MasterChef has announced a two-part Christmas special for BBC One and iPlayer, featuring a raft of well-known celebrity chefs and restaurant critics returning to the kitchen to battle it out in the ultimate festive cook-off,
The show will be hosted by restaurant critic and broadcaster Grace Dent and Italian Michelin-starred chef and restaurateur Giorgio Locatelli as judges.
Episode one will see five celebrity chefs, each with their own distinctive cooking style, go head-to-head in an epic festive showdown. Competing for the coveted Golden Whisk this Christmas are Italian celebrity chef Aldo Zilli, Irish TV chef and cookery school teacher Rachel Allen, British-Iranian TV presenter, chef and bestselling author Sabrina Ghayour, social media food sensation Seema Pankhania, and beloved Scottish chef and restaurateur Tony Singh.
For the first time ever, they will face off in the ultimate test of culinary skill, taking on classic MasterChef challenges. Their innovative abilities will be put to the test as they are tasked with creating dishes from Christmas leftovers, before tackling a challenge that requires them to create both a main course and a pudding that showcases their individual cooking styles.
Episode two will see some of the country’s top restaurant critics return in a bid to claim the title. Taking part in the festive rematch are current critics’ champion Jay Rayner, alongside Jimi Famurewa, Leyla Kazim, Tom Parker Bowles and William Sitwell.
The critics will face a series of challenges which will see them put their money where their mouth is by creating dishes worthy of critical acclaim from the judges and giving them the chance to take home the MasterChef Critics’ Trophy.