Catch up TV

Series 17: 25. The Finals - Starter

It’s national finals week, where the winners from the regional heats compete to earn a place on the menu of a spectacular banquet celebrating 100 years of brilliant British broadcasting. Each episode will see the eight rivals compete over a different course, from starter through to dessert, where they will be marked out of ten by an expert judging panel, which features a different well-known guest judge each episode.\n\nBafta-winning writer, actor and comedian Steve Pemberton joins Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge, restaurateur Nisha Katona and food podcast host and comedian Ed Gamble on the judging panel. They’re tasked with picking a winner from eight innovative starter courses, which are all inspired by British broadcasts from the chefs' local regions or nations. The rivals pull out all the stops to impress, with dishes that are as varied in their choice of inspiration as they are in their style of cooking.\n\nIt's the first time the chefs have shared a kitchen, so the atmosphere is tense and competitive. And as some of the chefs have taken the opportunity to improve - or in some cases completely reinvent their dishes since cooking them in the regional finals - there are some surprises.

Source: BBC 2