MasterChef (British TV series)

This article is about the BBC television show. For other uses, see MasterChef (disambiguation).

MasterChef
Genre	Cookery
Presented by	Loyd Grossman (1990–2000) Gary Rhodes (2000–01) Gregg Wallace (2005–present) John Torode (2005–present) Michel Roux, Jr. (2008–present) Junior MasterChef: Nadia Sawalha (2007–present)
Narrated by	India Fisher (2005–present)
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
Original release
Network	BBC
Release	Original series: 2 July 1990 (1990-07-02) – 3 July 2001 (2001-07-03) Revived series: 21 February 2005 (2005-02-21) – Present
Related
Saturday Kitchen (2002–present)

MasterChef is a BBC television cookery game show. It initially ran from 1990 to 2001 and was later revived in a different format known as MasterChef Goes Large from 2005 onwards. In 2008, the "Goes Large" part of the name was dropped, but the format remains identical. The revamped format was devised by Karen Ross and John Silver, who updated the original Franc Roddam format. The series now appears in three versions: the main MasterChef series, MasterChef: The Professionals for working chefs, and Celebrity MasterChef. All three versions have been commissioned up to and including 2011. A further version, Junior Masterchef, for 10-to-12-year-olds, was also broadcast in 2010.

Original series

In the original series, three amateur cooks took part in each episode, with nine heats leading up to three semifinals and a final, in which they competed for the title of Masterchef. Their task was to cook a gourmet, three-course meal in under two hours. Contestants could cook whatever they liked, though there was a price limit on ingredients. "Everyday" ingredients and equipment was provided for them, in addition to which they could bring in up to five "specialist" ingredients or utensils.

The first incarnation of the series was presented by Loyd Grossman, who was joined each week by two guest judges, one a professional chef, the other a celebrity. Grossman and the guest judges discussed the menus, wandered around talking to the contestants, and finally ate and judged the food at the end. Originally, the judges' "cogitations" took place off-camera, though later on edited highlights of the discussions were added between the tasting and the announcement of the winner.

In 1998, Grossman decided to take a one-series sabbatical. He returned to present the 1999 series, but left the programme in 2000.

MasterChef Live

MasterChef Live is an extension of the television programme. The Show runs annually in November, it is hosted at London Olympia, co-located with The Wine Show. In 2010 the show will take place on the 12-14 November.

Highlights of the event include live cookery demonstrations in the Chefs’ Theatre, celebrity chefs, plus MasterChef Cook-offs between the 2010 Celebrity MasterChef winner who will be revealed on 20 August 2010.

Junior Masterchef

Based on the Masterchef format, Junior Masterchef was for cooks up to the age of 16. Presented by Loyd Grossman from 1994, it used the same set and format. A new series is now showing on CBBC.

Revamp

In 2000, the series underwent a makeover. It was moved from its traditional Sunday afternoon slot on BBC One to a new weeknight slot on BBC Two. The "celebrity" judge was dropped, and chef Gary Rhodes took over as presenter. This new version of the series asked contestants to cook two courses in just 90 minutes. It was much criticised (notably by former host Loyd Grossman). It lasted just one series.

MasterChef Goes Large

In 2005, Karen Ross and John Silver radically overhauled the format, and a new series was introduced under the title MasterChef Goes Large, which in turn was renamed MasterChef in 2008. In the new version, there are two permanent judges, John Torode and Gregg Wallace, though neither addresses the viewer directly. Instead information is conveyed in a voiceover by India Fisher.

The new series airs four nights a week for eight weeks, consisting of six weeks of heats and quarter-finals, with six contestants emerging to compete against one another over the final two weeks to select a winner.

In each of the first five weeks, there are four heats and a quarter-final. Six contestants enter each heat, with one quarter-finalist emerging from each of the four heats, and these four quarter-finalists compete for a semi-final place, so that over the first six weeks, six semi-finalists emerge. In 2010, the judges were given more flexibility, allowing them to promote more than one contestant to the quarter-finals, or in one instance, none at all.

The heats follow a three-round format:

• The Invention Test: the contestants must invent a dish from scratch in 50 minutes (40 minutes up until 2009). The contestants can choose from any of a selection of ingredients provided on the day. This forms the first round of the programs and reduces the contestants from six to three cooks.
• The Pressure Test: Working a lunchtime shift at a busy restaurant under the supervision of a professional chef who comments on their performance.
• The Final Test: Cooking a two course meal, with the contestants designing their own menus and choosing their own ingredients, in one hour.

