- MasterChef (UK TV series)
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This article is about the BBC television show. For other uses, see MasterChef.
MasterChef 
MasterChef logoAlso known as MasterChef Goes Large
(2005–2007, original title)Genre Cooking Format Game show Created by Franc Roddam Written by Franc Roddam Directed by Various Presented by Original series:
Loyd Grossman (1990–2000)
Gary Rhodes (2001)Judges MasterChef, Goes Large:
Gregg Wallace and John Torode
MasterChef, The Professionals:
Gregg Wallace and Michel Roux, Jr.
Junior MasterChef:
John Torode and Nadia SawalhaNarrated by India Fisher (2005–2011)
Sean Pertwee (MasterChef: The Professionals, 2011)Country of origin United Kingdom Language(s) English No. of series MasterChef:
11 (Original)
7 (Revived)
Junior MasterChef:
6 (Original)
1 (Revived)
Celebrity MasterChef:
6 (aired to date)
MasterChef, The Professionals
3 (aired to date)No. of episodes MasterChef:
146 (Original Series, inc. specials)
184 (Revived Series to date)
Junior MasterChef:
65 (Original Series)
13 (Revived Series)
Celebrity MasterChef:
133 (end of series 6)
MasterChef: The Professionals
67 (inc. 1 special to date)Production Executive producer(s) Franc Roddam
Elisabeth Murdoch
Gilly HallProducer(s) David Ambler Editor(s) Various Location(s) 15 Bastwick Street[1]
Islington, North London
(MasterChef HQ)Running time 30–90 minutes Production company(s) Shine TV (2005–present) Distributor Ziji Productions Broadcast Original channel BBC One (1990–2000)
BBC Two (2001 series and
MasterChef: The Professionals)Picture format 4:3 (1990–2001)
16:9 (2005–present)Original airing Original series:
2 July 1990 – 3 July 2001
Revived series:
21 February 2005 – presentChronology Related shows Come Dine with Me
Britain's Best Dish
The Great British Bake OffExternal links Website Production website MasterChef is a BBC television cooking game show. It initially ran from 1990 to 2001 and was later revived in a different format known as MasterChef Goes Large from 2005 onwards. In 2008, the "Goes Large" part of the name was dropped, but the format remains identical. The revamped format was devised by Karen Ross and John Silver, who updated the original Franc Roddam format.
The series now appears in three versions: the main MasterChef series, MasterChef: The Professionals for working chefs, and Celebrity MasterChef. All three versions have been commissioned up to and including 2011. A further version, Junior MasterChef, for 10-to-12-year-olds, was also broadcast in May 2010.
Series 6 of Celebrity MasterChef began 12 September 2011 and finished on 22 October 2011, airing in a new daily daytime slot on BBC One at 2.15pm. Catch-up shows were aired on Fridays at 20:30 (30 minutes long) and early evenings on Saturdays (60 minutes long) during the series. The winner was announced on the final Saturday catch-up show.
Series 4 of MasterChef: The Professionals began 7 November 2011 on BBC Two at 8.30pm. The series will air for 6 weeks.
Contents
Original series
In the original series, three amateur cooks took part in each episode, with nine heats leading up to three semifinals and a final, in which they competed for the title of Masterchef. Their task was to cook a gourmet, three-course meal in under two hours. Contestants could cook whatever they liked, though there was a price limit on ingredients. "Everyday" ingredients and equipment were provided for them, in addition to which they could bring in up to five "specialist" ingredients or utensils.
The first incarnation of the series was presented by Loyd Grossman, who was joined each week by two guest judges, one a professional chef, the other a celebrity. Grossman and the guest judges discussed the menus, wandered around talking to the contestants, and finally ate and judged the food at the end. Originally, the judges' "cogitations" took place off-camera, though later on edited highlights of the discussions were added between the tasting and the announcement of the winner.
In 1998, Grossman decided to take a one-series sabbatical. He returned to present the 1999 series, but left the programme in 2000.
MasterChef Live
MasterChef Live is an extension of the television programme. The Show runs annually in November, it is hosted at London Olympia, co-located with The Wine Show. In 2010 the show will take place on the 12–14 November.
Highlights of the event include live cookery demonstrations in the Chefs’ Theatre, celebrity chefs, Critics, plus MasterChef Cook-offs between the 2010 Celebrity MasterChef winner who was revealed on 20 August 2010.
