MasterChef UK is the revived British version of the competitive cooking reality show, MasterChef, produced by Endemol Shine UK and Banijay. The revival series has been broadcast by the BBC since 2005, originally titled MasterChef Goes Large, before being renamed to the original name MasterChef in 2008. Since 2005, the series featured a new format devised by Franc Roddam and John Silver, with Karen Ross producing.
The UK series currently appears in four versions: the main MasterChef series; Celebrity MasterChef; MasterChef: The Professionals, with working chefs; and Junior MasterChef, featuring children between the ages of nine and twelve. The format and style of the show have been reproduced around the world in various international versions.
From MasterChef Goes Large to present, the series has starred John Torode and Gregg Wallace as judges, with India Fisher narrating.
It was revealed in November 2024, that following allegations against Gregg Wallace, he has decided to temporarily step away from the show.[1]
Format[]
Since the original series back in 1990, the format has adapted, much like the series' international versions. Since 2008, each series is broadcast on five nights a week, running for eight weeks. During the first six weeks, the first four episodes of each week are "heats" and the fifth episode is a quarter-final. Six contestants enter each heat and the winner of the heat becomes a quarter-finalist. At the end of each week, the four quarter-finalists compete and a semi-finalist is chosen. After six weeks, the six semi-finalists compete during the final two weeks.
In 2010, the judges were given more flexibility, allowing them to advance more than one contestant to the quarter-finals or, in one instance, none at all. During Series 7, there was an audition-style setup, similar to the setup for MasterChef USA, where the hopeful chefs cooked in front of the judges to secure a spot in the competition. More than 20,000 people applied to audition for the series.
Heats[]
Despite many changes to the series format, the format for the heats has predominantly stayed the same. The heats have generally included a three-round format, with:
- Market Test: the contestants must invent a dish using ingredients from the show's market. They have 15 minutes to select ingredients and 1 hour and 10 minutes to cook the meal. Three contestants are eliminated from the competition and those remaining advance to the Impression Test (originally the Calling Card Test).
- Impression Test: the contestants must cook a two-course meal in 75 minutes for past winners and finalists of MasterChef. They are given one hour to serve the main course and 15 minutes afterwards to serve dessert. This segment was first featured in 2017.
- Calling Card Test: the contestants must invent a dish from scratch in 75 minutes (originally 40 minutes until 2009). The contestants can choose any ingredients they like.
- Invention Test: the contestants are given two boxes: one with sweet items and the other with savoury items. They must pick a box and make a dish using its ingredients within 75 minutes.
Quarter-Finals[]
The format of the quarter-finals has changed over the years. Before 2010, the format featured three rounds:
- Ingredients Test: the contestants were asked to identify a selection of ingredients or produce.
- Passion Test: the contestants each had one minute to convince the judges of their overwhelming passion for food.
After eliminating one contestant, the remaining three quarter-finalists each produced a three-course meal in 1 hour and 20 minutes.
In 2010, the quarter-final format was cut to two rounds:
- Choice Test: the contestants were given 15 minutes to cook their choice of either a pre-selected fish recipe or meat recipe with the judges supervising. At least one contestant was eliminated after this round.
The remaining quarter-finalists each produced a two-course meal in one hour.
The current quarter-final format consists of two rounds:
- Palate Test: Judge John Torode cooks a dish for the contestants, and they must identify the ingredients and try to recreate the dish using the ingredients available to them.
- Choice Test (revamp of pre-2010 segment): the contestants have 80 minutes to create a showstopping dish for the judges and an invited special celebrity food critic.
Comeback Week[]
From Series 2 to 6, Week 6 was considered a "Comeback Week", where contestants from previous series who failed to pass either the heats or quarter-finals were invited back. The format for the week was adjusted slightly to the previous weeks, including:
- Skill Test: the contestants have 25 minutes to cook one of two pre-selected recipes. Some contestants may be eliminated after this round.
