MasterChef (British TV Series)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''MasterChef'' is a British competitive cooking reality show produced by
Endemol Shine UK Banijay UK Productions Limited, trading as Banijay UK, is a British production company. Since 2020, the company has been a subsidiary of Banijay Entertainment. Banijay UK incorporates a number of production brands, including Artists Studio, Da ...
and
Banijay Banijay Entertainment S.A. (formerly Banijay Group and later Banijay) is a French multinational television production and distribution company which is the world's largest international content producer and distributor with over 130 production co ...
that is broadcast on the BBC. The show initially ran from 1990 to 2001 in its original format and was revived in 2005 as ''MasterChef Goes Large''. The revival featured a new format devised by
Franc Roddam Francis George Franc Roddam (born 29 April 1946) is an English film director, businessman, screenwriter, television producer and publisher, best known as the creator of ''Auf Wiedersehen, Pet'' and ''Masterchef'' and as the director of ''Quadrop ...
and John Silver, with Karen Ross producing. In 2008, the name was changed back to ''MasterChef'' but the format remained unchanged. The British series has appeared in five versions: the main ''MasterChef'' series; ''Celebrity MasterChef''; '' MasterChef: The Professionals'', with working chefs; ''
Junior MasterChef ''Junior MasterChef'' is a British TV cookery competition, broadcast by the BBC, in which nine to twelve-year-olds compete to be crowned "Junior MasterChef". It is a spin-off from the main British series of ''MasterChef''. ''Junior MasterChef'' ...
'', with children between the ages of nine and twelve; and '' Young MasterChef'' for those aged between 18 and 25. It is the originator of the ''MasterChef'' franchise that has been adapted and reproduced in 60 countries around the world in various localised versions. In July 2025, the BBC announced it would not renew the contracts of presenters
Gregg Wallace Gregg Allan Wallace (born 17 October 1964) is an English broadcaster, entrepreneur and writer. He is known for co-presenting ''MasterChef'', '' Celebrity MasterChef'' and '' MasterChef: The Professionals'' on BBC One and BBC Two. He has writte ...
and
John Torode John Douglas Torode (born 23 July 1965) is an Australian-British celebrity chef and TV presenter. He moved to the UK in the 1990s and began working at Conran Group's restaurants. After first appearing on television on ITV's ''This Morning ...
, following upheld complaints of sexual harassment and use of an offensive racial term respectively.


Original series

In the original series, amateur cooks competed for the title of ''Master Chef''. The show featured nine rounds leading up to three semifinals and a final. In each round, three contestants were tasked with preparing a gourmet three-course meal in under two hours. The contestants could choose the meal, although there was a price limit on ingredients. "Everyday" ingredients and equipment were provided, and contestants could also bring up to five "speciality" ingredients or utensils. The first incarnation of the series was presented by
Loyd Grossman Sir Loyd Daniel Gilman Grossman (born 16 September 1950) is an American-British author, broadcaster, musician, businessman and cultural campaigner who has mainly worked in the United Kingdom. He presented the BBC programme ''MasterChef (British T ...
, who was joined each week by a professional chef and a celebrity to act as judges. In each episode, Grossman and the guest judges discussed the menus, talked to the contestants, and finally ate and judged the food. The judges' "cogitations" originally took place off-camera, but later episodes included edited highlights of the discussions after the food had been tasted and before the winner was announced. In 1998, Grossman decided to take a
sabbatical A sabbatical (from the Hebrew: (i.e., Sabbath); in Latin ; Greek: ) is a rest or break from work; "an extended period of time intentionally spent on something that’s not your routine job." The concept of the sabbatical is based on the Bi ...
and the series was not made in his absence. He returned to present the 1999 series but left the show in 2000.


Grossman's departure and 2001 revamp

In 2001, the show underwent a makeover in response to declining ratings. It was moved from its traditional Sunday afternoon slot on
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...
to a Tuesday night slot on
BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matte ...
and the format of the show was modified. The celebrity judge was no longer included and the contestants had to cook two courses in 90 minutes, which was extended to two-and-a-half hours for three courses in the final episode. As an additional requirement, each contestant had to use the same key ingredient in each course. In October 2000, Grossman left in anger over the proposed changes and was replaced by chef
Gary Rhodes Gary Rhodes (22 April 1960 – 26 November 2019) was an English restaurateur and television chef, known for his love of English cuisine and ingredients and for his distinctive spiked hair style. He fronted shows such as ''MasterChef'', '' Mas ...
, who had previously presented ''
MasterChef USA ''MasterChef USA'' is an American competitive cooking show that aired on PBS from 2000 to 2001. The series was hosted by Gary Rhodes. The series format was based directly on BBC's ''MasterChef'', which used Rhodes as host during 2001. The sho ...
''. Rhodes' advice to contestants was more critical than Grossman's and the show was acclaimed for its more serious tone, which later inspired the ''MasterChef Goes Large'' format and other cooking competitions like ''
Hell's Kitchen Hell's Kitchen, also known as Clinton, or Midtown West on real estate listings, is a neighborhood on the West Side of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York. It is considered to be bordered by 34th Street (or 41st Street) to the south, ...
''. However, the new version of the show did not revive ratings as hoped and was cancelled by the BBC after the first series.


