MasterChef: The Professionals confirms return
MasterChef: The Professionals has confirmed that it will return this autumn for its 16th series.
The high-pressured cooking competition will see 32 professional chefs enter the MasterChef kitchen in a bid to become the 2023 Champion. Last year (2022) saw Nikita Pathakji announced as the winner.
MasterChef veteran Gregg Wallace and Michelin-starred chef Marcus Wareing will be reunited with renowned chef Monica Galetti to judge this year's competitors. Galetti left the show in 2021 due to commitments to her family and restaurant business, and was replaced by Morning Live's Anna Haugh for the 2022 series.
"I'm delighted to be back with my MasterChef family for 2023 and I can't wait to discover the country's next culinary superstar," said Galetti on her return to the show.
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Wareing shared his hopes for this year's competition, saying: "My expectations are high and I'm looking for the very best talent. The chef worthy of the trophy needs guts, flair and absolute focus on reaching that goal."
The show will run for seven weeks, testing the chefs on their culinary skills across various high pressured challenges.
As they make their way through the competition, they will be judged by food critics and chefs at the top of their game. They include: Grace Dent, Tom Parker Bowles, William Sitwell, Matt Abé and Michael Caines.
The chefs will also be put to the test in professional kitchens, both in London and Copenhagen. Under the watchful eyes of Michelin-starred chefs Jeremy Chan, Tom Shepherd and globally-renowned chef Rasmus Munk, the contestants will attempt to deliver a service like no other.
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"This is an incredible, high-stakes competition and I get such a thrill knowing that this is a genuinely life-changing opportunity for these chefs," said Wallace of the life-changing nature of the show.
"I'm so excited to see who will walk through our doors," he added.
Ahead of the series' return, Wallace has recently spoken out about how his appearance on Strictly Come Dancing's 12th series led him to undergo therapy due to stress.
"I was having a really tough time. I was really, really stressed... so badly that the side of my face broke out into a rash, like cold sores," he told the Men In Mind podcast.
Masterchef: The Professionals returns this autumn to BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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