The new series of MasterChef has been the most talked-about show of the year for all the wrong reasons.
We won't go into all the headlines again, other than to say that both presenters, Gregg Wallace and John Torode, have been sacked, but as the show was already filmed, they will appear in the new series. Although it is understood that the series has been edited to reduce their screen time.
And yes, the BBC has resisted calls not to air the series, and episode 1 will go out tonight — Wednesday, August 6 — on BBC1 at 8 pm. It runs for an hour until 9 pm. Then episode 2 will air the following night at the same time on BBC1.
Tasks in the first heat involve turning a humble set of ingredients into a showstopper of a dish, a mystery box containing trout, chocolate and beetroot and cooking a two-course meal for last year's MasterChef champion Brin Pirathapan and finalists Chris Willoughby and Louise Lyons Macleod.
Who are the MasterChef contestants in Heat 1?
The BBC is planning to focus on the contestants, so that's what we will do. In Heat 1, they are Beth, Gemma, Gon, Penelope, Shaun, and Thea...
Beth
Beth is a 40-year-old vocal coach who lives in Northampton with her partner, Peter. Asked what her favourite ingredient is, she replied: "My favourite cooking ingredient is a lemon. I love lemons in drinks, savouries and desserts. The versatility but boldness of the citrus does it for me every time! Whether it’s with fish or gin… perfection."
Gemma
Gemma is a 32-year-old Head of Business, who lives in London with husband Ziggy and their dog Chilli. She was born in Hong-Kong and grew up in Singapore and Malaysia. Asked about her cooking style she says: "I'm inspired by everything from Asian street food to high-end restaurants and cheeky late-night takeaway cravings. I'm also a bit of a cookbook addict, I'll happily devour anything from anywhere in the world. It keeps things fresh and pushes me to try new things in the kitchen."
Gon
Gon is a 26-year-old Recruiter and Thai Boxing Coach who lives in Coventry with his Dad. He was born in Thailand and moved to Coventry when he was seven. Asked about how he got into cooking, he said: "I got into cooking through my mum and the rest of my family. I was brought up on amazing food cooked with love. I had to replicate the endless core memories and great moments that food has created for me."
Penelope
Penelope is a 70 year-old writer who lives in Dorset with her very spoilt Tibetan Terrier, Panda Bear. She was born and raised in New Zealand and moved to Australia when she was 20. Talking about her cooking style, she says: "My style has been described as eclectic. Perhaps you could call it a new Antipodean-based style like ‘Con-Fusion’, because it confounds some people until they taste it. This week it has been a breakfast of chilled strawberries on hot buttered toast, with a dollop of salted rosewater and cardamom ice-cream. After all, it does have all the elements of toast and jam."
Shaun
Shaun is a 28-year-old Digital Marketing Manager from Manchester. He was born in Zimbabwe and grew up in Cambridge. Asked about how he got into cooking, he replied: "I’ve been surrounded by food for as long as I can remember. My dad was a professional chef and my mum ran a bakery, so good food was always a part of my daily life. From a young age, they encouraged me to cook, teaching me to trust my intuition in the kitchen rather than always sticking to recipes. That instinctive approach has stuck with me ever since."
Thea
Thea is a 28-year-old Marketing Coordinator who lives in London. Talking about her earliest cooking memory, she recalls: "I have fond memories of when I was taught to make carbonara by my mother. It was one of the simplest recipes but I found it the most difficult to perfect. After countless practice and multiple failures (too scrambled or too runny egg) I have now made it my signature dish."