Revived series

In 2005, the executive producers Franc Roddam and John Silver, with the series producer Karen Ross, radically overhauled the show's format and introduced a new series. It was initially titled ''MasterChef Goes Large'', but the name reverted to ''MasterChef'' in 2008. The new series was originally judged by
John Torode John Douglas Torode (born 23 July 1965) is an Australian-British celebrity chef and TV presenter. He moved to the UK in the 1990s and began working at Conran Group's restaurants. After first appearing on television on ITV's ''This Morning ...
and
Gregg Wallace Gregg Allan Wallace (born 17 October 1964) is an English broadcaster, entrepreneur and writer. He is known for co-presenting ''MasterChef'', '' Celebrity MasterChef'' and '' MasterChef: The Professionals'' on BBC One and BBC Two. He has writte ...
, with voice-over narration provided by
India Fisher India Fisher (born 10 September 1974) is a British actress, narrator and presenter. Her father is the ex- MP Mark Fisher. She is also the half-sister of musician Crispin Hunt and of actress Francesca Hunt, who appears with her in the play '' O ...
. The show proved very popular and became one of BBC Two's more successful early evening programmes, leading to an announcement by the BBC in 2009 that it would be promoted to BBC One. In February 2022, the BBC and Shine TV announced that they had agreed a multi-series six-year deal for the programme, and from 2024 the production base would move from London to Birmingham. In January 2023, it was reported that
Birmingham City Council Birmingham City Council is the local authority for the city of Birmingham in the West Midlands, England. Birmingham has had an elected local authority since 1838, which has been reformed several times. Since 1974 the council has been a metropo ...
had approved BBC plans to use the old Banana Warehouse in
Digbeth Digbeth is an area of central Birmingham, England. Following the remodelling of the Birmingham Inner Ring Road, Inner Ring Road, Digbeth is now considered a district within Birmingham City Centre. As part of the Big City Plan, Digbeth is under ...
as the new ''MasterChef'' studios. It was revealed in November 2024, that following allegations against judge
Gregg Wallace Gregg Allan Wallace (born 17 October 1964) is an English broadcaster, entrepreneur and writer. He is known for co-presenting ''MasterChef'', '' Celebrity MasterChef'' and '' MasterChef: The Professionals'' on BBC One and BBC Two. He has writte ...
, he had decided to temporarily step away from the show. In December 2024, it was revealed that Wallace had temporarily been replaced with food critic
Grace Dent Grace Georgina Dent (born 3 October 1973) is a British columnist, broadcaster and author. She is a restaurant critic for ''The Guardian'' and from 2011 to 2017 wrote a restaurant column for the ''Evening Standard''. She is a regular critic on t ...
for next year's celebrity series as well as the civilian series. In July 2025, the BBC dismissed Wallace as presenter after a further 50 complaints emerged concerning his behaviour. Following Wallace’s dismissal from the show, it was revealed on 15 July 2025, that Torode had also been dismissed following extremely "racist remarks". Later that month, the BBC confirmed it would air the final amateur series with Torode and Wallace, which was filmed in 2024, but could be re-edited in light of recent events; meanwhile, no decision had yet been made on what to do with the completed celebrity series and Christmas special, which were both later filmed with Torode and Dent.


Format

Each series is broadcast on five nights a week 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 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 in 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. Series 7 of ''MasterChef'' had auditions with a format similar to ''
The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–200 ...
'', in which 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

The heats follow a three-round format: * ''The 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. * ''The Calling Card'': the contestants must invent a dish from scratch in 75 minutes (originally 40 minutes until 2009). The contestants can choose any ingredients they like. * ''The 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. * ''The 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.


Quarter-finals

The format of the quarter-finals has changed over the years. Before 2010, the format featured three rounds: * ''The Ingredients Test'': the contestants were asked to identify a selection of ingredients or produce. * ''The 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: * ''The 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: * ''The 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. * ''The Choice Test'': the contestants have 80 minutes to create a showstopping dish for the judges and a special celebrity food critic.


Comeback Week

The sixth week is called "Comeback Week" and features contestants from previous series of ''MasterChef'' who did not advance past the heats or quarter-finals. The format changes for this special week. It includes: * ''The Skill Test'': the contestants have 25 minutes to cook one of two pre-selected recipes. Some contestants may be eliminated after this round. * ''The 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. * ''The 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.


MasterChef Live

''MasterChef Live'' is an extension of the television programme. It has been held each November since 2009 and the event lasts three days. It is hosted at
London Olympia Olympia Events, formerly known as Olympia London and sometimes referred to as the Olympia Exhibition Centre, is an exhibition centre, event space and conference centre in West Kensington, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, Lon ...
and is co-located with the annual Wine Show. Highlights of the event include live cooking demonstrations in the Chefs' Theater, celebrity chefs, former contestants, critics and ''MasterChef''-style cook-offs.


''Celebrity MasterChef''

''Celebrity MasterChef'' was devised as a celebrity version of ''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'' test. In 2011, the programme was moved to a daily daytime slot with 30 episodes screened over six weeks and with only 16 celebrities. Catch-up shows were broadcast on Fridays at 20:30 (30 minutes) and on Saturdays at various times (60 minutes). In 2012, the show moved to BBC Two due to low ratings and returned to an evening 18:30 slot. In 2013, it moved back to BBC One prime time, shown at 20:00. Since 2014, the show has had 20 celebrities competing for the title.


Contestants

The winners from each year are in bold texts.


Series 1 (2006)

