Episode 1 Celebrity MasterChef

Welcome back, Mr Wallace.

Celebrity MasterChef, and we've got ourselves 20 celebrities

who want to show us how good they are in the kitchen.

I'm expecting to be put to the rack, I think.

Many of them can sing, dance, act. We don't care about that.

What we care about is whether they can cook.

I have a terrible reputation as a chef and I'm here to prove myself.

I'm in it to win it.

You know what they say, don't you?

Cooking doesn't get tougher than this.

It does. Eating it.

These five celebrities are taking on the challenge to become the next

MasterChef champion.

But at the end of today, only the best cooks will make it through.

I've always had a clever plan up my sleeve.

But this is the first time I'm going into a competition with nothing.

I'm here, I guess, to have an experience

that I've never had before

and not go out first, but who knows?

That may well happen.

I know it's going to be fun.

And, hopefully, I'll make at least one good dish.

I'm just glad to be here enjoying life.

Nothing to lose. Life's for living.

I'm going to go in and I'm going to just go for it.

I'm going to pretend like I know what I'm doing.

All right, I'm going to go here.

OK.

I'll go here.

Welcome to Celebrity MasterChef.

A very warm welcome.

This is an incredible opportunity to show everybody at home

what a great cook you are.

We're not expecting great cuisine right now.

We would, however, appreciate something that we don't mind eating.

This is your first test.

The mystery box.

Under that box, there's a set of ingredients.

All of you have exactly the same ingredients.

And what we'd like you to do for us is just cook us one plate of food.

Ladies and gentlemen, reveal your ingredients.

Today's mystery box has a Mediterranean theme.

It includes a whole squid, lamb mince, feta cheese,

pomegranate, pistachios,

red peppers, aubergine and puff pastry.

One hour, one plate of food.

Show us how good you really are.

Let's cook.

Is this pomegranate?

It is a pomegranate.

-Good.

-Well done, Marcus.

-Thanks.

This is butter, not cheese.

What is this stuff?

77-year-old comedian Tommy Cannon, of Cannon and Ball fame,

has been in show business for 54 years.

I've done a bit of cooking.

My mum worked in a cotton mill all her life, and so

from 7:30 until 5:30, she wasn't there and I was on my own.

And the most I think I ever did was a few baked beans on toast.

-How are you doing, Tommy?

-This is a bit... You know, a bit...

Suddenly you've got all these ingredients and you think,

wow, what the heck are we going to do?

I just think to myself, job it all together,

hopefully it will come out good.

-What are you going to do now?

-Minced meat. I've got peppers.

I'm going to put ginger in it, I'm going to put a bit of garlic in it

and I'm just going to let it simmer nicely.

What's it going to become?

It might become...

hot peppered mince.

Tommy Cannon's having a ball.

The problem is, right now, everything's gone into one pot.

He's got his lamb mince in a pan, he's put some spinach in with it.

And then he's just adding more and more and more.

How he's going to present it, he's not sure.

How it's going to taste, I'm not sure.

TV presenter and star of The Real Hustle Alexis Conran

comes from a Greek family and learned to cook

watching his mother and grandparents.

I'm good at thinking on my feet

and not panicking.

I've had to do that a lot in my career,

drawing up a plan and sticking to it.

Right, it'll have to be that.

It's just coming up with a plan in the first place.

How did you feel when you saw feta, aubergine, courgette?

This screams Greece, but I don't think I'm going to do it justice.

-What are you making?

-Well, I'm making a sort of moussaka version,

so we've got the minced lamb with some garlic,

going on a bed of grilled aubergine.

And I'm hoping to sort of top it all off with a bit of...

It should be Bechamel sauce, really.

-Right.

-But I don't know how to make that one.

So I'm going to top it off with a bit of mashed potato and a bit of

cheese, so hopefully it will be nice.

Do you know what I like, Alexis?

I like it that you have an idea where you're going.

I have an end in mind.

Whether I get there or not, that's a completely different matter.

So he's doing moussaka.

He doesn't have a tomato and he doesn't know

how to make white sauce.

So what we've got now is moussaka served with mashed potato

and cheese on top.

We've got a Greek-style shepherd's pie.

You've had 20 minutes.

Actor and TV presenter Donna Air loves to eat out,

but, at home, cooks simple meals for her 12-year-old daughter.

I think, like most mums, I'm always in a bit of a hurry.

So I cook quickly.

Things could probably go off-piste quite a bit.

I think I've created something completely new.

It's all a bit of a fluke.

But somehow I'm sure we'll always get there in the end.

You look a little nervy.

