MasterChef (UK TV series)

Original series

In the original series, three amateur cooks took part in each episode, with nine heats leading up to three semifinals and a final, in which they competed for the title of MasterChef. Their task was to cook a gourmet three-course meal in under two hours. Contestants could cook whatever they liked, although there was a price limit on ingredients. "Everyday" ingredients and equipment were provided for them, in addition to which they could bring in up to five "specialist" ingredients or utensils.

The first incarnation of the series was presented by Loyd Grossman, who was joined each week by two guest judges, one a professional chef, the other a celebrity. Grossman and the guest judges discussed the menus, wandered around talking to the contestants and finally ate and judged the food. Originally, the judges' "cogitations" took place off-camera, though later on, edited highlights of the discussions were added between the tasting and the announcement of the winner.

In 1998, Grossman decided to take a one-series sabbatical. He returned to present the 1999 series, but left the programme in 2000.

Revamp

In 2001, the series underwent a makeover. It was moved from its traditional Sunday afternoon slot on BBC One to a new weeknight slot on BBC Two. The "celebrity" judge was dropped and chef Gary Rhodes took over as presenter. This new version of the series asked contestants to cook two courses in just 90 minutes. It lasted just one series and was much criticised – notably by former host Grossman.

Revived series

In 2005, executive producers Franc Roddam and John Silver, along with series producer Karen Ross radically overhauled the format, and a new series was introduced, initially under the name MasterChef Goes Large. The name reverted to MasterChef in 2008.

In the new version, there are two permanent judges, John Torode and Gregg Wallace, though neither addresses the viewer directly; instead narrative information is conveyed in a voiceover by India Fisher.

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 moved back to BBC One.

Format

In the new format, each series airs five nights a week for eight weeks, consisting of six weeks of heats and quarter-finals, with six contestants emerging to compete against one another over the final two weeks to select a winner.

In each of the first six weeks, there are four heats and a quarter-final. Six contestants enter each heat, with one quarter-finalist emerging from each of the four heats. These four quarter-finalists compete for a semi-final place, so that over the first six weeks, six semi-finalists emerge.

In 2010, the judges were given more flexibility, allowing them to promote more than one contestant to the quarter-finals, or, in one instance, none at all.

Heats

The heats follow a three-round format:

The Calling Card: the contestants must invent a dish from scratch in 75 minutes (40 minutes up until 2009). The contestants can choose from any ingredients they like.

The Invention Test: the contestants are given two boxes, one with sweet items, another with savoury. They must pick a box and make a dish out of the 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. 1 hour to serve the main course, and a further fifteen minutes after that to serve dessert.

Quarter-finals

The quarter-finals follow a different structure with different challenges. Up until 2010, the format was:

The Ingredients Test: where the contestants are asked to identify a selection of ingredients or produce.

The Passion Test: in which each contestant has one minute to convince the judges of their overwhelming passion for food. Following these two rounds, one contestant is knocked out without having cooked that day.

Finally, the remaining three quarter-finalists each produce a three course meal in one hour and twenty minutes.

In 2010, the quarter-final format was changed to:

The Choice Test: where the contestants are given 15 minutes to cook their choice of either a pre-selected fish recipe or a meat recipe with the judges looking on. At least one contestant is eliminated after this test.

This is followed by the remaining quarter-finalists producing a two course meal in an hour.

Now, the quarter final format is:

The Palate Test: Torode cooks a dish for the contestants, and they must identify the ingredients and try to recreate the dish using the ingredients given.

The Choice Test: the chefs have 80 minutes to create a showstopping dish for the Judges and a special celebrity food critic

Comeback Week

The sixth week was called "Comeback Week" and featured contestants from the previous series of MasterChef, who did not advance past the heats or quarter-finals. The format was different for this week:

The Skill Test: where the contestants have 25 minutes to cook one of two pre-selected recipes. Some contestants may be eliminated after this test.

The Palate Test: where Torode cooks a complex dish and asks the contestants one by one to eat the dish, listing as many ingredients in the dish as possible. Some contestants may be eliminated after this test.

The Pressure Test: where the remaining contestants work a lunchtime shift at a busy restaurant under the supervision of a professional chef who comments on their performance.

The remaining contestants then have 60 minutes to cook a two course meal. One contestant is selected to advance to a 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. The event runs annually in November and is held over three days since 2009; it is hosted at London Olympia, co-located with the annual Wine Show.

Highlights of the event include live cookery demonstrations in the Chefs’ Theatre, 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, a total of 24 celebrities took part 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 6 weeks and featuring only 16 celebrities. 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 primetime, airing at 20:00. Since 2014, the show has featured 20 celebrities competing for the title.

Contestants

In 2006, Matt Dawson beat Arabella Weir, Charlie Dimmock, David Grant, Fred MacAulay, Graeme Le Saux, Hardeep Singh Kohli, Helen Lederer, Ian McCaskill, Jilly Goolden, Kristian Digby, Lady Isabella Hervey, Linda Barker, Marie Helvin, Paul Young, Richard Arnold, Roger Black, Rowland Rivron, Sarah Cawood, Sheila Ferguson, Simon Grant, Sue Perkins, Tony Hadley and Toyah Willcox

In 2007, Nadia Sawalha beat Midge Ure, Craig Revel Horwood, Jeremy Edwards, Chris Bisson, Martin Hancock, Sunetra Sarker, Gemma Atkinson, Sherrie Hewson, Pauline Quirke, Rani Price, Chris Hollins, Matthew Wright, Angela Rippon, Sue Cook, Lorne Spicer, Emma Forbes, Jeff Green, Darren Bennett, Sally Gunnell, Mark Foster, Matt James, Robbie Earle and Phil Tufnell.

