90 minutes to prep and cook it. Only five of the cooks will keep their place and join the other three semi-finalists.

The eight remaining cooks head to RAF Halton in Aylesbury to celebrate 100 years of the RAF's formation. They are split into two teams of four and face the challenge of running their own kitchens to create two main courses and a dessert to feed 120 veterans, serving airmen and new recruits for a special lunch that celebrates the centenary. With less than four hours to deliver, organisation and teamwork are essential for success. After judging their food, John and Gregg pick the weakest team to return to the MasterChef kitchen, where they cook-off against each other in a special Invention Test, using leftover produce from the previous challenge.

The remaining semi-finalists are tasked with the challenge of cooking a three-course fish lunch to celebrate 100 years of women's right to vote. John Torode oversees the kitchen as the amateurs face a high-pressured lunchtime service. The VIP diners include Dr Helen Pankhurst, great-granddaughter of Emmeline Pankhurst - leader of the suffragette movement, Baroness Hale, president of the Supreme Court, former BBC chief news correspondent Kate Adie, broadcaster Dame Jenni Murray, space scientist Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock and journalist Kirsty Wark, as well as leading female chefs and restaurateurs. Once service is complete they return to the MasterChef kitchen, where all seven cooks are challenged with creating one plate of food inspired by someone they admire. With two hours to perfect their dishes, the chefs must go all out to impress judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace, before one of them is sent home.

The pressure is on for the remaining six amateurs as they are tasked with cooking a dish for three of the country's most-feared restaurant critics - Tracey MacLeod, Tom Parker Bowles and Fay Maschler, in order to secure a place in MasterChef final. At the end, judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace face the difficult decision of sending one of the contestants home.

It is Finals Week, and just five cooks remain. They travel to Carlton Towers in rural North Yorkshire, where they must cook a lunch for some of Yorkshire's finest local producers and farmers. The special lunch is overseen by one of the UK's most impressive young chefs, Tommy Banks. Tommy has devised an exceptional five-course tasting menu for the guests at Carlton Towers using the best local produce, and with just four hours to recreate his complex and beautiful dishes, the finalists face their biggest challenge yet. The finalists then return to the MasterChef kitchen, where they must create one dish inspired by a place they love, and they have two hours to showcase all they have learned. Their one dish needs to demonstrate to judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace that they have what it takes to go the distance. Will their flair, creativity and palate be enough to save them from being sent home? Who can make it through to the final four and keep their dream alive?

Finals Week continues, and just four cooks remain. Now they travel to Lima, capital of Peru, where they face three challenges. The first takes place in Lima's major fish market Chorillos, where, in teams of two, they must recreate four popular Peruvian dishes to serve to a group of local fishermen. To help the finalists make sense of this unfamiliar cuisine, they are mentored by one of Peru's most prolific and celebrated chefs, Gaston Acurio. Next, the amateurs work with chef Virgilio Martinez at his world-renowned restaurant Central. The four contestants work during a busy lunch service and are given three hours to each cook a dish from Virgilio's 17-course tasting menu. Finally, the finalists must create a special dinner at the Lima Country Club Hotel for Gaston, Virgilio and three other leading industry figures from the Peruvian food scene. The amateur cooks must draw on their experiences of Lima to create their own Peruvian-inspired dish and impress their guests.

It is the penultimate show, and the final four amateur cooks face the challenge of a lifetime cooking alongside internationally renowned chef Ashley Palmer-Watts. Regarded as a leading culinary innovator, Ashley has worked alongside one of Britain's most famous chefs, Heston Blumenthal for the last 18 years. As head chef at the three-Michelin-starred Fat Duck in Bray, Ashley helped create some of the world's most revered dishes before working with Heston to open London restaurant Dinner in 2011. Within months of opening, Dinner won a Michelin star and was awarded its second a year later. Each amateur cook has five hours to recreate an iconic dish from Ashley's menu at Dinner. Once the four finalists have prepared their complex dishes, they must serve them to Ashley and to judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace. Finally the four amateurs are tasked with creating one dish for John and Gregg that showcases their growing cooking talent. Only three can make it through to the final.