Matt Dawson Matthew James Sutherland Dawson, MBE (born 31 October 1972) is an English retired rugby union player who played scrum half for Northampton Saints and then London Wasps. During his international career he toured with the British & Irish Li ...
,
Arabella Weir Arabella Helen Weir (born 6 December 1957) is an American-born British comedian, actress and writer. She played roles in the comedy series ''The Fast Show'', ''Posh Nosh'' and ''Two Doors Down (TV series), Two Doors Down'', and has written sev ...
,
Charlie Dimmock Charlotte Elouise Dimmock (born 10 August 1966) is an English gardening expert and television presenter. She was a member of the team on '' Ground Force'', a BBC gardening makeover programme, airing from 1997 to 2005. Since then, Dimmock has p ...
, David Grant,
Fred MacAulay Frederick MacAulay (born 29 December 1956) is a Scottish comedian. For 18 years, until March 2015, he presented a daily BBC Scotland radio programme '' MacAulay and Co''. He has appeared on numerous TV shows. Background Born in Perth, MacAul ...
,
Graeme Le Saux Graeme Pierre Le Saux ( ; born 17 October 1968) is an English former professional footballer and television pundit. As a versatile left sided player he played most of his career at left back with two spells at Chelsea, Blackburn Rovers, Southamp ...
,
Hardeep Singh Kohli Hardeep Singh Kohli (born 21 January 1969) is a British presenter, comedian, writer and director who has appeared on various radio and television programmes. Having moved to Scotland at a young age, he has had a long association with the arts i ...
,
Helen Lederer Helen Margaret Lederer (born 24 September 1954) is a British comedian, writer and actress who emerged as part of the alternative comedy boom at the beginning of the 1980s. Among her television credits are the BBC2 sketch series '' Naked Video'' ...
,
Ian McCaskill Ian McCaskill (born John Robertson McCaskill; 28 July 1938 – 10 December 2016) was a Scottish meteorologist and television and radio presenter, who frequently presented weather forecasts on the BBC. Early life McCaskill attended Queen's Par ...
, Jilly Goolden,
Kristian Digby Scott Kristian Edwin Digby (24 June 1977 – 1 March 2010) was an English television presenter and director best known for presenting '' To Buy or Not to Buy'' on BBC One. On 1 March 2010 he was found dead in what police said were "unexplained c ...
,
Lady Isabella Hervey Lady Isabella Frederica Louisa de Pauw ( Hervey ; born 9 March 1982) is a British model, socialite, aristocrat, and reality TV personality. She is the daughter of the 6th Marquess of Bristol, the sister of Lady Victoria Hervey and the incumben ...
,
Linda Barker Linda Barker (born 26 October 1961) is an English interior designer and television presenter. Education Born in Shelf, West Yorkshire, Shelf, on the outskirts of Halifax, West Yorkshire, Halifax in the West Riding of Yorkshire, Barker was educ ...
,
Marie Helvin Marie Helvin (born August 13, 1952) is a British-based American former fashion model, who worked extensively with David Bailey, to whom she was married between 1975 and 1985. In the 1970s and 1980s, she appeared in many fashion stories for Bri ...
,
Paul Young Paul Antony Young (born 17 January 1956) is an English musician, singer and songwriter. Formerly the frontman of the short-lived bands Kat Kool & the Kool Cats, Streetband and Q-Tips, he became a teen idol with his solo success in the 1980s. H ...
, Richard Arnold,
Roger Black Roger Anthony Black MBE (born 31 March 1966) is an English former athlete who competed internationally for Great Britain and England. During his athletics career, he won individual silver medals in the 400 metres sprint at both the Olympic Ga ...
,
Rowland Rivron Rowland John Rivron (born 28 September 1958) is a British writer, comedic actor and television personality. Early career Rivron played the comic character 'Dr Martin Scrote' on the Jonathan Ross chat show ''The Last Resort'', and also played S ...
,
Sarah Cawood Sarah Louise Cawood (born 7 August 1972 in St Pancras, London) is an English television presenter, voice over artist and narrator. She is best known for presenting the BBC children's Saturday morning show '' Live & Kicking''. Career Cawood g ...
,
Sheila Ferguson Sheila Diana Ferguson (born October 8, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and author, who has worked primarily in the United Kingdom. Between 1966 and 1986, she was a member of the American female soul music group The Three Degree ...
, Simon Grant,
Sue Perkins Susan Elizabeth Perkins (born 22 September 1969) is an English actress, broadcaster, comedian, presenter and writer. Originally coming to prominence through her comedy partnership with Mel Giedroyc in ''Mel and Sue'', she progressed into radio a ...
,
Tony Hadley Anthony Patrick Hadley (born 2 June 1960) is an English pop singer. He rose to fame in the 1980s as the lead singer of the New wave music, new wave band Spandau Ballet and launched a solo career following the group's split in 1990. Hadley retur ...
and
Toyah Willcox Toyah Ann Willcox (born 18 May 1958) is an English singer-songwriter, actress, and television presenter. In a career spanning more than 40 years, she has had eight top 40 singles, released over 20 albums, written two books, appeared in over 40 ...
.


Series 2 (2007)

Nadia Sawalha Nadia Sawalha (; born 18 November 1964) is an English actress, television personality, writer, TV cook and vlogger. She is best known as a long-term regular panellist on the ITV daytime talk show '' Loose Women'', being one of the original pane ...
,
Midge Ure James "Midge" Ure (; born 10 October 1953) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and record producer. His stage name, Midge, is a phonetic reversal of Jim. Ure enjoyed particular success in the 1970s and 1980s in bands including Slik, Thin Lizzy, ...
,
Craig Revel Horwood Craig Revel Horwood (born 4 January 1965) is an Australian-British author, dancer, choreographer, conductor, theatre director, and former drag queen in the United Kingdom. He is also a patron of the Royal Osteoporosis Society. Horwood is a jud ...
,
Jeremy Edwards Jeremy Edwards (born 17 February 1971) is an English actor, known for his roles as Kurt Benson in ''Hollyoaks'', Danny Shaughnessy in ''Holby City'' and Mike Taylor in ''Millie Inbetween'', as well as being a regular panellist and guest host ...
,
Chris Bisson Christopher Paul Bisson (born 21 July 1975) is a British actor, known for portraying the roles of Vikram Desai in ''Coronation Street'' (1999–2002), Kash Karib in '' Shameless'' (2004–2007, 2009), and Jai Sharma in ''Emmerdale'' (2009– ...
,
Martin Hancock Martin Hancock (born 10 January 1970) is an English actor best known for his roles as Spider Nugent, Geoffrey "Spider" Nugent in the English soap ''Coronation Street'' (between 1997 and 2003 and again from 2022 and 2023) and as Reg Lund in ''Ho ...
,
Sunetra Sarker Sunetra Sarker (born 25 June 1973) is an English actress and presenter, known for her roles as Nisha Batra in '' Brookside'', Anji Mittel in '' No Angels'', Zoe Hanna in '' Casualty'', and Kaneez Paracha in '' Ackley Bridge''. In 2014, she t ...
,
Gemma Atkinson Gemma Louise Atkinson (born 16 November 1984) is an English influencer, radio presenter, and former actress and glamour model. She played Lisa Hunter in ''Hollyoaks'' (2001–2005, 2022) and in three spin-off series, '' Hollyoaks: After Hours ...
,
Sherrie Hewson Sherrie Lynn Hutchinson (born 17 September 1950), known professionally as Sherrie Hewson, is an English actress, television personality and novelist. She is known for her roles as Maureen Holdsworth in ''Coronation Street'' (1993–1997, 2006 ...
,
Pauline Quirke Pauline Perpetua Sheen (née Quirke; born 8 July 1959) is a retired English actress. She began her career with roles on various television series, before fronting her own comedy sketch show, ''Pauline's Quirkes'', in 1976. She later starred as ...
,
Rani Price Rani Price (born Rani Ratna Khanijau 29 January 1974 in Liverpool) is a British television presenter who has presented a variety of children's shows for CBBC, Disney, Channel 5 and Nickelodeon. Television career Early days Born in Liverpool t ...
, Chris Hollins,
Matthew Wright Matt or Matthew Wright may refer to: Sports * Matthew Wright (basketball) (born 1991), Filipino-Canadian basketball player * Matthew Wright (Australian footballer) (born 1989), Australian rules footballer * Matthew Wright (rugby league) (born 1991) ...
,
Angela Rippon Angela May Rippon (born 12 October 1944) is an English broadcaster, former newsreader, writer and journalist. Rippon presented radio and television news programmes in South West England before moving to BBC One's ''BBC Nine O'Clock News, Nine ...
,
Sue Cook Susan Lorraine Cook (née Thomas; born 30 March 1949) is a British television presenter and author. With Nick Ross, she co-presented the BBC One factual crime show ''Crimewatch'' from 1984 until 1995. Early life Cook’s mother, Kathleen Thom ...
,
Lorne Spicer Lorne Spicer (born 16 September 1965 in Upminster, Greater London) is an English television presenter best known for presenting reality shows on the BBC's daytime output. Spicer started out as a reporter for BBC Radio Norfolk, and later wrote ...
,
Emma Forbes Emma Katy Forbes (born 14 May 1965 in Hammersmith, London) is an English radio and television presenter. Forbes got her start on presenting the cooking segment on '' Going Live!,'' and before going on to present or co-present numerous BBC and I ...
, Jeff Green, Darren Bennett,
Sally Gunnell Sally Jane Janet Gunnell, OBE, DL (born 29 July 1966) is a British former track-and-field athlete, who won the 1992 Olympic gold medal in the 400 metres hurdles. During a 24-month period between 1992 and 1994, Gunnell won every international ...
, Mark Foster, Matt James,
Robbie Earle Robert Fitzgerald Earle MBE (born 27 January 1965) is a former football player and current television commentator. Born in England, he represented Jamaica in international football. An attacking midfielder, he played 578 league games in senio ...
and
Phil Tufnell Philip Clive Roderick Tufnell (born 29 April 1966) is an English former international cricketer and current television and radio personality. A slow left-arm orthodox spin bowler, he played in 42 Test matches and 20 One Day Internationals ...
.