In 2008, Liz McClarnon beat Linda Robson, Louis Emerick, Debra Stephenson, Christopher Parker, Joe McGann, Steven Pinder, Mark Moraghan, Vicki Michelle, Sean Wilson, Clare Grogan, Hywel Simons, DJ Spoony, Claire Richards, Denise Lewis, Noel Whelan, Andi Peters, Andrew Castle, Michael Buerk, Kaye Adams, Julia Bradbury, Josie D'Arby and Ninia Benjamin.

In 2009, Jayne Middlemiss beat Colin Murray, Wendi Peters, Simon Shepherd, Janet Ellis, Deena Payne, Iwan Thomas, Rav Wilding, Pete Waterman, Stephen K. Amos, Gemma Bissix, Shirley Robertson, Ian Bleasdale, Paul Martin, Tracy-Ann Oberman, Brian Moore, Saira Khan, Rosie Boycott, Michael Obiora, Joel Ross, Shobna Gulati, Dennis Taylor, Siân Lloyd, Jan Leeming and Joe Swift.

There was also a week of Comeback contestants featuring Joe McGann, Marie Helvin, Linda Barker, Claire Richards, Rowland Rivron, Ninia Benjamin, Steven Pinder, Wendi Peters, Helen Lederer, Tony Hadley, Martin Hancock and Jeff Green.

In 2010, Lisa Faulkner beat Neil Stuke, Richard Farleigh, Nihal Arthanayake, Alex Fletcher, Tessa Sanderson, Jenny Powell, Colin Jackson, Tricia Penrose, Martin Roberts, Christine Hamilton, Chris Walker, Dick Strawbridge, Danielle Lloyd, Marcus Patric, Dean Macey, Mark Chapman, Jennie Bond, Mark Little and Kym Mazelle.

In 2011, Phil Vickery beat Kirsty Wark, Nick Pickard, Darren Campbell, Linda Lusardi, Michelle Mone, Ruth Goodman, Aggie MacKenzie, Ricky Groves, Margi Clarke, Colin McAllister, Justin Ryan, Shobu Kapoor, Sharon Maughan, Tim Lovejoy and Danny Goffey.

In 2012, Emma Kennedy beat Danny Mills, Michael Underwood, Zöe Salmon, Gareth Gates, Cheryl Baker, Laila Rouass, George Layton, Diarmuid Gavin, Richard McCourt, Rebecca Romero, Jamie Theakston, Jenny Eclair, Javine Hylton, Steve Parry and Anne Charleston.

In 2013, Ade Edmondson beat John Thomson, Heidi Range, Shane Lynch, Miranda Krestovnikoff, Denise Black, Phillips Idowu, Speech Debelle, Brian Capron, Les Dennis, Matthew Hoggard, Katy Brand, Shappi Khorsandi, Joe Calzaghe, Jo Wood and Janet Street-Porter.

In 2014, Sophie Thompson beat 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.

In 2015, Kimberly Wyatt beat Keith Chegwin, Sarah Harding, Yvette Fielding, Arlene Phillips, Samira Ahmed, Andy Akinwolere, Syd Little, Amanda Donohoe, Craig Gazey, Tom Parker, Patricia Potter, Chesney Hawkes, Danny Crates, Mica Paris, Sheree Murphy, Natalie Lowe, Scott Maslen, Rylan Clark and Sam Nixon.

In 2016, Alexis Conran beat Donna Air, Neil Back, Amelle Berrabah, Marcus Butler, Tommy Cannon, Amy Childs, Richard Coles, David Harper, Audley Harrison, Cherry Healey, Liz Johnson, Tina Malone, Louise Minchin, Laila Morse, Jimmy Osmond, Sid Owen, Gleb Savchenko, Sinitta and Simon Webbe.

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 under-16s. It was revived in 2010 with an age range of nine to twelve. A second series of the revived format ran in 2012.

MasterChef (original series)

Note: The original MasterChef series did not air in 1998.

MasterChef

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

Other notable contestants

1993: Ross Burden

2008: Emily Ludolf

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

MasterChef Goes Large

MasterChef

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

Note: Series 7 of MasterChef featured 'talent show-type' audition shows (similar to The X Factor) in which hopeful chefs cooked in front of the judges to secure a place in the competition. More than 20,000 people applied to audition for the series.

Specials

What The Winners Did Next – Special on winners from Series 1 and 2 of MasterChef Goes Large; aired 22 January 2007

Celebrity MasterChef

Note: Series 6 of Celebrity MasterChef was aired weekdays on BBC One at 2:15 pm. Catch-up shows were also aired on Fridays at 20:30 (30 minutes long) and on Saturdays at various times (60 minutes long).