Just three amateurs cooks are left to battle it out for the MasterChef champion 2016 crown after seven weeks of gruelling challenges.
Project manager Jack Layer, 27, mother-of-four Jane Devonshire, 50, and property surveyor Billy Wright, 32, must push their culinary boundaries to create an innovative three-course meal in the final challenge standing between them and the trophy.
The MasterChef contestants, who have now been whittled down to a final three (Shine TV/BBC)
Juanita Hennessey, 38, an online production team manager, left the competition on Thursday night’s show when she failed to impress with her twist on creme brulee, featuring tonka bean, fennel and blueberries.
Judge Gregg Wallace said there were about 'two or three flavours too many' on her plate.
Her exit followed her leaving a challenge early in the previous episode due to illness.
Juanita, second from right, has now left the competition (Shine TV/BBC)
Juanita’s competitors stepped in to cook her starter course for a VIP meal at the British Embassy in Mexico City when she began to feel feverish.
After she was voted off the show by Gregg and John Torode on Thursday, the remaining three went through to the tough Chef’s Table challenge, recreating dishes from chef Daniel Humm’s three Michelin-starred restaurant Eleven Madison Park in New York.
John Torode and Gregg Wallace (BBC/Shine TV)
Jack impressed chefs including Marcus Wareing with his take on eggs benedict topped with caviar, while Billy’s braised ox cheek, brown butter mash and black truffle was praised as having flavours 'like a punch in the mouth from Mike Tyson'.
The meal was rounded off by Jane, who made Humm’s signature milk and honey: a milk and bee pollen ice cream with a liquid honey centre.
The win could be a lucrative career move for whoever picks up the crown, as past winners include Wahaca-founder Thomasina Miers and restaurateurs Mat Follas, Dhruv Baker and Tim Anderson.
Last year’s winner Simon Wood released his first cookbook in April.
The finalists will sweat it out one last time in the MasterChef final on BBC One at 8.30pm.