Torode and Wallace at Masterchef Live, London, 2009

The quarter-finals follow a different structure with different challenges. Up until 2010, the format was:

• The Ingredients Test: where the contestants are asked to identify a selection of ingredients or produce.
• The Passion Test: in which each contestant has one minute to convince the judges of their overwhelming passion for food. Following these two rounds, one contestant is knocked out without having cooked that day.
• Finally the remaining three quarter-finalists each produce a three course meal in one hour and twenty minutes.

In 2010, the quarter-final format was changed to:

• The Choice Test: where the contestants are given 15 minutes to cook their choice of either a pre-selected fish recipe or a meat recipe with the judges looking on. At least one contestant is eliminated after this test.
• This is followed by the remaining quarter-finalists producing a two course meal in an hour.

The sixth week is called "Comeback Week" and features contestants from the previous series of MasterChef who did not advance past the heats or quarter-finals. The format is different for this week:

• The Skill Test: where the contestants have 25 minutes to cook one of two pre-selected recipes. Some contestants may be eliminated after this test.
• The Palate Test: where John Torode cooks a complex dish and asks the contestants one by one to eat the dish and list as many ingredients in the dish as possible. Some contestants may be eliminated after this test.
• The Pressure Test: where the remaining contestants work a lunchtime shift at a busy restaurant under the supervision of a professional chef who comments on their performance.
• The remaining contestants then have 60 minutes to cook a two course meal. One contestant is selected to advance to a quarter-final.
• The comeback quarter-finalists then cook head-to-head in a larger version of the invention test, cooking one dish in an hour. One contestant is selected to advance to the semi-finals.

It has proven very popular and is one of BBC Two's more successful early-evening programmes. The show's popularity led to an announcement by the BBC that the series would be moved to BBC One.

Celebrity MasterChef

Based on the format of MasterChef Goes Large, a new programme of celebrity contestants face the MasterChef challenge on BBC One. There are three contestants per episode with a total of 24 celebrities taking part, who follow the full MasterChef Goes Large test.

In 2006, rugby player Matt Dawson beat Arabella Weir, Charlie Dimmock, David Grant, Fred MacAulay, Graeme Le Saux, Hardeep Singh Kohli, Helen Lederer, Ian McCaskill, Jilly Goolden, Kristian Digby, Lady Isabella Hervey, Linda Barker, Marie Helvin, Paul Young, Richard Arnold, Roger Black, Rowland Rivron, Sarah Cawood, Sheila Ferguson, Simon Grant, Sue Perkins, Tony Hadley and Toyah Willcox

In 2007, Nadia Sawalha beat Midge Ure, Craig Revel Horwood, Jeremy Edwards, Chris Bisson, Martin Hancock, Sunetra Sarker, Gemma Atkinson, Sherrie Hewson, Pauline Quirke, Rani Price, Chris Hollins, Matthew Wright, Angela Rippon, Sue Cook, Lorne Spicer, Emma Forbes, Jeff Green, Darren Bennett, Sally Gunnell, Mark Foster, Matt James, Robbie Earle and Phil Tufnell.

In 2008, Liz McClarnon beat Linda Robson, Louis Emerick, Wendi Peters, Debra Stephenson, Chris Parker, Joe McGann, Steven Pinder, Mark Moraghan, Vicki Michelle, Sean Wilson, Clare Grogan, Hywel Simons, DJ Spoony, Claire Richards, Denise Lewis, Noel Whelan, Andi Peters, Andrew Castle, Michael Buerk, Kaye Adams, Julia Bradbury, Josie D'Arby and Ninia Benjamin.

In 2009, Jayne Middlemiss beat Colin Murray, Simon Shepherd, Janet Ellis, Deena Payne, Iwan Thomas, Rav Wilding, Pete Waterman, Stephen K. Amos, Gemma Bissix, Shirley Robertson, Ian Bleasdale, Paul Martin, Tracy-Ann Oberman, Brian Moore, Saira Khan, Rosie Boycott, Michael Obiora, Joel Ross, Shobna Gulati, Dennis Taylor, Sian Lloyd, Jan Leeming and Joe Swift. There was also a week of Comeback contestants featuring Joe McGann, Marie Helvin, Linda Barker, Claire Richards, Rowland Rivron, Ninia Benjamin, Steven Pinder, Wendi Peters, Helen Lederer, Tony Hadley, Martin Hancock and Jeff Green, from which Wendi Peters reached the series final.

In 2010, Lisa Faulkner beat Neil Stuke, Richard Farleigh, Nihal Arthanayake, Alex Fletcher, Tessa Sanderson, Jenny Powell, Colin Jackson, Tricia Penrose, Martin Roberts, Christine Hamilton, Chris Walker, Dick Strawbridge, Danielle Lloyd, Marcus Patric, Dean Macey, Mark Chapman, Jennie Bond, Mark Little and Kym Mazelle.