Series 3 (2008)

Liz McClarnon Elizabeth Margaret McClarnon-Cho (born 10 April 1981) is an English singer, songwriter and actress, who is the longest serving member of the girl group Atomic Kitten, with whom she has scored three number-one singles and two number-one albums. M ...
,
Linda Robson Linda Patricia Mary Robson Dunford (' Robson; born 13 March 1958) is an English actress and television presenter. She is best known for playing Tracey Stubbs in the sitcom '' Birds of a Feather'' (1989–1998, 2014–2020), and her appearances ...
,
Louis Emerick Louis Emerick Grant (born 10 June 1960) is a British television actor, known for his role as Mick Johnson in the Channel 4 soap opera '' Brookside'', as well as his appearances in the BBC soap opera ''Doctors''. Life and career He was born in ...
,
Debra Stephenson Deborah Lee Duffield (' Stephenson; born 4 June 1972), known professionally as Debra Stephenson, is an English actress, comedian, impressionist and singer, best known for her roles as Diane Powell in '' Playing the Field'' (1999–2000), Shell ...
,
Christopher Parker Christopher Parker (born 24 August 1983) is a retired English actor and television presenter, best known for portraying Spencer Moon on BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'' between 2002 and 2005. Early career Christopher Parker's career began ...
,
Joe McGann Joseph McGann (born 24 July 1958) is an English actor. His roles include the lead role of Charlie Burrows, the housekeeper in the TV comedy series '' The Upper Hand'' (1990–1996), '' Night and Day'' and his voice role as Sir Gideon Ofnir in ...
,
Steven Pinder Steven Pinder (born 30 March 1960) is an English actor, known for his roles on the British soap operas ''Crossroads'' (1985–1987) and ''Brookside'' (1990–2003). Early life Pinder was born on 30 March 1960 in Whalley, Lancashire, England. He ...
,
Mark Moraghan Mark Stephen Moraghan (born 27 January 1963) is an English actor and singer. He has appeared in many British drama series including ''Peak Practice'', '' London's Burning'' and '' Heartbeat''. He is most famous for being the narrator for the ...
,
Vicki Michelle Vicki Michelle (born Michelle Vicki Nathan; 14 December 1950) is an English actress, radio presenter, businesswoman, film producer and former model. She is best known for her role as Yvette Carte-Blanche in the BBC television comedy series '' ...
, Sean Wilson,
Clare Grogan Claire Patricia Grogan (born 17 March 1962), known professionally as Clare Grogan or sometimes as C. P. Grogan, is a Scottish singer and actress. She is best known as the lead singer of the 1980s new wave music group Altered Images, as well a ...
, Hywel Simons,
DJ Spoony John St John Joseph (born 25 June 1970), also known as Johnathan Joseph and professionally as DJ Spoony, is a British DJ, radio and television presenter. He is a member of the UK garage production trio, the Dreem Teem. Spoony also presents ...
,
Claire Richards Claire Richards (born 17 August 1977) is an English singer and member of the pop group Steps. As a solo artist, Richards has released two studio albums: her debut, '' My Wildest Dreams'', was released in 2019 and ''Euphoria'', a covers album, ...
,
Denise Lewis Dame Denise Rosemarie Lewis (born 27 August 1972) is a British sports administrator and former sports presenter and athletics athlete, who specialised in the heptathlon. She won the gold medal in the heptathlon at the 2000 Sydney Olympics ...
,
Noel Whelan Noel David Whelan (; born 30 December 1974) is an English football coach, former professional footballer and radio co-commentator. As a player, he was a striker (association football), striker who notably played in the Premier League for Leeds ...
,
Andi Peters Andi Eleazu Peters (born 29 July 1970) is a British television presenter, producer, journalist and voice actor, currently employed by ITV and known for presenting Children's BBC, roles on breakfast TV shows ''Live & Kicking'', ''GMTV'', '' Go ...
,
Andrew Castle Andrew Nicholas Castle (born 15 November 1963) is a British broadcaster and former tennis player. Castle was Great Britain's number 1 in singles tennis in 1986, reaching as high as World No. 80 in June 1988, and No. 45 in doubles in December 19 ...
,
Michael Buerk Michael Duncan Buerk (; born 18 February 1946) is a British journalist and newsreader. He presented BBC News from 1973 to 2002 and has been the host of BBC Radio 4's '' Moral Maze'' since 1990. He was also the presenter of BBC One's docudrama ...
,
Kaye Adams Kaye Rintoul Adams (born 28 December 1962) is a Scottish television presenter and journalist. She was an anchor on ITV topical discussion show ''Loose Women'' from 1999 to 2006 and again from 2013 and was a regular panellist on Channel 5's d ...
,
Julia Bradbury Julia Michele Bradbury (born 24 July 1970) is an English journalist and television presenter, employed by the BBC and ITV, specialising in documentaries and consumer affairs. She is best known for presenting a series of outdoor walking progr ...
, Josie D'Arby,
Wendi Peters Wendi Louise Peters (born 29 February 1968) is an English actress. Peters began her acting career in theatre, with appearances in various productions including '' The Scarlet Pimpernel'' (1991), '' Guys and Dolls'' (1991), '' Into the Woods'' ...
, and
Ninia Benjamin Ninia Benjamin is a British comedian who makes frequent appearances at the Edinburgh Festival. Benjamin has also appeared on the TV shows ''3 Non-Blondes'' and ''Twisted Tales''. She appeared on the Sky One show '' Cirque de Celebrité'' and was ...
.