Junior MasterChef
Based on the MasterChef format, Junior MasterChef was for cooks up to the age of 16. Presented by Loyd Grossman from 1994, it used the same set and format. A new series aired on CBBC in May 2010 with John Torode and Nadia Sawalha as judges.
Revamp
In 2001, the series underwent a makeover. It was moved from its traditional Sunday afternoon slot on BBC One to a new weeknight slot on BBC Two. The "celebrity" judge was dropped, and chef Gary Rhodes took over as presenter. This new version of the series asked contestants to cook two courses in just 90 minutes. It was much criticised (notably by former host Loyd Grossman[citation needed]). It lasted just one series.
MasterChef Goes Large
In 2005, Karen Ross and John Silver radically overhauled the format, and a new series was introduced under the title MasterChef Goes Large, which in turn was renamed MasterChef[2] in 2008. In the new version, there are two permanent judges, John Torode and Gregg Wallace, though neither addresses the viewer directly. Instead information is conveyed in a voiceover by India Fisher.
The new series airs five nights a week for eight weeks, consisting of six weeks of heats and quarter-finals, with six contestants emerging to compete against one another over the final two weeks to select a winner.
In each of the first six weeks, there are four heats and a quarter-final. Six contestants enter each heat, with one quarter-finalist emerging from each of the four heats, and these four quarter-finalists compete for a semi-final place, so that over the first six weeks, six semi-finalists emerge. In 2010, the judges were given more flexibility, allowing them to promote more than one contestant to the quarter-finals, or in one instance, none at all.
Heats
The heats follow a three-round format:
- The Invention Test: the contestants must invent a dish from scratch in 50 minutes (40 minutes up until 2009). The contestants can choose from any of a selection of ingredients provided on the day. This forms the first round of the programs and reduces the contestants from six to three cooks.
- The Pressure Test: Working a lunchtime shift at a busy restaurant under the supervision of a professional chef who comments on their performance.
- The Final Test: Cooking a two course meal, with the contestants designing their own menus and choosing their own ingredients, in one hour.
Torode and Wallace at Masterchef Live, London, 2009
Quarter-Finals
The quarter-finals follow a different structure with different challenges. Up until 2010, the format was:
- The Ingredients Test: where the contestants are asked to identify a selection of ingredients or produce.
- The Passion Test: in which each contestant has one minute to convince the judges of their overwhelming passion for food. Following these two rounds, one contestant is knocked out without having cooked that day.
- Finally the remaining three quarter-finalists each produce a three course meal in one hour and twenty minutes.
In 2010, the quarter-final format was changed to:
- The Choice Test: where the contestants are given 15 minutes to cook their choice of either a pre-selected fish recipe or a meat recipe with the judges looking on. At least one contestant is eliminated after this test.
- This is followed by the remaining quarter-finalists producing a two course meal in an hour.
Comeback Week
The sixth week is called "Comeback Week" and features contestants from the previous series of MasterChef who did not advance past the heats or quarter-finals. The format is different for this week:
- The Skill Test: where the contestants have 25 minutes to cook one of two pre-selected recipes. Some contestants may be eliminated after this test.
- The Palate Test: where John Torode cooks a complex dish and asks the contestants one by one to eat the dish and list as many ingredients in the dish as possible. Some contestants may be eliminated after this test.
- The Pressure Test: where the remaining contestants work a lunchtime shift at a busy restaurant under the supervision of a professional chef who comments on their performance.
- The remaining contestants then have 60 minutes to cook a two course meal. One contestant is selected to advance to a quarter-final.
- The comeback quarter-finalists then cook head-to-head in a larger version of the invention test, cooking one dish in an hour. One contestant is selected to advance to the semi-finals.
It has proven very popular and is one of BBC Two's more successful early-evening programmes. The show's popularity led to an announcement by the BBC that the series would be moved to BBC One.[3]
Celebrity MasterChef
Based on the format of MasterChef Goes Large, a new programme of celebrity contestants face the MasterChef challenge on BBC One. There are three contestants per episode with a total of 24 celebrities taking part,[4] who follow the full MasterChef Goes Large test. In 2011, the show was moved to a daily daytime slot with 30 episodes screened over 6 weeks and featuring only 16 celebrities.