It is the MasterChef final. After an arduous seven-week journey, the search for the country's best amateur cook reaches its climax. The finalists have to push themselves to the limit for one last time before judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace crown one of the three talented cooks the champion. This is their final chance to pull out all the stops and show everything they have learned along the way, and in three hours demonstrate the kind of cook they have become. They must produce the best three dishes of their lives, push their culinary boundaries and produce jaw-droppingly good food for the judges. It's now or never for these exceptional amateur cooks as only one of them can lift the trophy and become the fourteenth MasterChef champion.

Out of the hundreds that auditioned, 64 amateur cooks are through to battle it out over four weeks of heats, producing some of the most inspiring, exceptional and unusual food ever seen on the series. The first eight hopefuls try to prove to judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace that they have the potential to be the 2017 MasterChef Champion. This year sees the introduction of the all new MasterChef market, which is stocked full of amazing produce. The first challenge is to invent and cook one dish using what's available in the market. They have an hour and twenty minutes to dazzle the judges and prove they are good enough to stay in the competition. After tasting all eight dishes, John and Gregg decide which five cooks are good enough to stay. The five remaining contestants must then cook two courses that will excite not just John and Gregg but also last year's MasterChef finalists. John and Gregg then decide which three contestants deserve to go through to the quarter-final.

Eight more amateurs try to prove to judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace that they have the potential to be the 2017 MasterChef Champion.

It is the first quarter-final of the series, and the six cooks face a seriously daunting test set by one of the country's toughest food critics. This episode's brief has been set by journalist and broadcaster Amol Rajan, and the contestants must cook either a savoury dish using Indian spices or a chocolate dessert with a playful twist. After cooking their dish, the contestants must stand before Amol Rajan, John and Gregg to hear what they think of their dish and how well they have kept to the brief. At the end of the quarter-final, the best cooks are put through to Knockout Week, taking another step closer to being crowned MasterChef Champion 2017.

In the second week of the heats, eight more hopefuls hope to impress judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace. The first challenge for the eight contestants is to invent and cook one dish using what is available to them in the MasterChef market, after which John and Gregg decide which five of the eight cooks are good enough to stay. With the aim of reaching the quarter-final, the five remaining cooks then prepare two courses for John, Gregg and three special guests, 2010 MasterChef finalists Alex Rushmer and Tim Kinnaird, and champion Dhruv Baker.

Eight more amateurs hope to impress judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace and book a place in the quarter-finals. Their first challenge is to invent and cook a dish using ingredients from the MasterChef market, after which John and Gregg decide which five cooks are good enough to stay. The remaining cooks then prepare two courses for not only John and Gregg, but also 2006 finalist Dean Edwards, 2014 champion Ping Coombes and 2005 champion Thomasina Miers.

In the second quarter-final of the series, the six cooks face a daunting test set by one of the country's toughest food critics. The brief has been set by food critic William Sitwell, and the contestants must cook either a savoury dish that has no meat or fish, or a tart dessert. After cooking their dish, the contestants must stand before William, John and Gregg to hear what they think of their dish and how well they have kept to the brief. At the end of the quarter-final, the best cooks are put through to Knockout Week, taking them another step closer to being crowned MasterChef Champion 2017.

Eight more hopefuls try to prove to judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace that they have the potential to be the 2017 MasterChef Champion. On offer in this episode's MasterChef market are chicken legs, quail and lamb rump, as well as prawns, salmon and mackerel. The cooks have one hour and twenty minutes to dazzle the judges and prove they are good enough to stay in the competition. Three cooks are sent home, and the five remaining ones now have one challenge standing between them and a quarter-final place. They have to cook two courses for John and Gregg, as well as 2011 MasterChef finalists Sara Danesin and Jackie Kearney and champion Tim Anderson. After the five hopefuls have cooked, John and Gregg decide which three will go through to the quarter-final.

Eight more hopefuls try to prove to judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace that they have the potential to be the 2017 MasterChef Champion. On offer in this episode's MasterChef market are chicken wings, quail, pancetta, brown shrimp, salmon and haddock. The cooks have one hour and twenty minutes to dazzle the judges and prove they are good enough to stay in the competition. Three cooks are sent home, and the five remaining ones now have one challenge standing between them and a quarter-final place. They have to cook two courses for John and Gregg, as well as 2013 finalists Saira Hamilton and Larkin Cen and champion Natalie Coleman. After the five hopefuls have cooked, John and Gregg decide which three will go through to the quarter-final.

