Have you been watching MasterChef?

The BBC cookery show is back on screens as more hopeful cooks turn up the heat in a bid to impress the judges.

Have you been keeping up with the tense cooking competition?

MasterChef winner Kenny Tutt forced to close restaurant due to rising costs

Kenny and Lucy Tutt have closed one of their restaurants, Bayside Social, due to rising costs.

The restaurant located by a beach in Worthing first opened in July 2021.

In a social media post the owners said the reason for the closure was long-lasting effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

2018 champion Kenny, 41, said he and his wife will now focus on their other restaurant, Pitch.

A post announcing the news on Instagram read: “We’re sad to say that we will be closing Bayside Social in a couple of weeks – our last weekend will be 15th and 16th April.

“We have loved being at this location on the beach, but with rising costs and long-lasting effects of Covid on hospitality businesses, we’ve made the decision to concentrate on our other site, Pitch in Worthing, and we’re really excited for what’s yet to come.

“A huge thank you to our customers – we look forward to seeing as many of you here before we close, and hopefully at our other restaurants in the future.

“Kenny + Lucy Tutt, and the whole Bayside Social team x.”

Three cooks made it through to the next round

MasterChef returned to screens once more last night as the aspiring cooks continued to turn up the heat in the kitchen.

Adam, Anurag and Omar are all heading through to the next round after successfully impressing the returning stars.

However, for Forest last night saw his time on the show come to an end.

When did MasterChef start?

Legendary cooking show MasterChef began all the way back in 1990.

The show ran from 1990 to 2001 before being revived in 2005.

Its first-ever winner was Thomasina Miers.

Curse of MasterChef

MasterChef winner Thomasina Miers became one of the most widely-known victors after appearing on the show in 2005 because she launched the nationwide Mexican food chain Wahaca. 

However in 2018, the business reported losing £4.7million and blamed it on staff contracting the vomiting bug norovirus, which led to the closure of nine restaurants.

 reported around 160 customers and one-quarter of Wahaca’s staff were ill after an “unprecedented” outbreak of the virus in October 2016.

They claimed 18 of the 25 restaurants were affected, which led to one-off additional costs of £700,000.

The company also blamed staff shortages after Brexit – just a quarter of the 1,200 staff were British in 2018 – and that problem continues to this day.

Last November, Thomasina told the Hospitality Rising podcast: “We can’t take as many bookings.

“We have people wanting to have bookings at our tables and we don’t have enough staff.”

MasterChef UK latest news:

• MasterChef viewers gobsmacked as ‘favourite’ gets sent home after huge error
• Inside Gregg Wallace’s incredible life away from MasterChef – gorgeous £1m home to business empire & weight loss journey
• MasterChef contestant mortified as Gregg Wallace refuses to taste dish after spotting ‘major problem’

Why did Gregg Wallace quit the BBC?

Wallace has revealed he's stepping back from presenting Inside The Factory after seven years as he wants to focus his attention on his autistic son.

Speaking to Gaby Roslin on BBC Radio London, he said: “So I’ve made a decision that I’m actually not going to do Inside The Factory any more.

"It’s a good time to stop doing it because there’s actually 12 episodes in the can… so I wouldn’t have been filming for a while anyway, so it just seemed like a good idea to stop it."

Despite quitting the show, he will continue to judge MasterChef.

Who is Gregg Wallace's wife Anne-Marie Sterpini?

Anne-Marie is a caterer who first made contact with Gregg online to discuss ingredients.

It happened after she tweeted the former greengrocer to ask if rhubarb really went with duck, after seeing him trying the recipe on a cooking TV show.

Gregg told : "I just looked at Anna's photo and thought, 'Wow, she's pretty'. So yes, rhubarb, which was considered an aphrodisiac in medieval times, brought us together."

According to her husband, Anne-Marie loves reading history books and Winnie the Pooh - and the couple are keen to start a family.

What are John Torode’s best recipes?

The master cook from Australia has compiled and shared countless recipes over the span of his career.