Series 4 (2009)

Jayne Middlemiss Jayne Middlemiss is an English television and radio presenter. She began presenting music television shows including '' The O Zone'' and ''Top of the Pops'' in the mid-1990s, as well as other television and radio shows, including on BBC Radio 6 ...
,
Colin Murray Colin Murray (born Colin Wright on 10 March 1977) is a Northern Irish radio and television presenter. He has hosted the Channel 4 game show '' Countdown'' since 2022. Born and raised in Dundonald, east of Belfast, Murray first trained and wor ...
,
Wendi Peters Wendi Louise Peters (born 29 February 1968) is an English actress. Peters began her acting career in theatre, with appearances in various productions including '' The Scarlet Pimpernel'' (1991), '' Guys and Dolls'' (1991), '' Into the Woods'' ...
,
Simon Shepherd Simon Stephen Shepherd (born 20 August 1956) is an English actor best known to TV audiences from many appearances, including as Dr Will Preston in eight series of ITV's '' Peak Practice'' and Doctor Jonathan Barling in '' Casualty''. Shephe ...
,
Janet Ellis Janet Ellis, (born 16 September 1955) is an English television presenter, actress and writer, who is best known for presenting the children's television programmes ''Blue Peter'' and '' Jigsaw'' between 1979 and 1987. She has published two nov ...
,
Deena Payne Diane Margaret "Deena" Payne (born 29 August 1954) is an English actress and former singer. She is best known for playing Viv Hope in the long-running ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale''. Life and career Payne was born in Orpington, Kent. She used ...
,
Iwan Thomas Iwan Gwyn Thomas (born 5 January 1974) is a Welsh sprinter who represented Great Britain and Northern Ireland at the Olympic Games in the 400 metres, and Wales at the Commonwealth Games. Thomas is a former European, Commonwealth Games and ...
,
Rav Wilding Ravin Mika Wilding (born 16 October 1977) is a British television presenter and former police officer who served with the British Transport Police and Metropolitan Police Service. Prior to joining the police, Wilding served in the British Ar ...
,
Pete Waterman Peter Alan Waterman (born 15 January 1947) is an English record producer, songwriter, and television personality. As a member of the Stock Aitken Waterman production and songwriting team, he co-wrote and co-produced many UK hit singles. An av ...
, Stephen K. Amos,
Gemma Bissix Gemma Bissix (born 6 June 1983) is an English actress. She has been acting since the age of 9. Her most prominent roles have been in soap operas, as Clare Bates in ''EastEnders'' and Clare Devine in ''Hollyoaks''; she was awarded with two Brit ...
,
Shirley Robertson Shirley Ann Robertson, OBE DL (born 15 July 1968) is a British sailor and Olympic gold medallist. She is the first British woman to win Olympic gold medals at consecutive Olympic Games, Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004. Early life Robertson ...
,
Ian Bleasdale Ian Bleasdale (born 1950, in Upholland, Lancashire) is an English actor and television presenter. He divides his time between Haworth in West Yorkshire and Bristol. He started off life as a teacher before deciding that he wanted to become an ac ...
,
Paul Martin Paul Edgar Philippe Martin (born August 28, 1938), also known as Paul Martin Jr., is a Canadian lawyer and retired politician who served as the 21st prime minister of Canada and the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada from 2003 to 2006. Th ...
,
Tracy-Ann Oberman Tracy-Ann Oberman (born Tracy Anne Oberman; 25 August 1966) is an English actress, playwright and narrator. She is known for roles including Chrissie Watts in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' (2004–2005, 2024) and Valerie Lewis or "Auntie Va ...
, Brian Moore,
Saira Khan Saira Khan (born 15 May 1970) is an English television personality. She was a contestant on the first series of '' The Apprentice'' in 2005, in which she finished as the runner-up. In 2012, Khan competed in the first series of ''The Great Sport ...
,
Rosie Boycott Rosel Marie "Rosie" Boycott, Baroness Boycott (born 13 May 1951) is a British journalist and feminist. Early life The daughter of Major Charles Boycott and Betty Le Sueur Boycott, Rosel Marie "Rosie" Boycott was born in Saint Helier, Jersey. S ...
,
Michael Obiora Michael Obiora (born 8 October 1986) is a British actor, writer, director, and producer. Early life Michael Obiora (pronounced OH-BEE-ORA) was born on 8 October 1986 in north-west London, England, to Nigerian-Igbo parents. As a six-year-old, h ...
,
Joel Ross Joel Ross may refer to: *Joel Ross (DJ) Joel Ross (born Joel Hogg 31 May 1977) is a British radio DJ and television presenter. He has worked with a co-host Jason King (Presenter), Jason King (known on-air as JK). He now presents ''The Hits Radi ...
,
Shobna Gulati Shobna Gulati (born 7 August 1966)www.shobnagulati.co.uk
Shobna Gulati official website
is an English ...
,
Dennis Taylor Dennis Taylor (born 19 January 1949) is a Northern Irish retired professional snooker player and current commentator. He turned professional in 1972 and won the 1985 World Snooker Championship, in which he lost the first eight frames of 1985 W ...
,
Siân Lloyd Siân Mary Lloyd (born 3 July 1958) is a Welsh television presenter and meteorologist from Maesteg. She was the United Kingdom's longest-serving female weather forecaster, having appeared on ITV Weather for 24 years, from 1990 until 2014. ...
,
Jan Leeming Janet Dorothy Leeming (née Atkins; born 5 January 1942) is an English television presenter and newsreader. Early life and education Leeming was born in Barnehurst, Kent, and educated at the Assumption Convent, Charlton and St Joseph's Conven ...
and
Joe Swift Joseph Samuel Swift (born 25 May 1965) is an English garden designer, journalist and television presenter. Television career Swift is a regular presenter and designer on the BBC's ''Gardeners' World'', co-presenter on the Royal Horticultural Soc ...
. :There was also a week of Comeback contestants featuring
Joe McGann Joseph McGann (born 24 July 1958) is an English actor. His roles include the lead role of Charlie Burrows, the housekeeper in the TV comedy series '' The Upper Hand'' (1990–1996), '' Night and Day'' and his voice role as Sir Gideon Ofnir in ...
,
Marie Helvin Marie Helvin (born August 13, 1952) is a British-based American former fashion model, who worked extensively with David Bailey, to whom she was married between 1975 and 1985. In the 1970s and 1980s, she appeared in many fashion stories for Bri ...
,
Linda Barker Linda Barker (born 26 October 1961) is an English interior designer and television presenter. Education Born in Shelf, West Yorkshire, Shelf, on the outskirts of Halifax, West Yorkshire, Halifax in the West Riding of Yorkshire, Barker was educ ...
,
Claire Richards Claire Richards (born 17 August 1977) is an English singer and member of the pop group Steps. As a solo artist, Richards has released two studio albums: her debut, '' My Wildest Dreams'', was released in 2019 and ''Euphoria'', a covers album, ...
,
Rowland Rivron Rowland John Rivron (born 28 September 1958) is a British writer, comedic actor and television personality. Early career Rivron played the comic character 'Dr Martin Scrote' on the Jonathan Ross chat show ''The Last Resort'', and also played S ...
,
Ninia Benjamin Ninia Benjamin is a British comedian who makes frequent appearances at the Edinburgh Festival. Benjamin has also appeared on the TV shows ''3 Non-Blondes'' and ''Twisted Tales''. She appeared on the Sky One show '' Cirque de Celebrité'' and was ...
,
Steven Pinder Steven Pinder (born 30 March 1960) is an English actor, known for his roles on the British soap operas ''Crossroads'' (1985–1987) and ''Brookside'' (1990–2003). Early life Pinder was born on 30 March 1960 in Whalley, Lancashire, England. He ...
,
Wendi Peters Wendi Louise Peters (born 29 February 1968) is an English actress. Peters began her acting career in theatre, with appearances in various productions including '' The Scarlet Pimpernel'' (1991), '' Guys and Dolls'' (1991), '' Into the Woods'' ...
,
Helen Lederer Helen Margaret Lederer (born 24 September 1954) is a British comedian, writer and actress who emerged as part of the alternative comedy boom at the beginning of the 1980s. Among her television credits are the BBC2 sketch series '' Naked Video'' ...
,
Tony Hadley Anthony Patrick Hadley (born 2 June 1960) is an English pop singer. He rose to fame in the 1980s as the lead singer of the New wave music, new wave band Spandau Ballet and launched a solo career following the group's split in 1990. Hadley retur ...
,
Martin Hancock Martin Hancock (born 10 January 1970) is an English actor best known for his roles as Spider Nugent, Geoffrey "Spider" Nugent in the English soap ''Coronation Street'' (between 1997 and 2003 and again from 2022 and 2023) and as Reg Lund in ''Ho ...
and Jeff Green.