It is the quarter-final, and the six cooks continue to fight for their place in the competition as they face a test set by restaurant critic Tracey Macleod. Her challenge is to make an exceptional dish, choosing from one of two briefs she has given them. The contestants must either cook a savoury dish that showcases rice or a dessert with almonds. After cooking their dish, they hear what the judges think of their food and how well they have kept to the brief.

A new set of contestants face the MasterChef challenges and must impress previous champions Peter Bayless, James Nathan and Mat Follas.

Eight more hopefuls try to prove themselves. On offer in the MasterChef market are venison, lamb mince, kidneys, scallops and langoustines.

It is the last quarter-final, and the six cooks continue to fight for their place in the competition as they face a test set by restaurant critic Jay Rayner.

There are now 14 cooks remaining, and they come together for the first time to cook off against each other across two shows. The contestants are split into two groups - the red group and the blue group - with seven cooks in each. Each set faces a daunting cook-off based on a brief given by John and Gregg. Their challenge is to create one dish inspired by a family favourite or food from their childhood. Once both groups have finished cooking, John and Gregg decide who is good enough to continue in the competition. The blue group are the first to cook. In one hour and thirty minutes, they must deliver one dish that stands out from the crowd and proves to the judges that they have a future in the competition. However, they won't find out their fate just yet, as they have to wait until the other group have cooked before John and Gregg choose who stays and who goes.

The 14 remaining cooks continue to compete against one another. With the blue group having finished cooking, it is now the turn of the red group to face the same daunting challenge set by John and Gregg. Their brief is to create one dish inspired by a family favourite or food from their childhood. In one hour and thirty minutes they must deliver one dish that stands out from the crowd and proves to the judges that they have a future in the competition. John and Gregg must then make a difficult decision as they choose who has what it takes to continue in the competition and whose MasterChef journey is about to end.

The remaining 12 contestants are split into two groups and get their first taste of professional cooking when they have to run an entire lunchtime service on their own. In this episode the first group head to Ormer Mayfair, a London restaurant headed up by award-winning chef Shaun Rankin. During a busy service, the six amateurs are responsible for serving up every dish on the menu to paying customers. It is then back to MasterChef HQ for an invention test to show John and Gregg what they have learnt. Each contestant has to show they can invent an exceptional dish that is worthy of gracing the table of a professional restaurant. As well as presenting their food to John and Gregg, the contestants must also impress a guest judge, renowned Michelin-starred chef Tom Kitchin. After this, one of the cooks is sent home.

The second group of contestants get their first taste of professional cooking. They are heading to Roux at Parliament Square, Michel Roux Jr's second restaurant, run by 2009 MasterChef: The Professionals champion Steve Groves. The contestants are responsible for serving up every dish on the menu for a busy lunch service. It is then back to the MasterChef kitchen for an invention test to show John and Gregg what they have learnt. Each contestant must demonstrate they can invent a dish from scratch that looks and tastes exceptional and is worthy of gracing the table of a restaurant. Michelin-starred chef Tom Kitchin returns to help John and Gregg assess the six cooks. After this, one of them is sent home.

The ten remaining amateur cooks only face one challenge in this episode. They must cook one dish to completely wow the judges and secure their semi-final place. They have one and a half hours to create their masterpiece, and nine of them will make it through.

It is the first semi-final, and the nine remaining contestants must cook a dish which showcases their favourite ingredient. Afterwards, one will be going home.

The semi-finals continue as the eight remaining cooks head to the BBC studios at Elstree, home to TV drama Holby City. The contestants are split into two teams of four and face the challenge of running their own kitchens in two specially constructed catering tents. Each team must create two main courses and a dessert to feed 120 members of the cast and crew. With less than four hours to deliver the food, organisation and teamwork is essential for success. It is vital the two teams perform at their absolute best and produce a lunch worthy of the occasion, because after judging their food, John and Gregg pick the weakest team to return to the MasterChef kitchen, where they must cook off against each other in a special invention test. The contestants must create a stunning dish from the leftover produce from the previous challenge, which includes duck carcasses, halibut scraps, vegetables, fruit, and cheeses. One more contestant is then sent home.