In 2006, rugby player Matt Dawson beat Arabella Weir, Charlie Dimmock, David Grant, Fred MacAulay, Graeme Le Saux, Hardeep Singh Kohli, Helen Lederer, Ian McCaskill, Jilly Goolden, Kristian Digby, Lady Isabella Hervey, Linda Barker, Marie Helvin, Paul Young, Richard Arnold, Roger Black, Rowland Rivron, Sarah Cawood, Sheila Ferguson, Simon Grant, Sue Perkins, Tony Hadley and Toyah Willcox
In 2007, Nadia Sawalha beat Midge Ure, Craig Revel Horwood, Jeremy Edwards, Chris Bisson, Martin Hancock, Sunetra Sarker, Gemma Atkinson, Sherrie Hewson, Pauline Quirke, Rani Price, Chris Hollins, Matthew Wright, Angela Rippon, Sue Cook, Lorne Spicer, Emma Forbes, Jeff Green, Darren Bennett, Sally Gunnell, Mark Foster, Matt James, Robbie Earle and Phil Tufnell.
In 2008, Liz McClarnon beat Linda Robson, Louis Emerick, Wendi Peters, Debra Stephenson, Chris Parker, Joe McGann, Steven Pinder, Mark Moraghan, Vicki Michelle, Sean Wilson, Clare Grogan, Hywel Simons, DJ Spoony, Claire Richards, Denise Lewis, Noel Whelan, Andi Peters, Andrew Castle, Michael Buerk, Kaye Adams, Julia Bradbury, Josie D'Arby and Ninia Benjamin.
In 2009, Jayne Middlemiss beat Colin Murray, Simon Shepherd, Janet Ellis, Deena Payne, Iwan Thomas, Rav Wilding, Pete Waterman, Stephen K. Amos, Gemma Bissix, Shirley Robertson, Ian Bleasdale, Paul Martin, Tracy-Ann Oberman, Brian Moore, Saira Khan, Rosie Boycott, Michael Obiora, Joel Ross, Shobna Gulati, Dennis Taylor, Sian Lloyd, Jan Leeming and Joe Swift.
There was also a week of Comeback contestants featuring Joe McGann, Marie Helvin, Linda Barker, Claire Richards, Rowland Rivron, Ninia Benjamin, Steven Pinder, Wendi Peters, Helen Lederer, Tony Hadley, Martin Hancock and Jeff Green, from which Wendi Peters reached the series final.
In 2010, Lisa Faulkner beat Neil Stuke, Richard Farleigh, Nihal Arthanayake, Alex Fletcher, Tessa Sanderson, Jenny Powell, Colin Jackson, Tricia Penrose, Martin Roberts, Christine Hamilton, Chris Walker, Dick Strawbridge, Danielle Lloyd, Marcus Patric, Dean Macey, Mark Chapman, Jennie Bond, Mark Little and Kym Mazelle.
In 2011, former rugby player, Phil Vickery[5] beat Kirsty Wark, Nick Pickard, Darren Campbell, Linda Lusardi, Michelle Mone, Ruth Goodman, Aggie MacKenzie, Ricky Groves, Margi Clarke, Colin McAllister, Justin Ryan, Shobu Kapoor, Sharon Maughan, Tim Lovejoy and Danny Goffey.[6]
MasterChef: The Professionls
A version for professional chefs. While Gregg Wallace and India Fisher reprise their roles as co-judge and voiceover, Torode is replaced by Michel Roux, Jr., who has two Michelin stars and who is assisted, from 2009, by his sous-chef Monica Galetti. Derek Johnstone won the competition on the 19 September 2008, and went on to take a job with Michel Roux Jr at Le Gavroche restaurant in London.
The second series began on Monday 14 September 2009 at 8:30pm on BBC2 and was won by Steve Groves on Thursday 22 October 2009. On 6 June 2010 the series was awarded a BAFTA in the Features category, fending off competition from The Choir, James May's Toy Stories and Heston's Feasts. The winner was Steve Groves, of Launceston Place.[7]
The third series began on Monday 20 September 2010, the eventual winner being 30 year old Claire Lara from Liverpool.[8] She was pregnant at the time.[9]
The fourth series began on 7 November 2011, with India Fisher's voiceover replaced with Sean Pertwee.
