Season pulse
Episodes
24 episodesEpisode 1
Nine cooks face an audition test in which they must cook a Family Favourite dish, and an invention test. Seven will progress to the next round, and two will be eliminated.
Episode 2
This week’s seven remaining home cooks return to face a challenge set by food critic William Sitwell. Only four can progress to the first quarter-final.
Episode 3
The week's four best cooks compete in the first quarter-final, aiming to secure a place in Knockout Week. Their dishes must impress last year's MasterChef finalists.
Episode 4
Nine home cooks aim to progress to the next round of the competition, but they must recreate their Family Favourite dish and face the invention test. For two, their MasterChef dream will be over.
Episode 5
The seven remaining cooks face a challenge set by food critic Jay Rayner, in which they must create a dish using dough or batter.
Episode 6
It's the second quarter-final, and this week’s four most talented cooks must test their mettle by creating two courses for a host of former champions for a place in Knockout Week.
Episode 7
Nine home cooks aim to progress to the next round of the competition, but they must recreate their Family Favourite dish and face the invention test. For two, their MasterChef dream will be over.
Episode 8
The seven remaining cooks face a challenge set by food critic Leyla Kazim, in which they must create a dish that showcases sourness or bitterness.
Episode 9
It's the third quarter-final, and this week’s four most talented cooks must test their mettle by creating two courses for a host of former champions and contestants for a place in Knockout Week.
Episode 10
Nine home cooks aim to progress to the next round of the competition, but they must recreate their Family Favourite dish and face the invention test. For two, their MasterChef dream will be over.
Episode 11
The seven remaining cooks face a challenge set by food critic Jimi Famurewa, in which they must create a dish using leftovers or waste.
Episode 12
It’s the fourth quarter-final, and this week’s most talented four cooks return to fight for a place in Knockout Week. They must cook for some of MasterChef’s most inspiring winners and contestants.
Episode 13
It’s the fifth and final week of the heats, and once more the judges have a set of challenges the passionate amateurs must complete in order to progress in the competition.
Episode 14
Seven home cooks from the first rounds return to test their culinary wits and convince John and Gregg that they have what it takes to be MasterChef Champion 2023.
Episode 15
It’s the last quarter-final, with this week’s most talented four cooks returning to fight for a place in Knockout Week.
Episode 16
It's the start of Knockout Week, with just 14 amateur cooks left in the competition.
Episode 17
Knockout Week continues, with seven more home cooks battling to reach the semi-finals. At the end of this week, only the best ten cooks will remain in the competition.
Episode 18
Ten become eight as the places in the semi-finals are decided. The challenge to get there is to create a dish the judges can eat with their hands.
Episode 19
The semi-finals kick off at the Fire Service College in Gloucestershire, where the contestants must cook in teams to produce a fine dining experience for 120 emergency responders.
Episode 20
The seven remaining amateurs have to cook a dish that is 'so wrong that it's right'. Five will progress to create a five-course lunch to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the discovery of DNA.
Episode 21
The five remaining contestants vie for a place in the finals by cooking a dish that is both ‘theatrical and fantastical’.
Episode 22
It's finals week, and the four remaining amateur cooks travel to Turkey to work with the chef of the only restaurant in Istanbul to have been awarded two Michelin stars.
Episode 23
The last four compete for a place in the final and the chance to cook at a restaurant with three Michelin stars.
Episode 24
After eight gruelling weeks of intense competition, the final three compete in one last cook-off for the 2023 MasterChef trophy.