The contestants are tasked with cooking a three-course fish lunch for some of the country's biggest fish experts. Starting at 4am at Billingsgate Fish Market, they must first source their ingredients before moving on to Fishmongers' Hall, the prestigious headquarters of the Fishmongers' Company, where they take full control of the kitchens. John Torode oversees the kitchen as the amateurs face a high-pressure lunchtime service. The contestants must each serve one dish of their own creation on the specially designed menu, and the two chefs who cook the most popular dishes will be exempt from the next cook-off. Back at the MasterChef kitchen, the MasterChef market reopens as the five chefs cook against each other in a bid to stay in the competition, and this time there is no meat or fish. They have one hour and fifteen minutes to create one dish to keep themselves in the competition.

It is the last of semi-finals, and the remaining six amateurs attempt to win a place in the MasterChef finals. To win their place in the final five they must cook an outstanding dish for four of the country's most feared restaurant critics - Amol Rajan, Tracey MacLeod, Jay Rayner and William Sitwell. At the end, John Torode and Gregg Wallace decide who to take through to finals week.

It is the final week of MasterChef 2017, and the remaining five amateur cooks travel to Winfield House, the official residence of the American ambassador to the United Kingdom. They have the immense task of cooking for him and his five guests, who include author and journalist Rachel Johnson, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales and Jeremy King, creator of iconic restaurants The Ivy and The Wolseley. The dinner is overseen by Paul Ainsworth. He has designed a five-course menu for the guests with an American theme, and with just four hours to replicate his complex dishes, the amateurs are challenged like never before. Back at the MasterChef kitchen, the finalists are then challenged to demonstrate everything they've learnt and create a dish inspired by something personal in their lives that shows imagination, flair and creativity. Who can make it through to the final four and keep their dream alive of winning MasterChef 2017?

The final four amateur cooks embark on a culinary adventure to South Africa, where they face three extraordinary challenges, guided by two of South Africa's acclaimed chefs. Their first task is to cook a traditional South African 'braai' using ingredients and cooking methods alien to them in the sizzling 40-degree heat. They are mentored by chef Reuben Riffel, who also devises with the menu. Next, the amateurs have the honour of working with British-born chef Luke Dale Roberts. The four contestants take over lunch service his restaurant, The Test Kitchen. There is no room for error as Luke';s expectations are sky high. Their third challenge sees the finalists creating an exceptional dinner at the Beau Constantia Winery, inspired by their South African culinary adventure and showcasing the skills they have developed. The dishes must be exceptional for them to stand out and prove they have what it takes to be crowned MasterChef Champion 2017.

In the penultimate show, the final three amateur cooks face the most terrifying challenge yet, The Chef's Table, mentored by chef Sat Bains. To fight for their place at The Chef's Table, John Torode and Gregg Wallace challenge the amateurs to cook a classic dish with their stamp on it. The final contestants then face the ultimate challenge. Sat has designed an exquisite three-course menu for lunch and each contestant will be responsible for one of his signature dishes. The dishes require complex techniques, precision cooking and an impeccable palate. To add to the pressure, the guests are a table of the country's finest chefs and the amateur's mentors throughout the competition. Emotions run high as no one wants to let Sat or the table of esteemed chefs down. For the final three, it's their last chance before the final to prove they have what it takes to lift the MasterChef trophy.

After a formidable seven-week competition, the search for the country's best amateur cook reaches its climax. The finalists have to push themselves to the limit for one last time before judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace crown one of the three highly-talented amateur cooks the champion. In three hours, they must produce three exceptional courses, push the culinary boundaries and give the judges an awe-inspiring tasting like never before. It is a night packed with culinary highlights as one of the three amateur cooks lifts the trophy and becomes the 13th MasterChef champion.

It's the last week of the heats and the final group of amateurs battle for a place in the quarter final. Firstly they are asked to cook their Calling Card, a dish that represents who they are as a cook. John and Gregg each pick their favourite dish and two lucky cooks will go through to the second test. The remaining three contestants must decide whether to create a savoury dish using trout as the main ingredient or a sweet dish using blackberries as the central ingredient. They have one hour to create a dish that will earn them a place in the next round. One chef will be sent home. The four remaining cooks now have to cook two courses that will excite not just John and Gregg, but also some of MasterChef's most inspiring winners and finalists, who return to judge the food of this year's new contenders. John and Gregg will then decide which three contestants deserve to go through to Friday's quarter final.

