MasterChef - Episode Guide

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

Five former champions return to the kitchen to compete for the ultimate prize. They are set a challenge by singer and Table Manners podcast host Jessie Ware.