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It’s the second heat of the week, and another cohort of brave cooks are geared up for the challenge of a lifetime. They will each be hoping to win one of the four MasterChef aprons on offer – their ticket to the rest of the competition.

Basic to Brilliant is their first challenge. They have just 80 minutes to create a delicious dish that shows off an everyday ingredient. Sugar, pasta and mussels are amongst tonight’s picks, all with the potential to showcase plates packed with skill and flavour. The standout cooks will be MasterChef apron-worthy and head straight for the next round, leaving the others with one more chance to impress.

Who gets to wear one of the aprons up for grabs will be determined by the Mystery Box. The task is to rustle up a tasty treat using at least one of three secret ingredients: coffee, chocolate and plums. Get ready for some culinary invention of the highest order as the contestants raid the larder and spend the next 45 minutes creating their masterpiece. The strongest contenders will fly into the next round.

The contenders left standing must deliver a two-course menu for three diners who might well have a reason to empathise with the amateurs, as they have been all been here before. MasterChef 2021 champion Tom Rhodes, 2018 champion Kenny Tutt, and 2021 finalist Alexina Anatole will all sample the menus on offer to determine who has what it takes to follow in their footsteps. Will their verdicts be what the cooks are dreaming of, or will the outcome send the hopefuls down a different path?

Only the best will move forward into this week’s quarter-final, where the pressure ramps up and next-level cooking takes centre stage.