Junior MasterChef
A version for children over 10. It began on 10 May 2010 as part of the children's programming block on BBC One. India Fisher provided the voiceover as usual, while the judges were John Torode and former Celebrity Masterchef champion Nadia Sawalha.
Georgia, aged 13 was the winner in 2010.[10]
Winners
Masterchef (original series)
Year Winner 1990 Joan Bunting 1991 Sue Lawrence 1992 Vanessa Binns 1993 Derek Johns 1994 Gerry Goldwyre 1995 Marion Macfarlane 1996 Neil Haidar 1997 Julie Friend 1999 Lloyd Burgess 2000 Marjorie Lang 2001 Rosa Baden-Powell Note: The original MasterChef series did not air in 1998.
Junior Masterchef
Year Winner 1994 Katie Targett-Adams 1995 Jenna Tinson 1996 Lucy Wright 1997 Serena Martin 1998 Curtis Jackson 1999 Dominique Fraser 2010 Georgia Bradford MasterChef (Goes Large)
Year Winner 2005 Thomasina Miers 2006 Peter Bayless 2007 Steven Wallis MasterChef (renamed series)
Year Winner 2008 James Nathan 2009 Mat Follas[11] 2010 Dhruv Baker 2011 Tim Anderson Celebrity MasterChef
Year Winner 2006 Matt Dawson 2007 Nadia Sawalha 2008 Liz McClarnon 2009 Jayne Middlemiss 2010 Lisa Faulkner 2011 Phil Vickery MasterChef: The Professionals
Year Winner 2008 Derek Johnstone 2009 Steve Groves 2010 Claire Lara 2011 TBA Charity Specials
Year Show Name Winner 2008 Children in Need Junior MasterChef Robin (surname not known) 2010 Sport Relief does MasterChef Alan Hansen 2011 Comic Relief does MasterChef Miranda Hart Other notable contestants
- 1993: Ross Burden
- 1999: Joel Wright
- 2008: Emily Ludolf
- 2009: Lewis Bebbington
- 2009: Marianne Lumb
UK Transmission Guide
For international adaptations, see MasterChef.Original Series
Masterchef
Presented by Lloyd Grossman:
Series Start Date End Date 1 2 July 1990 24 September 1990 2 21 April 1991 14 July 1991 3 26 April 1992 19 July 1992 4 11 April 1993 4 July 1993 5 10 April 1994 3 July 1994 6 16 April 1995 9 July 1995 7 7 April 1996 30 June 1996 8 27 April 1997 3 August 1997 9 3 January 1999 28 March 1999 10 12 March 2000 4 June 2000 Masterchef (Revamp)
Presented by Gary Rhodes:
Series Start Date End Date Number of editions 11 3 April 2001 3 July 2001 13 Junior MasterChef
Presented by Lloyd Grossman:
Series Start Date End Date 1 14 August 1994 13 November 1994 2 16 July 1995 22 October 1995 3 4 August 1996 27 October 1996 4 11 March 1998 21 May 1998 5 18 April 1999 1 August 1999 Note: 13 editions for each series of Masterchef and Junior Masterchef.
Specials
- Happy 10th Birthday MasterChef: 18 June 2000
- Tales from the MasterChef Kitchen: Series 1: 10 editions from 2 July 2000 - 3 September 2000
- Celebrity Special: 27 August 2000
Revived Series
MasterChef Goes Large (MasterChef from Series 4)
Series Start Date End Date Number of editions 1 21 February 2005 21 February 2005 29 2 23 January 2006 17 April 2006 45 3 22 January 2007 15 March 2007 40 4 7 January 2008 28 February 2008 32 5 5 January 2009 26 February 2009 6 18 February 2010 7 April 2010 23 7
(Revamp)16 February 2011 27 April 2011 15
(inc. audition shows)Specials
- What The Winners Did Next - Special on winners from Series 2 of Masterchef Goes Large: aired 22 January 2007
Note: Series 7 of MasterChef featured 'talent show-type' audition shows (similar to The X Factor) in which hopeful chefs cooked in front of the judges to secure a place in the competition. More than 20,000 people applied to audition for the show.[12]
Celebrity MasterChef
Series Start Date End Date Number of editions 1 11 September 2006 29 September 2006 15 2 28 May 2007 15 June 2007 3 2 July 2008 25 July 2008 12 4 10 June 2009 10 July 2009 15 5 21 July 2010 20 August 2010 6
(Revamp)12 September 2011 22 October 2011 30 (daily shows)
13 (catch-up shows)Note: Series 6 of Celebrity MasterChef was aired weekdays on BBC One at 2:15pm.[13] Catch-up shows were also aired on Fridays at 20:30 (30 minutes long) and on Saturdays (60 minutes long).
