MasterChef: The Professionals Festive Specials – here’s who’s returning!

MasterChef: The Professionals has confirmed two Festive Specials for later this year on BBC One.

Each of the two specials will see four of the most memorable chefs from past series return to compete in festive-themed competition.

2020 has seen the hospitality industry face the most critical time in its history and the returning contestants showcase their culinary skills to judges: Michelin-starred chef, Marcus Wareing; highly-reputed chef, Monica Galetti, and celebrated MasterChef judge, Gregg Wallace.

In the first programme we see the following finalists step back into the MasterChef kitchen: Danny Parker (finalist 2014), Louisa Ellis (finalist 2017), Marianne Lumb (finalist 2009) and William Chilila (semi-finalist 2018).

While competing in the second special are: Steve Barringer (finalist 2011), Exose Grant Lopo-Ndiga (finalist 2019), Oli Martin (finalist 2018) and Olivia Burt (finalist 2019).

Like all great MasterChef: The Professionals competitions, Monica and Marcus start by setting a Skills Test and demonstrate what they’d do if faced with the challenge themselves.

From a bench full of festive ingredients in the first episode Monica sets her group of chefs the challenge of making Festive Canapés while Marcus asks the chefs to come up with a dish inspired by Christmas Leftovers.

For the competing chefs it’s a chance to relive the much-feared Skills Test, and they catch up with judges on how their careers have progressed since taking part in the competition as well as showing off their skill, flair and imagination using the seasonal ingredients.

Then the chefs must face the challenge of impressing the judges with a seasonally themed two-course menu in two-and-half hours.

Showing their culinary personality to the full, the dishes need to have technical skill, creativity, flair and, most importantly, they need to be delicious enough to wow the judges into crowning them the Best Chef.

MasterChef: The Professionals’ festive specials will air Tuesday 29 December and Wednesday 30 December at 8PM on BBC One.

In the meantime, the current series of MasterChef: The Professionals is airing Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays on BBC One at 9PM.

You can watch the latest episodes online via BBC iPlayer here.

Picture: BBC