Series 5 (2010)

Lisa Faulkner Lisa Tamsin Faulkner (born 19 February 1972) is an English actress, presenter and television chef. She has had roles in '' The Lover'' (1992), '' Dangerfield'' (1995), '' Brookside'' (1997–1998), '' Holby City'' (1999–2001), '' Spooks'' (2 ...
,
Neil Stuke Neil Robert Stuke ( ; born 22 February 1966 in Deal, Kent) is an English actor best known for his role of Matthew in the TV sitcom '' Game On'' and more recently for playing Billy Lamb in the BBC legal drama ''Silk''. Career Stuke played Matth ...
, Richard Farleigh, Nihal Arthanayake, Alex Fletcher,
Tessa Sanderson Theresa Ione Sanderson (born 14 March 1956) is a British former javelin thrower. She appeared in every Summer Olympic Games, Summer Olympics from 1976 to 1996, winning the gold medal in the Athletics at the 1984 Summer Olympics – Women's ja ...
,
Jenny Powell Jenny Powell (born 8 April 1968) is an English radio and television presenter. After appearing on '' No Limits'', she went on to present series such as '' Wheel of Fortune'', '' UP2U'', '' Gimme 5'', '' Live Talk'', '' Wordplay'' and '' Daybre ...
,
Colin Jackson Colin Ray Jackson, (born 18 February 1967) is a British former sprint and hurdling athlete who specialised in the 110 metres hurdles. During a career in which he represented Great Britain and Wales, he won an Olympic silver medal, became w ...
,
Tricia Penrose Patricia Penrose (born 9 April 1970) is an English actress, singer & broadcaster. She is best known for her role as Gina Ward in ITV's long-running 1960s drama '' Heartbeat'', a role she played continuously for 17 years from 1993 to 2010. She ...
, Martin Roberts,
Christine Hamilton Mary Christine Hamilton (''née'' Holman; born 10 November 1949) is an English media personality and author. She is married to Neil Hamilton, the former Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Tatton. Hamilton and her husband have become ...
, Chris Walker,
Dick Strawbridge Lieutenant colonel (United Kingdom), Lieutenant Colonel (Retirement, ret) Richard Francis Strawbridge, Order of the British Empire, MBE (born 3 September 1959) is a British television personality, engineer and former army officer. He is often r ...
,
Danielle Lloyd Danielle Lloyd (formerly O'Hara; born 16 December 1983) is an English TV host, model, businesswoman and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss England 2004 and Miss Great Britain 2006. Lloyd first rose to prominence when she was strippe ...
,
Marcus Patric Marcus Patrick (born on 17 August 1979) is an English people, English actor. Career Best known for the role of Ben Davies (Hollyoaks), Ben Davies in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', he then starred in its spin-offs ''Hollyoaks: Let Loose ...
,
Dean Macey Dean Macey (born 12 December 1977) is an English athlete from Canvey Island. He is best known for competing in the decathlon, which he did from 1995 to 2008, winning the Commonwealth Games decathlon, two World Championship medals, as well as twi ...
, Mark Chapman,
Jennie Bond Jennifer Bond (born 19 August 1950) is an English journalist and television presenter. Bond worked for fourteen years as the BBC's royal correspondent. She has also hosted '' Cash in the Attic'' and narrated the programme ''Great British Menu'' ...
, Mark Little and
Kym Mazelle Kym Mazelle (born Kymberly Grigsby; August 10, 1960) is an American singer. She is regarded as a pioneer of house music in the United Kingdom and Europe. Her music combines R&B, soul, funk, house music, dance, and pop. She is credited as " Th ...
.