- Palate Test: Torode cooks a complex dish and asks the contestants one by one to taste the dish and identify its ingredients. Some contestants may be eliminated after this round.
- Pressure Test: the contestants work a lunchtime shift at a busy restaurant under the supervision of a professional chef who comments on their performance.
The remaining contestants have one hour to cook a two-course meal. One contestant is selected to advance to the quarter-final. The comeback quarter-finalists then cook head-to-head in a larger version of the Invention Test, cooking one dish in an hour. One contestant is selected to advance to the semi-finals.
Celebrity MasterChef[]
Celebrity MasterChef was devised as a celebrity version of the originally revived series, MasterChef Goes Large. The show was screened on BBC One from 2006 to 2011. Originally, 24 celebrities participated in each series with three contestants per episode following the full MasterChef Goes Large tests.
Judges[]
| Starring | Seasons | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | |
| Gregg Wallace | Host & Judge | ||||||||||||||||||||
| John Torode | Host & Judge | ||||||||||||||||||||
| TBA | Host & Judge | ||||||||||||||||||||
Series Overview[]
Revived Series[]
| Series | Premiered | Ended | Episodes | Contestants | Winner | Finalists | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 February 2005 | 1 April 2005 | 34 | 96 | Thomasina Miers | Caroline Brewster | Mark Todd |
| 2 | 23 January 2006 | 17 March 2006 | 40 | 132 | Peter Bayless | Daksha Mistry | Dean Edwards |
| 3 | 22 January 2007 | 15 March 2007 | Steven Wallis | Ben Axford | Hannah Miles | ||
| 4 | 7 January 2008 | 28 February 2008 | 38 | James Nathan | Emily Ludolf | Jonny Stevenson | |
| 5 | 5 January 2009 | 26 February 2009 | 32 | Mat Follas | Andy Oliver | Chris Gates | |
| 6 | 18 February 2010 | 7 April 2010 | 24 | 136 | Dhruv Baker | Alex Rushmer | Tim Kinnaird |
| 7 | 16 February 2011 | 27 April 2011 | 15 | 20 | Tim Anderson | Sara Danesin Medio | Tom Whitaker |
| 8 | 17 January 2012 | 15 March 2012 | 24 | Shelina Permalloo | Andrew Kojima | Tom Rennolds | |
| 9 | 12 March 2013 | 2 May 2013 | 23 | 49 | Natalie Coleman | Dale Williams | Larkin Cen |
| 10 | 26 March 2014 | 16 May 2014 | 24 | 60 | Ping Coombes | Jack Lucas | Luke Owen |
| 11 | 10 March 2015 | 24 April 2015 | 40 | Simon Wood | Emma Spitzer | Tony Rodd | |
| 12 | 23 March 2016 | 6 May 2016 | 25 | Jane Devonshire | Billy Wright | Jack Layer | |
| 13 | 29 March 2017 | 12 May 2017 | 64 | Saliha Mahmood-Ahmed | Giovanna Ryan | Steve Kielty | |
| 14 | 26 February 2018 | 13 April 2018 | 56 | Kenny Tutt | David Crichton | Nawamin Pinpathomrat | |
| 15 | 11 February 2019 | 29 March 2019 | 24 | 55 | Irini Tzortzoglou | Delia Asser | Jilly McCord |
| 16 | 24 February 2020 | 17 April 2020 | 60 | Thomas Frake | David Rickett | Sandy Tang | |
| 17 | 1 March 2021 | 14 April 2021 | 18 | 40 | Tom Rhodes | Alexina Anatole | Mike Tomkins |
| 18 | 23 March 2022 | 5 May 2022 | 21 | 45 | Eddie Scott | Pookie Tredell | Radha Rü |
| 19 | 10 April 2023 | 1 June 2023 | 24 | Chariya Khattiyot | Anurag Aggarwal | Omar Foster | |
| 20 | 1 April 2024 | 23 May 2024 | 57 | Brin Pirathapan | Chris Willoughby | Louise MacLeod | |
| 21 | 2025 | 2025 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |