MasterChef UK | Series 21 Preview (BBC One)

The biggest cooking competition on TV returns to BBC One and BBC iPlayer to uncover the UK’s best amateur cooks and celebrate the food that brings so many together.

Over eight weeks, this year’s ambitious cooks take on the cooking adventure of a lifetime, hoping to chop, whisk and sizzle their way to claiming the ultimate culinary prize - the MasterChef trophy and impress judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace.

The opening episode is the first outing for the contestants across five weeks of heats, as the brand new amateur cooks enter the kitchen. They include a vocal coach, a writer and a marketing manager, who all have their sights set on their ticket to the rest of the competition - winning a gleaming white MasterChef apron.

The contestants’ first task is Basic to Brilliant. It's their chance to turn the humblest of ingredients into an absolute showstopper of a dish – one that excites the palate while also showing off the chosen ingredient in all its splendour. Those who deliver the two best plates will head into the next round, sporting their new apron.

The other hopefuls will need to cook again, as their place in the competition hangs in the balance. Their fate will be decided by the next challenge – the Mystery Box, containing three ingredients – trout, chocolate and beetroot. The larder will be at their disposal too, so there are no limitations except perhaps their imagination. Just 45 minutes and a delicious dish stands between them and the unclaimed aprons. Failing to make the grade means the journey will be over.

The four remaining competitors can’t rest on their laurels though, as there’s one more mountain to climb to earn them their quarter-final place. They will need to cook a two-course menu for three familiar guests – last year’s champion Brin Pirathapan and finalists Chris Willoughby and Louise Lyons Macleod.

These three know a decent plate of food when they taste it and how the pressure in the kitchen feels. The contestants will need to pull out all the stops to deliver a worthy dish.

In the second heat of the week, the next group of amateurs, including a nurse, an accountant and a landscape gardener, are bravely taking on the challenge. It’s all to play for, with their efforts rewarded with a MasterChef apron and a shot at a place in the quarter-finals.

The hopefuls waste no time in getting to work as they are asked to transform an everyday ingredient from Basic to Brilliant. The dish should deliver on all fronts but must highlight the chosen ingredient – which include carrots, peas and chicken.

The contestants will have 80 minutes to show what they’ve got. It’s happy days for the creators of the two best dishes, as they will storm into the next round wearing a sparkling new MasterChef apron.

The Mystery Box awaits for those competing for the last two aprons. Under the box lies three ingredients, and they must use at least one to create a delicious plate of food. Cauliflower, bacon and pear are on offer. Combining all three could either be a risky move or demonstrate an imaginative and skilful touch. The top two will nab their apron and head into the next round, while for the other cooks, their dream of winning the trophy will be over.

The heat culminates in the biggest task yet, as the four left standing cook a two-course menu for three incredible guests – MasterChef champions Jane Devonshire (2016), Irini Tzortzoglou (2019) and Shelina Permalloo (2012). If the amateurs can control their nerves and deliver food that delights the diners, they will stand a chance of coming out on top. If panic sets in, it could be game over.

MasterChef returns Wednesday 6th August on BBC One.