It's the last week of the heats and the final group of amateurs battle for a place in the quarter final. Firstly they are asked to cook their Calling Card, a dish that represents who they are as a cook. John and Gregg each pick their favourite dish and two lucky cooks will go through to the second test. The remaining three contestants must decide whether to create a savoury dish using lamb rump as the main ingredient or a sweet dish using mango as the central ingredient. They have one hour to create a dish that will earn them a place in the next round. One chef will be sent home. The four remaining cooks now have to cook two courses that will excite not just John and Gregg, but also some of MasterChef's most inspiring winners and finalists, who return to judge the food of this year's new contenders. John and Gregg will then decide which three contestants deserve to go through to Friday's quarter final.

It's the last quarter-final of the heats and the six talented heat winners have no time to rest on their laurels as they continue to fight for their place in the competition - and a place in knockout week. The week's best amateurs will be put through the mill with a seriously daunting test set by one of the country's toughest food critics. Tonight's brief has been set by Jay Rayner. His challenge is for the amateur cooks to make an exceptional dish centered on one ingredient - duck breast. After cooking their dish based on this brief, the contestants must stand before Jay Rayner and John and Gregg, and hear what they think of their dish and how well they have kept to the brief. At the end of tonight's quarter-final, the best cooks will go through to knockout week, taking another step closer to being crowned MasterChef Champion 2016.

After four weeks of fierce competition only the 14 best cooks remain, and the battle is on as they come together for the first time and cook off against each other across two shows. The amateurs are split into two groups - the red team and the blue team - with seven cooks in each. Each set of contestants faces a daunting cook-off based on a brief given by John and Gregg. Their challenge is to create one dish inspired by a family favourite or food from their childhood. Once both groups have finished cooking, John and Gregg decide who is good enough to continue in the competition. The red team are the first to cook. In one hour and 30 mins, they must deliver just one dish that stands out from the crowd and proves to the judges that they have a future in the competition. However, they won't find out their fate just yet, as they'll have to wait until the blue team have cooked before John and Gregg will choose who stays and who goes.

Knockout Week continues, as the 14 best amateur chefs continue to battle it out in a high pressured cook-off. With the red team already having cooked, it is now the turn of the blue team to face the same daunting challenge set by John and Gregg. Their brief is to create one dish inspired by a family favourite or food from their childhood. In one hour and 30 mins, they must deliver just one dish that stands out from the crowd, and proves to the judges that they have a future in the competition. John and Gregg must now make a difficult decision as they choose who has what it takes to continue in the competition and whose MasterChef journey is about to end. Who will crumble under the pressure and who will prove they have what it takes to take another precious step towards being crowned MasterChef Champion 2016?

Knockout Week continues, with the eleven remaining contestants facing a baptism of fire as they are split into two groups and tasked with running a professional lunchtime service on their own. In this episode, the first group heads to a London restaurant headed up by award-winning chef Stevie Parle. During a busy service, the five amateurs are responsible for serving up every dish on the menu to paying customers. Then it's back to MasterChef HQ for an Invention Test to show John and Gregg just what they have learnt. In a last-chance bid to stay in this year's competition, each contestant has to show they can invent an exceptional dish that is worthy of gracing the table of a professional restaurant. In an unexpected twist, the contestants discover that they not only have to present their food to John and Gregg, but also a guest judge who will be helping John and Gregg evaluate the five amateurs - the formidable Professional MasterChef judge, two Michelin-starred Marcus Wareing.

Knockout Week continues, as the second group of amateurs get their first taste of professional cooking. They head to an award-winning modern Italian restaurant run by head chef Antonio Favuzzi. The contestants are responsible for serving up every dish on the menu for a busy lunch service. Afterwards, it's back to the MasterChef kitchen for an Invention Test to show John and Gregg just what they have learnt. In a last chance bid to stay in this year's competition, each amateur chef must demonstrate they can invent a dish from scratch that looks and tastes exceptional and is worthy of gracing the table of a professional restaurant. In an unexpected twist, the formidable Professional MasterChef judge, two Michelin-starred Marcus Wareing returns to help John and Gregg assess the six amateurs. After this, one of them will be going home. Who will crumble under the pressure and who will make it through to Friday's challenge - the gateway to this year's semi-finals?

Just nine amateur cooks remain as Knockout Week comes to a close, all of whom are desperate to reach the semi-finals. In this episode they have only one challenge: to cook one superb showstopper dish to wow the judges and secure their semi-final place. They have one and a half hours to create their masterpieces, and failure is not an option. Only the eight best amateurs will become semi-finalists, inching closer to being crowned MasterChef Champion 2016. For one more hopeful, the MasterChef dream will be over.