John’s book My Kind of Food shares recipes that he personally enjoys cooking at home for himself and his loved ones.

For those with a more exotic taste, recipes like his Crisp Fried Tofu and Tom Kha Gai might hit the spot!

However, if you’re all about becoming the next expert in the field of baking, his Berry and Mascarpone Tarts or Tomato and Pesto Tarts‘ recipes might be useful.

Inside Gregg’s life away from MasterChef

Although Gregg travels around the UK for his TV shows – which included The Factory, before he quit – his home in Kent is where his heart truly is.

He lives in the stunning £1million property with his fourth wife Anne-Marie, their son Sid, three, and her parents Rina and Masimo, alongside the family’s pet dogs.

He has two other children, Libby and Tom, from his previous marriage to his ex, Denise. Gregg’s in-laws help to look after Sid, who was diagnosed with autism last year.

In an interview, the star spoke about how they came to live with him, saying: “When they moved in, they wanted to contribute. I said, ‘No way. You don’t need to spend your money anymore. Enjoy your retirement and look after us.’”

In a number of snaps shared online, Gregg has given fans a peek at the interior of his house.

MasterChef viewers gobsmacked as ‘favourite’ gets sent home after huge error

MasterChef viewers were left gobsmacked last night after a fan-favourite contestant was sent home.

Forest, originally from Hong Kong, had won fans and the judges over in the first heat, but suffered a series of disasters during the quarter final.

Forest decided to take on a savoury dish for the first time this week and it did not go to plan.

Returning winner, Thomasina, slammed the main course as “one dimensional” after the lobster and cheese sauce were both lacking in flavour.

His desert – an Eton Mess – also didn’t hit the mark and it was an easy decision for Gregg Wallace and John Torode.

Reacting to the exit, one shocked viewer wrote: ''Forest was my winner until today!''

While a second added: ''I just want to hug Forest and make him a cup of tea.''

Adam, Anurag and Omar are all heading through to the next round after successfully impressing the returning stars.

Who won MasterChef 2021?

The three talented finalists of the series were Mike Tomkins, Alexina Anatole and Tom Rhodes.

But after an epic final performance, it was Tom who was crowned champion to the delight of fans, who had to wait a few days to watch the conclusion of the series after the show was delayed due to Prince Philip‘s death.

The Newcastle-based high-street chain restaurant manager stunned the judges with his three-course menu.

He started with a trio of oysters – one raw oyster topped with apple, cucumber and sake granite; a beer-battered oyster with umeboshi mayonnaise; and a grilled oyster with miso and seaweed butter topped with panko crumbs and oyster leaf.

For the main course, Tom served up reverse seared rib-eye steak, topped with kombu pickled beetroot, baked beetroot cooked in beef fat, wasabi buttermilk and a watercress puree served with sake and bone marrow sauce.

And dessert featured his take on a lemon tart.

How do I apply for MasterChef UK?

Applications to apply for MasterChef 2024 are now OPEN.

All you need to do is  to be in with a chance.

The BBC advise you to take your time, and not to submit multiple applications.

The series typically films annually at the end of the year, and broadcasts around the following March/April.

Are Gregg Wallace and John Torode friends?

Gregg and John get on but keep things professional.

The pair appeared on The One Show on April 5, chatting about the new series of MasterChef.

Emma Willis, who was presenting with Ronan Keating, said: “It’s incredible, 19 series [of the show] and still so many people are coming on.”

Gregg then said: “And people still ask if we are really mates, ‘Do you really get on because we heard you don’t get on?

“It’s been nearly 20 years and I knew him 10 years before this, so we’ve known each other 30 years.”

John added: “We’ve done 10 years not 19 series, so we are up to nearly 40 series, then you put professional on top of that and juniors, 19 years on TV, we feel lucky.”

Who is Gregg Wallace?

Gregg Wallace was born on October 17, 1964, in Elephant and Castle, London.

He is a former costermonger, baker and TV personality, who currently lives in Whitstable, Kent, with his two children and fourth wife, Anne-Marie.