MasterChef: The Professionals

A version for professional chefs. While Greg Wallace and India Fisher reprise their roles as co-judge and voiceover, Torode is replaced by Michel Roux, Jr. who is assisted, in 2009, by his sous-chef Monica Galetti, who has two Michelin stars. Derek Johnstone won the competition on the 19 September 2008, and went on to take a job with Michel Roux Jr at Le Gavroche restaurant in London.

The second series began on Monday 14 September 2009 at 8:30pm on BBC2 and was won by Steve Groves on Thursday 22 October 2009. On 6 June 2010 the series was awarded a BAFTA in the Features category, fending off competition from The Choir, James May's Toy Stories and Heston's Feasts.

Junior MasterChef

A version for 10-to-12-year-olds. It began on 10 May 2010 as part of the children's programming block on BBC One. India Fisher provided the voiceover as usual, while the judges were John Torode and former Celebrity Masterchef champion Nadia Sawalha.

Winners

Masterchef

• 1990: Joan Bunting
• 1991: Sue Lawrence
• 1992: Vanessa Binns
• 1993: Derek Johns
• 1994: Gerry Goldwyre
• 1995: Marion Macfarlane
• 1996: Neil Haidar
• 1997: Julie Friend
• 1999: Lloyd Burgess
• 2000: Marjorie Lang
• 2001: Rosa Baden-Powell

Junior Masterchef

• 1994: Katie Targett-Adams
• 1995: Jenna Tinson
• 1996: Lucy Wright
• 1997: Serena Martine
• 1999: Dominique Fraser
• 2010: Georgia Bradford

MasterChef (Goes Large)

• 2005: Thomasina Miers
• 2006: Peter Bayless
• 2007: Steven Wallis
• 2008: James Nathan
• 2009: Mat Follas
• 2010: Dhruv Baker

Celebrity MasterChef

• 2006: Matt Dawson
• 2007: Nadia Sawalha
• 2008: Liz McClarnon
• 2009: Jayne Middlemiss
• 2010: Lisa Faulkner

MasterChef: The Professionals

• 2008: Derek Johnstone (Chef)
• 2009: Steve Groves (Chef)

Note: The original Masterchef and Junior Masterchef did not air in 1998

Other notable contestants

• 1993: Ross Burden
• 2008: Emily Ludolf
• 1999: Joel Wright
• 2009: Lewis Bebbington

International adaptations

An Australian adaptation, with significant changes in format, was first broadcast in July 2009 on Network Ten. A celebrity version followed in October 2009. The first and second series were huge success in the ratings, with the second season finale becoming Australia's third most watched television program since the first season finale, which hadn't been topped since 2001.

In November 2009, Television New Zealand announced the production of a New Zealand adaptation. The series commenced airing 3 February 2010 on TV ONE.

Two American adaptations were produced:

• MasterChef USA (2000 to 2001) was broadcast on PBS. Gary Rhodes, the host of the UK version at the time, hosted this US version based directly from the BBC series; it lasted only fourteen episodes.

• MasterChef debuted 27 July 2010 on Fox; Gordon Ramsay co-produces and hosts. The format is based on the Australian version though only consisted of 8 episodes compared to the Australian version's 72 for the first season and 84 for the second. Additionally, the filming was done over a 5 week period as opposed to 28 weeks.

Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/cosmetics-articles/gordon-ramsay-in-masterchef-on-fox-the-format-1916983.html#ixzz0zlb6mckf Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

A French adaption will also air in 2010 on channel TF1.

A Greek adaption will also air in 2010 on Mega Channel.

A Finnish adaptation is being planned for 2011 on Nelonen.

A Swedish adaption is beging recording on 2010 for TV4.

A Belgian adaptation is currently being broadcast on Flemish commercial TV station vtm, featuring a host of Belgian celebrities. The show is hosted by former Miss Belgium winner Dina Tersago.

A Indian adaption is to air on India's Star and was first confirmed by Shine International on the 3 August 2010.

A Dutch adaption is in the works and will be broadcasted on Net 5 in the autumn of 2010. The show will be hosted by Renate Verbaan and Hans van Wolde. The latter owns a restaurant with two Michelin stars in Maastricht. At the same time the first season of the similar American format 'Topchef' will be aired on RTL4.

External links

• MasterChef at BBC Online
• MasterChef at BBC Online
• MasterChef at BBC Online
• Masterchef (original format) and Masterchef Goes Large at UKGameshows.com
• MasterChef Goes Large at IMDb
• Celebrity MasterChef at IMDb
• MasterChef: The Professionals at IMDb
• Junior Masterchef at IMDb