MasterChef: The Professionals
Series Start Date End Date Number of editions 1 25 August 2008 19 September 2008 20 2 14 September 2009 22 October 2009 29 3 27 September 2010 2 November 2010 17 Special 8 November 2010 (Michel's Classics) 1 4 7 November 2011 22 December 2011 22 Junior MasterChef (New version for CBBC)
Series Start Date End Date Number of editions 1 10 May 2010 28 May 2010 13 (daily shows) References
- ^ "Google Maps". Maps.google.co.uk. 1970-01-01. http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&tab=ll. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
- ^ "Two Programmes - MasterChef - Previous episodes". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/tv_and_radio/masterchef/. Retrieved 2009-03-13.
- ^ "Press Office - MasterChef rustles up move to BBC One". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2009/03_march/13/masterchef.shtml. Retrieved 2009-03-13.
- ^ "Food - TV and radio - Celebrity MasterChef biographies". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/tv_and_radio/masterchef/celeb_biogs_index1.shtml. Retrieved 2009-03-13.
- ^ "BBC News - Celebrity MasterChef dishes up 2011 winner". Bbc.co.uk. 2011-09-23. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15416954. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
- ^ "Celebrity MasterChef – BBC One". Plank PR. http://www.plankpr.com/?p=1667. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
- ^ Thomas, Liz (23 October 2009). "Masterchef: I almost quit cooking after my father's death, says winner Steve Groves". Daily Mail (London). http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1222223/Masterchef-winner-Steve-Groves-admits-chef-turned-brigade.html.
- ^ "Claire Lara crowned winner of MasterChef: The Professionals". London: www.dailymail.co.uk. 2 November 2010. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1326051/Claire-Lara-crowned-winner-MasterChef-The-Professionals.html. Retrieved 2010-11-03.
- ^ "Pregnant Merseyside chef Claire Lara through to final of Masterchef: The Professionals - Wirral News". www.wirralnews.co.uk. http://www.wirralnews.co.uk/wirral-news/local-wirral-news/2010/10/28/pregnant-merseyside-chef-claire-lara-through-to-final-of-masterchef-the-professionals-100252-27555563/. Retrieved 2010-11-02.
- ^ BBC - Press Office - CBBC's search for Junior Masterchef 2010, winner revealed
- ^ Mat wins MasterChef 2009 title
- ^ BBC. "MasterChef revamp 'has turned cooking show into The X Factor'". Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/8332394/MasterChef-revamp-has-turned-cooking-show-into-The-X-Factor.html. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
- ^ Heritage, Stuart. "MasterChef goes daytime | Television & radio | guardian.co.uk". Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2011/sep/12/masterchef-daytime-slot-relight-fire. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
External links
- MasterChef at BBC Programmes
- Celebrity MasterChef at BBC Programmes
- MasterChef: The Professionals at BBC Programmes
- MasterChef Goes Large at the Internet Movie Database
- Celebrity MasterChef at the Internet Movie Database
- MasterChef: The Professionals at the Internet Movie Database
- Junior MasterChef at the Internet Movie Database
- MasterChef at UKGameshows.com
- MasterChef Goes Large at UKGameshows.com
MasterChef United Kingdom MasterChef · Junior MasterChef (1994–1999, 2010) · MasterChef: The Professionals (2008-present)Australia MasterChef Australia (2009-present) · Celebrity MasterChef Australia (2009) · Junior MasterChef Australia (2010-present)United States MasterChef US (2010-present) · MasterChef USA (2000–2001)Greece MasterChef Greece (2010, 2012-present) · Junior MasterChef Greece (2011)Philippines MasterChef Pinoy Edition (TBA 2012) · Junior MasterChef Pinoy Edition (2011-present)Other countries Croatia · France · Germany · India · Indonesia · Ireland · Israel · Malaysia · Netherlands · New Zealand · SwedenCategories:- BBC television game shows
- 1990s British television series
- 2000s British television series
- 2010s British television series
- 1990 television series debuts
- MasterChef
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