Forty amateur cooks have been whittled down to the most promising eight. It's the first of the semi-finals, and the eight best cooks come together to battle in a team challenge, the Relay Invention Test. Split into two teams of four, both groups must create two dishes between them; a main course based on lamb, and a dessert using pear as the main ingredient. Each team member has just 20 minutes to make their contribution to the dish, and they must do so without communicating with one another. It's vital the team leaves clues for each other, as each cook needs to decipher what the dish is supposed to be through the hints left behind.

The eight remaining best cooks in the competition head to the biggest naval base in Western Europe to embark on a special mission to serve lunch to members of the Royal Navy on board one of its longest serving ships, anti-submarine frigate HMS Northumberland. The semi-finalists face the enormous challenge of running their own kitchens in two specially constructed catering tents. Split into two teams of four, each team have to create two main courses and a dessert to feed 110 members of the ships company. After judging their food, John and Gregg pick the weakest team to return to the MasterChef kitchen, where they must cook-off against each other in a special Invention Test. One contestant goes home at the end.

As the semi-finals continue, seven remain in the competition, all fighting for a place in Finals Week. In this programme they have to pull out all the stops as they are tasked with the daunting challenge of cooking for some of the world's most celebrated restaurateurs. Travelling to London's fashionable Chelsea, the amateur chefs are thrown into service at the culinary landmark Bluebird where they take full control of its kitchens. The diners are all restaurateurs who are at the forefront of dining trends and have paved the way for culinary excellence, so their expectations are sky high. The contestants must each serve one dish of their own creation on the specially designed menu. The two chefs who cook the most popular dishes will be exempt from the next cook-off.

It's the last of the semi-finals and it's do or die for the best six amateurs. The contestants have just one challenge to win a place in the final five; to cook an outstanding dish to win-over four of the country's most feared restaurant critics - Charles Campion, Tracey MacLeod, Jay Rayner and William Sitwell. Serving food to these masters of the dining room is a daunting task for the most adept chefs, and these talented home cooks now have to put their skills and palates on the line.

It's the final week of MasterChef 2016, and the five remaining amateur cooks have an immense task ahead of them. In their first task, they have just four hours to cook a complex five-course dinner devised by trailblazing chef Michael O'Hare, which will then be served to five leading actresses of the stage and screen. Back at the MasterChef kitchen, the finalists are challenged to demonstrate everything they have learnt and create a dish inspired by something personal in their lives, showing imagination, flair and creativity. As the final five becomes the final four, the amateurs must push themselves to the limit to impress judges John and Greg.

Finals week continues as the final four talented amateur cooks embark on a culinary odyssey to Mexico, where they face three extraordinary challenges. The finalists are tasked with setting up a food stall in the heart of the market in Mexico City, using ingredients, cooking methods and equipment that are totally alien to them. Next, the amateurs have the honour of taking over lunch service at Pujol, a restaurant renowned for being the best in the country. Finally, the amateurs have the daunting challenge of creating an exceptional dinner at the British Embassy for some of the leading figures in Mexico's cultural and food communities. Inspired by their Mexican culinary adventure, and showcasing the skills they've developed through their entire MasterChef journey, the final four's dishes must be truly exceptional for them to stand out and prove they have what it takes to be crowned MasterChef champion.

The final amateur cooks face their most iconic and terrifying challenge yet - The Chef's Table. The contestants must cook a three-course menu designed by culinary talent Daniel Humm, which they will serve to a table of the country's finest chefs. Only three of the remaining four amateurs will be able to take part, and the contestants are challenged to cook a classic dish with their stamp on it to win their place. Failure to impress means being sent home, and for the remaining cooks, a mammoth task lies ahead. With the final just around the corner, it's their last chance to prove they have what it takes to lift the MasterChef trophy.

It's the MasterChef final. After a formidable seven-week competition, the search for the country's best amateur cook reaches its climax. The finalists must push themselves to the limit one last time before John Torode and Gregg Wallace crowns one of the three highly talented cooks as the champion. In this final challenge, the finalists must pull out all the stops, show everything they have learned, and demonstrate what sort of cook they have become. They have three hours to produce three exceptional courses, push the culinary boundaries and give the judges an awe-inspiring tasting like never before. At the end of the challenge, one of the finalists will lift the trophy and become the 12th MasterChef champion.