MATT TEBBUTT DEPARTS MASTERCHEF: THE PROFESSIONALS AS FULLTIME JUDGE AFTER ONE SERIES

Matt Tebbutt will not be a full-time judge on the next series of MasterChef: The Professionals, it has been revealed.

Instead, it is reported that existing judges Marcus Wareing and Monica Galetti will front the show on their own with no direct replacement for Tebbutt, who replaced Gregg Wallace on the show. It's understood Tebbutt will remain part of the MasterChef family as an occasional guest judge.

Meanwhile, Gareth Baty, 40, has been awarded the prestigious title of MasterChef: The Professionals Series 18 Champion.

As the 19th chef to earn the coveted trophy, Gareth takes his place in MasterChef history alongside other incredible champions: Derek Johnstone; Steve Groves; Claire Lara; Ash Mair, joint winners Keri Moss and Anton Piotrowski; Steven Edwards; Jamie Scott; Mark Stinchcombe; Gary Maclean; Craig Johnston; Laurence Henry; Stu Deeley, Alex Webb, Dan Lee, Nikita Pathakji, Tom Hamblet and 2024’s winner, Dan Merriman.

Gareth took on 31 other ambitious professional chefs and cooked his way to success at the end of seven weeks of increasingly tough challenges. Throughout the competition Gareth has impressed the judges Marcus Wareing, Monica Galetti and Matt Tebbutt and impressed restaurant critics and some of the country’s leading chefs – delivering exceptional, imaginative food and skilful cookery.

In Gareth’s Quarter Final, William Sitwell said his halibut dish with beer battered mussels “really delivered. I thought it was terrific.” While April Jackson described his halibut as “absolutely delicious, it’s absolutely perfect and just flakes away,” and Tom Parker Bowles said: “The mussels were great, but those scraps on the bottom – it’s absolutely knockout.”

Reacting to his win, Gareth said: “This means everything to me, it’s the best feeling I’ve ever had. It’s absolutely incredible, I’m over the moon. If I’ve learned anything through this competition it’s cooking food you believe in and cooking from the heart can take you a long way. Hopefully this journey is just the beginning.”

MasterChef: The Professionals is available now on BBC iPlayer.