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This week’s second heat welcomes new hopefuls to take on the cooking competition. A personal trainer, a carer and a teacher are amongst those taking part, and the contenders will need to jump straight into action as they cook off for one of the MasterChef aprons.

The contestants get right to it with the first task: Basic to Brilliant. This is an opportunity for the home cooks to show what they are made of as they turn their chosen everyday staple into a dish worthy of a top-notch feast. The plate will need to be a harmonious blend of flavours with a decent dollop of flair. The two who come out on top get new aprons and put their feet up, leaving the other contestants to cook again.

The Mystery Box will decide the fate of the remaining cooks. They need to rustle up something delicious by using at least one of the secret ingredients: parsnip, strawberries and chicken livers. Blending all three might not be the best idea, but stranger things have happened. This is one challenge that the amateurs won’t want to mess up, as those who fail to make the grade will be saying their goodbyes.

The pressure is ramped up in the final round as the contenders still standing return to their stoves. They must pull out all the stops as they cook for three guest diners: 2007 champion Steven Wallis, 2020 champion Thomas Frake and 2018 semi-finalist Nisha Parmar. They all know the standard needed to succeed, but producing eight plates of food in 75 minutes is no easy task.

Will the diners’ verdict match the cooks’ aspirations? The end of the round reveals which cooks are worthy of a quarter-final place as the race for this year’s champion hots up.