Series 6 (2011)

Phil Vickery,
Kirsty Wark Kirsteen Anne "Kirsty" Wark (born 3 February 1955) is a Scottish television presenter and journalist with a long career at the BBC. Starting on BBC Radio Scotland, where she became a producer, Wark switched to television, presenting ''The Late ...
,
Nick Pickard Nick Pickard is an English actor. He is known for his portrayal of Tony Hutchinson in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', a role he has held since its first episode in 1995; he remains the longest-serving cast member and, in 2017, won the ...
,
Darren Campbell Darren Andrew Campbell, (born 12 September 1973) is a British former sprint athlete. He was the sprint coach at Wasps Rugby Club for the 2015–16 season. He competed in the 100 metres and 200 metres, as well as the 4 × 100 metres relay. ...
,
Linda Lusardi Linda Frances Elide Lusardi (born 18 September 1958) is an English actress, television presenter and former glamour model. Early life Lusardi was born in Wood Green, London, to Lilian (née Glassman; 1932–2023) and Nello Lusardi (1930–201 ...
,
Michelle Mone Michelle Georgina Mone, Baroness Mone, (''née'' Allan; born 8 October 1971) is a Scottish businesswoman and life peer. She has set up several businesses, including MJM International Ltd in 1996 and the lingerie company Ultimo along with her ...
, Ruth Goodman, Aggie MacKenzie, Ricky Groves, Margi Clarke, Colin McAllister, Justin Ryan, Shobu Kapoor, Sharon Maughan, Tim Lovejoy and Danny Goffey.


Series 7 (2012)

Emma Kennedy, Danny Mills, Michael Underwood, Zoe Salmon, Gareth Gates, Cheryl Baker, Laila Rouass, George Layton, Diarmuid Gavin, Richard McCourt, Rebecca Romero, Jamie Theakston, Jenny Eclair, Javine Hylton, Steve Parry (swimmer), Steve Parry and Anne Charleston.


Series 8 (2013)

Ade Edmondson, John Thomson (comedian), John Thomson, Heidi Range, Shane Lynch, Miranda Krestovnikoff, Denise Black, Phillips Idowu, Speech Debelle, Brian Capron, Les Dennis, Matthew Hoggard, Katy Brand, Shaparak Khorsandi, Shappi Khorsandi, Joe Calzaghe, Jo Wood and Janet Street-Porter.


Series 9 (2014)

Sophie Thompson, Christopher Biggins, Todd Carty, Tina Hobley, Kiki Dee, JB Gill, Wayne Sleep, Alison Hammond, Tania Bryer, Amanda Burton, Jason Connery, Ken Morley, Millie Mackintosh, Emma Barton, Russell Grant, Alex Ferns, Leslie Ash, Jodie Kidd, Charley Boorman and Susannah Constantine.


Series 10 (2015)

Kimberly Wyatt, Keith Chegwin, Sarah Harding, Yvette Fielding, Arlene Phillips, Samira Ahmed, Andy Akinwolere, Syd Little, Amanda Donohoe, Craig Gazey, Tom Parker (singer), Tom Parker, Patricia Potter, Chesney Hawkes, Danny Crates, Mica Paris, Sheree Murphy, Natalie Lowe, Scott Maslen, Rylan Clark-Neal, Rylan Clark and Sam Nixon.


Series 11 (2016)

Alexis Conran, Donna Air, Neil Back, Amelle Berrabah, Marcus Butler, Tommy Cannon, Amy Childs, Richard Coles, David Harper (antiques expert), David Harper, Audley Harrison, Cherry Healey, Liz Johnson (swimmer), Liz Johnson, Tina Malone, Louise Minchin, Laila Morse, Jimmy Osmond, Sid Owen, Gleb Savchenko, Sinitta and Simon Webbe.


Series 12 (2017)

Angellica Bell, Rebecca Adlington, Abdullah Afzal, List of Gogglebox cast members, Kate Bottley, Patti Boulaye, Brian Bovell, Tyger Drew-Honey, Lesley Garrett, Dev (DJ), Dev Griffin, Barney Harwood, Stephen Teddy, Union J, Jaymi Hensley, Ulrika Jonsson, Henri Leconte, Debbie McGee, Aasmah Mir, Vic Reeves, Jim Moir, Nick Moran, Julia Somerville and Rachel Stevens.


Series 13 (2018)

John Partridge (actor), John Partridge, Michelle Ackerley, Chizzy Akudolu, Keith Allen (actor), Keith Allen, Clara Amfo, Martin Bayfield, Jay Blades, Frankie Bridge, Gemma Collins, Union J, Josh Cuthbert, Carol Decker, Anita Harris, Animal Park, Jean Johansson, Zoe Lyons, Spencer Matthews, Lisa Maxwell (actress), Lisa Maxwell, Monty Panesar, Stella Parton, AJ Pritchard and Stef Reid.


Series 14 (2019)

Greg Rutherford, Élizabeth Bourgine, Joey Essex, Alex George (Love Island), Alex George, Andy Grant, Rickie Haywood-Williams, Judge Jules, Josie Long, Oti Mabuse, Kellie Maloney, Dominic Parker, Vicky Pattison, Martha Reeves, Zandra Rhodes, Neil Ruddock, Jenny Ryan, Tomasz Schafernaker, Mim Shaikh, Dillian Whyte and Adam Woodyatt.


Series 15 (2020)

Riyadh Khalaf, Shyko Amos, John Barnes (footballer), John Barnes, Jeff Brazier, Baga Chipz, Phil Daniels, Karen Gibson (choir conductor), Karen Gibson, Gethin Jones (withdrew due to illness), Amar Latif, Lady Leshurr, Dominic Littlewood, Judi Love, Felicity Montagu, Judy Murray, Matthew Pinsent, Sam Quek, Crissy Rock, Thomas Skinner (businessman), Thomas Skinner, Myles Stephenson and Pete Wicks.


Series 16 (2021)

Kadeena Cox, Nabil Abdulrashid, Bez (dancer), Bez, Kem Cetinay, Munya Chawawa, Michelle Collins, Dion Dublin, Gavin Esler, Patrick Grant (designer), Patrick Grant, Duncan James, Melissa Johns, Will Kirk, Penny Lancaster, Megan McKenna, Su Pollard, Katie Price, Johannes Radebe, Rita Simons, Joe Swash and Melanie Sykes.


Series 17 (2022)

Lisa Snowdon, Richard Blackwood, Melanie Blatt, Jimmy Bullard, Paul Chuckle, Nancy Dell'Olio, Chris Eubank, Kirsty Gallacher, Danny Jones, Katya Jones, Lesley Joseph, Kae Kurd, Gareth Malone, Queen MoJo, Cliff Parisi, Adam Pearson (actor), Adam Pearson, Clarke Peters, Kitty Scott-Claus, Ryan Thomas and Faye Winter.