He’s best known as one-half of MasterChef’s judging team, alongside Aussie chef John Torode.

Gregg has been doing the MasterChef gig since 2005, and he’s also on the panel of MasterChef: The Professionals and Celebrity MasterChef.

Who won Celebrity MasterChef 2022?

After five intense weeks of heats, semi-finals, and the final week of culinary challenges, one celeb managed to beat all competitors in the kitchen, and was awarded the trophy by judges Gregg Wallace and John Torode.

And after all three finalists cooked their hearts out is was Lisa Snowdon who walked off as Celebrity MasterChef champion.

In the final episode, the radio presenter and former model had two hours to present a flawless three-course meal, and show off her skills to impress the judges.

Lisa proved herself once again, presenting a winning menu – a starter of poached rhubarb and pan-fried mackerel, followed by the main course of duck breast with mushrooms and cavolo nero, and a chocolate tart with brandy snap to finish things off.

MasterChef fans all saying the same thing about show shake-up

MasterChef viewers were left raging at their TV's over a frustrating show shake-up when the new series aired.

A floor manager kept appearing to let the contestants know how much time they had left until they had to go in and present their dishes.

The floor manager told the chefs "that is time up", and "you have five minutes left" a number of times during the audition process.

This didn't sit well with the viewers who were left yelling at their televisions in frustration at the staff member, labelling him "annoying" and "unnecessary."

Taking to Twitter, one wrote: "Who's the bossy hand-clasping goon in the MasterChef kitchen, barking out five minute warnings at everyone, during the bring your own picnic round? Middle-management material, through? and through."

Another added: "They've f****d around with the format, this doesn't work MasterChef we don't need to see their cool boxes, and the floor manager."

A third wrote: "This time keeping bloke is annoying and unnecessary. I find myself shouting at the TV for him to shut up!"

A fourth raged: "This stupid floor manager needs to p*** off."

Who is Marcus Wareing?

Marcus was born on June 29, 1970 in Southport, Merseyside.

He started working in the food industry at the age of 11, packing potatoes and helping his dad with deliveries.

Marcus was paid just 10p for every 5lb (2.3kg) bag of potatoes packed.

He credits his dad’s long hours with inspiring his own work ethic.

He is best known as both a top chef and a judge on MasterChef: The Professionals.

What is Gregg’s net worth?

Gregg has established himself as one of the biggest stars on TV and has a whopping £5million estimated net worth.

According to BBC salary figures, he was paid a staggering £250,000 in 2016 for his work on MasterChef, which he has presented since 2005, and Masterchef: The Professionals.

His other projects include Veg Talk on BBC Radio 4, which lasted for seven years, The Money Programme, and Time Commanders.

In 2021, he fronted a six-part ITV show called South Africa with Gregg Wallace and presented two Christmas specials on Channel 5 that same year.

His greengrocer business had a turnover of £7.5 million at its peak. He started the company, George Allan’s Greengrocer’s in 1989, a nod to his past as a fruit and veg seller.

2005 MasterChef champion Thomasina Miers removes steak from her restaurants' menus to reduce carbon footprint

2005 MasterChef champion Thomasina Miers has removed steak from her 13 Mexican restaurants, Wahaca, in an effort to make the chain more eco-friendly.

Wahaca started displaying the carbon footprints of every dish on the menu last year.

Chargrilled steak burritos had the biggest environmental impact, followed by the bestselling steak and cheese tacos, so both dishes are no longer available.

Thomasina told the Telegraph: “We wanted to look at a way of reducing the amount of meat dishes... while still offering truly tasty options for those that still enjoy eating it.

“Being conscious that meat and dairy products are among the biggest culprits from an emissions perspective has led to us expanding our vegetarian and vegan offerings in recent years.”

How many seasons of MasterChef are there?

This year’s series marks the 19th (yes 19th!) series of the iconic cooking competition.

Currently, you can only catch up on the last four seasons via BBC iPlayer.