
The third week of heats beckons, which means there’s a fresh group of professional chefs waiting in the wings of the MasterChef kitchen, ready to demonstrate their exceptional talent. All four are committed to their goal of securing a place in this week’s quarter-final, but two huge challenges stand in their way.\n\nFirst, there’s the daunting skills test, where the contestants come face to face with the three judges and take on a recipe of a former finalist or champion. This week, it’s 2022 champion Nikita Pathakji, who runs monthly supper clubs serving food rooted in the French classics, but which also celebrate her passion for Asian flavours. \n\nThe first two chefs in this round are tasked with Nikita’s king prawns, served in a coconut and lemongrass broth alongside some prawn toast. Getting depth of flavour in the broth is crucial, but with only 20 minutes to attack the task, how will the chefs fare? Cooking the prawns and toast to perfection requires a deft touch. The bench has everything the pros need to create the dish, but how they use them remains to be seen.\n\nNikita and the judges taste the dishes and assess the skills on show, hopefully sending the contestants off with a spring in their step. \n\nThen it’s the turn of the last two chefs, who each step into the ring to re-create Nikita’s peach baked alaska: a delicious layering of sponge, peaches, ice cream and meringue. There is no easy road to success, and each of the professionals must keep a close eye on quantities and temperatures, as the slightest deviation will ruin the dish. \n\nHaving dusted themselves off, the four competitors have one more chance to prove they are quarter-final-worthy as they deliver their signature dish to the judges – their own food that not only tastes like a million dollars but also shows true professional prowess. They may have practised in their own homes, but whether they can replicate the dish under the pressure of the MasterChef kitchen is another story. \n\nNinety minutes and four tastings later, Marcus, Matt and Monica deliver the news. Which chefs have done enough to sail into the quarter-final? Only the best will be able to cope with what’s thrown at them next as the hunt for the MasterChef: The Professionals champion continues.
Source: BBC 2
Series 18: Episode 21
It’s the endgame, and the three extraordinary remaining chefs do battle in the MasterChef: The Professionals final. Each dish plated and each mouthful tasted in this compe ...
26-03-2026
BBC 2
Series 18: Episode 20
Finals week continues, and the three chefs left standing are in for an absolute treat as they head off for an Italian adventure that will change the way they think about food fo ...
24-03-2026
BBC 2
Series 18: Episode 19
The finals have arrived, and after weeks of culinary excellence, the four chefs remaining in the competition now need to deliver their best food yet, with two huge hurdles to ov ...
23-03-2026
BBC 2
Series 18: Episode 18
The semi-finals draw to a close, with just five remaining chefs ready to face two challenges. The contenders dig deep into their culinary repertoire as they cook for one of the ...
19-03-2026
BBC 2
Series 18: Episode 17
The semi-finals continue, and just six sterling professional chefs remain. They face two extraordinary tests that should take their food to the next level. At the end, one will ...
17-03-2026
BBC 2
Series 18: Episode 16
As the semi-finals begin, just eight extraordinary professional chefs remain. Each of them has their sights set on taking the title, but they must dig deeper than ever before to ...
16-03-2026
BBC 2
Series 18: Episode 15
It's the end of knockout week and time for the second group of five professional contestants to enter the world of pop-ups as they head out of the MasterChef kitchen for the fir ...
13-03-2026
BBC 2
Series 18: Episode 14
Knockout week continues as the ten remaining professional chefs are split into two groups. The contenders step out of the MasterChef kitchen to compete in the real world once ag ...
11-03-2026
BBC 2
Series 18: Episode 13
Knockout week has arrived. It will see the best 13 chefs who have cooked their way through the heats and quarter-finals come together to do battle once more. Some will only be f ...
10-03-2026
BBC 2
Series 18: Episode 12
The last quarter-final has arrived, and with it come the standout chefs of the week, who are ready to impress with even more culinary wizardry. Deliver across two tasks tonight, ...
08-03-2026
BBC 2
Series 18: Episode 16
As the semi-finals begin, just eight extraordinary professional chefs remain. Each of them has their sights set on taking the title, but they must dig deeper than ever before to ...
16-03-2026
BBC 2
Series 18: Episode 6
The second quarter-final beckons, and the standout chefs from the week are back to prove they mean business. Getting through the next two hurdles means qualifying for knockout w ...
20-02-2026
BBC 2
Series 18: Episode 20
Finals week continues, and the three chefs left standing are in for an absolute treat as they head off for an Italian adventure that will change the way they think about food fo ...
24-03-2026
BBC 2
Series 18: Episode 1
The first heat sees four intrepid chefs enter the MasterChef kitchen, where their skills are assessed across two tasks. A place in the quarter-finals is at stake, and only those ...
10-02-2026
BBC 2
Series 18: Episode 19
The finals have arrived, and after weeks of culinary excellence, the four chefs remaining in the competition now need to deliver their best food yet, with two huge hurdles to ov ...
23-03-2026
BBC 2
Series 18: Episode 4
The second week of heats is here, and a new batch of ambitious professional chefs are about to undertake two challenges that would make the most experienced chef quake in their ...
17-02-2026
BBC 2
Series 18: Episode 17
The semi-finals continue, and just six sterling professional chefs remain. They face two extraordinary tests that should take their food to the next level. At the end, one will ...
17-03-2026
BBC 2
Series 18: Episode 8
This next heat sees four new professional chefs take a punt on MasterChef greatness by battling through two tasks designed to push their culinary skills to the max. Matt, Marcus ...
25-02-2026
BBC 2
Series 18: Episode 21
It’s the endgame, and the three extraordinary remaining chefs do battle in the MasterChef: The Professionals final. Each dish plated and each mouthful tasted in this compe ...
26-03-2026
BBC 2
Series 18: Episode 12
The last quarter-final has arrived, and with it come the standout chefs of the week, who are ready to impress with even more culinary wizardry. Deliver across two tasks tonight, ...
08-03-2026
BBC 2