Series 18 (2023)

Wynne Evans, Richie Anderson (presenter), Richie Anderson, apl.de.ap, Dave Benson Phillips, Love Island (2015 TV series, series 8), Luca Bish, Marcus Brigstocke, James Buckley (actor), James Buckley, Remi Burgz, Dianne Buswell, Terry Christian, Dani Dyer, Samantha Fox, Sam Fox, Max George, Cheryl Hole, Jamelia, Rudimental, Leon "Locksmith" Rolle, Shazia Mirza, Michael Praed, List of Gogglebox cast members#Former, Mica Ven and Amy Walsh (actress), Amy Walsh.


Series 19 (2024)

Vito Coppola, Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, Eshaan Akbar, OJ Borg, Edith Bowman, Mutya Buena, Chloe Burrows, Diane Carson, Charlotte Crosby, Craig Doyle, Danielle Harold, Tamer Hassan, Jamie MacDonald, Christine McGuinness, Jake Quickenden, Rochenda Sandall, Snoochie Shy, Dominic Skinner, Emma Thynn, Marchioness of Bath and Ian "H" Watkins.


Other versions and spin-offs


''MasterChef: The Professionals''

''MasterChef: The Professionals'', a version for professional chefs, was introduced in 2008.


''Junior MasterChef''

''Junior MasterChef'' originally ran from 1994 to 1999 for contestants under 16 years old. It was revived in 2010 with contestants between nine and twelve years old. A second series of the revived format ran in 2012 and a third series followed in 2014.


''Young MasterChef''

In February 2022, BBC Three commissioned ''Young MasterChef'', which premiered its first series in 2023. The judges for the first series were Poppy O'Toole and Kerth Gumbs. While O'Toole continued as a judge for the second season, Kerth Gumbs was replaced by Big Has. The second series aired in 2024.


Controversy

During the 13th episode of its 14th series when Wallace and Torode criticised a ''rendang'' dish made by the Malaysian-born contestant Zaleha Kadir Olpin for its poor quality. Zaleha had been given a task to make a chicken dish in thirty minutes and chose to attempt rendang, which takes several hours to prepare. The judges deemed the dish inedible because the chicken skin was rubbery and undercooked and advised her that with a thirty-minute task she should have made a crispy fried chicken with a sauce. Malaysian and Indonesian commentators pointed out that ''rendang'' is usually cooked as a stew and is not intended to be crispy., and that both judges had failed to differentiate between "crispy" and "under-cooked". Najib Razak, the Malaysian Prime Minister at the time, joined the conversation with a subtle tweet denouncing the judges' opinion. The former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad also joined in, suggesting that the judges were confusing ''rendang'' with KFC. In December 2024, following allegations against
Gregg Wallace Gregg Allan Wallace (born 17 October 1964) is an English broadcaster, entrepreneur and writer. He is known for co-presenting ''MasterChef'', '' Celebrity MasterChef'' and '' MasterChef: The Professionals'' on BBC One and BBC Two. He has writte ...
, the BBC announced that they had pulled two Christmas specials that were due to air.


Winners


''MasterChef'' (original series)

Note: The original ''MasterChef'' series did not appear in 1998.


''MasterChef Goes Large''


''MasterChef'' (revived series)

The show's original name returned in series 4 in 2008.


''Celebrity MasterChef''


''Young MasterChef''


Charity specials


Other notable contestants


Transmission guide


Original series


Specials

* ''Happy 10th Birthday MasterChef'': TX 18 June 2000 * ''Tales from the MasterChef Kitchen'': Series 1, 10 editions from 2 July 2000 – 3 September 2000 * ''Celebrity Special'': TX 27 August 2000


Revived series

Specials * ''What The Winners Did Next'' – featured winners from series 1 and 2 of ''MasterChef Goes Large'', broadcast on 22 January 2007 ;Notes: :1. The final was postponed from its 9 April 2021 air date due to the Death and funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, death of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.


''Celebrity MasterChef''


=Specials

=


''A Recipe for Success''

A six-part series looking back over 15 years of ''Celebrity MasterChef'', first episode broadcast on 6 August 2020.


''Christmas Cook-Off''

Christmas special episodes, where past contestants competed to hold the title of Christmas champion; first episode broadcast on 21 December 2020, second episode broadcast on 23 December 2020. The winner from each episode is in bold text. *21 December 2020: Janet Street-Porter, Christopher Biggins, Dev (DJ), Dev Griffin and Vicky Pattison *23 December 2020:
Craig Revel Horwood Craig Revel Horwood (born 4 January 1965) is an Australian-British author, dancer, choreographer, conductor, theatre director, and former drag queen in the United Kingdom. He is also a patron of the Royal Osteoporosis Society. Horwood is a jud ...
, Amar Latif, Crissy Rock and Spencer Matthews *21 December 2021: Joey Essex, Judi Love, Neil Ruddock, Oti Mabuse and Su Pollard *23 December 2021: Gemma Collins, Joe Swash, Les Dennis, Mica Paris and Richard Coles, Rev. Richard Coles *23 December 2022: Bez (dancer), Bez, Josh Cuthbert, Lesley Garrett and
Iwan Thomas Iwan Gwyn Thomas (born 5 January 1974) is a Welsh sprinter who represented Great Britain and Northern Ireland at the Olympic Games in the 400 metres, and Wales at the Commonwealth Games. Thomas is a former European, Commonwealth Games and ...
*30 December 2022: AJ Pritchard, Chizzy Akudolu, Kitty Scott-Claus and Megan McKenna *20 December 2023: Duncan James, Faye Winter, Mel Blatt and Richard Blackwood *28 December 2023:
Grace Dent Grace Georgina Dent (born 3 October 1973) is a British columnist, broadcaster and author. She is a restaurant critic for ''The Guardian'' and from 2011 to 2017 wrote a restaurant column for the ''Evening Standard''. She is a regular critic on t ...
, Jay Rayner, Jimi Famurewa, Leyla Kazim and William Sitwell


Books

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


See also

* '' MasterChef: The Professionals'' * ''
Junior MasterChef ''Junior MasterChef'' is a British TV cookery competition, broadcast by the BBC, in which nine to twelve-year-olds compete to be crowned "Junior MasterChef". It is a spin-off from the main British series of ''MasterChef''. ''Junior MasterChef'' ...
''


References


External links

* *
''Celebrity MasterChef''
* * * {{MasterChef MasterChef (British TV series), 1990 British television series debuts BBC television game shows British cooking television shows 1990s British game shows 2000s British game shows 2010s British game shows 2020s British game shows British English-language television shows British television series revived after cancellation Television series by Banijay 1990s British cooking television series 2000s British cooking television series 2010s British cooking television series 2020s British cooking television series