I am. I honestly don't know what I'm doing, I'm just making it up.

-You've got minced lamb there.

-I'm not sure what I'm going to do

with the minced lamb, though.

What about a kebab, Donna?

Exactly. I could make a kebab.

And then maybe make hummus.

Donna, I think the hummus is a lovely idea.

-Thank you.

-Relax.

She's talking about making hummus.

Hummus is a wonderful thing.

But hummus doesn't really make up a plate of food.

Sinitta began her pop career at 16.

And she enjoys cooking at home for her two children.

My children think I'm an amazing cook.

This has made me feel like I've never cooked before in my life.

You know, you get really nervous.

Sinitta is doing us a squid with chillies.

She hasn't cleaned the squid,

so it's got the guts in and it's got the skin on.

She's also got an extraordinary ensemble of stuffed aubergine

filled with raw aubergine, raw mince and feta cheese

and a balsamic vinegar.

Interesting.

Sinitta, you're doing a squid.

I didn't even know what it was.

And I just thought, OK.

Because I'm going all-out because I want to impress you.

I've also made something with the meat.

It doesn't look nice, but hopefully that means it tastes delicious.

You've got just 15 minutes left.

24-year-old Marcus Butler produces and stars in videos

he posts on the internet.

I'm not the most inventive cook.

And I'm also terrible at displaying your food in a nice way.

Mine's kind of like thrown on the plate and it's like,

"I promise it tastes nice."

Marcus, you have a very serious look on your face, are you OK?

I've never cooked lamb before.

Literally, never cooked lamb before.

I'm kind of a little bit out of my depth right now.

Why did you choose the lamb, then?

Because I've also never cooked squid before,

so I thought lamb would be the safer option.

-You're a vlogger.

-I am.

-Forgive me, I'm old now.

What's a vlogger?

So, basically, I make YouTube videos,

comedy sketch based around my life, post it online,

and lots of people around the world watch it.

-How many people around the world?

-I get 25 million views a month.

-Wow. Is that right?

-Yes.

-Oh, my word.

Marcus has got lots of different things going on.

He's made some hummus - fantastic.

He's got some nice vegetables in the oven which he has put sumac with.

And he's got some mince on the go.

Marcus has got some great ideas.

It's whether he can bring a plate of food together, that's the thing.

All my food's cooked.

Just don't know what I'm doing with it yet.

Last five minutes.

No time to faff around now, let's just serve it up.

It's not gone to plan, no, because I've had to make it up.

Three minutes.

You have 90 seconds, you've got 90 seconds left, please.

Donna, get it on a plate now.

That's it, time's up, stop.

That looks good.

Let's see what it tastes like.

First up is TV presenter Alexis.

He's made layers of grilled aubergine,

lamb mince fried with onions and thyme, all topped with feta,

mashed potato and a garnish of griddled courgettes and peppers.

You, with Greek origin, you would say moussaka type.

Me, with working-class London, I would say

you've made a shepherd's pie.

Yes, you could put it that way, yes.

It tastes of really good, well-seasoned minced lamb.

Your mash is lovely and creamy and smooth on top.

I love the saltiness of the feta.

Your grilled vegetables are cooked really, really well.

I think it's a tasty little thing.

-I like it.

-Good.

Your moussaka shepherd's pie is really nice.

Good, good, I'm really pleased.

-It was good.

-Good one!

I quite want a taste now.

God, that's a relief, I'll tell you.

It's a great test. I wouldn't do it for pleasure.

It was the most pressurised thing I've ever done, but, you know,

it's a good test.

Tommy, what have you got?

I've got scallop...

vegetables.

And I don't know why you are laughing, it's scallop vegetables.

-What's scallop?

-Scallop?

-Yeah.

It's very northern.

It's a potato sliced, fried.

-That's a scallop.

-You've almost got an upside-down Lancashire hotpot.

Careful, because some of these bits are burnt.

I like mince and potatoes, I think it is a lovely, lovely thing.

But amongst that, I've also got sweet peppers and onions

and this amazing amount of heat on the back of my throat.

Chilli heat, hot.

It's slightly confused.

It doesn't know whether it wants to be an Asian meal,

a British meal or a Mediterranean meal right now.

-But that's because its owner didn't know what it was.

-No, that's right.

To be honest, I had finished the dish in about 20 minutes.

The problem was, of course, I tried to keep it hot

and I burned some of the mince.

But it wasn't a disaster.

Actor Donna has served a trio of dishes -

a lamb mince filo parcel with fried potato, aubergine and pepper...

..hummus and a roast pepper dip with toast and a fig,

pistachio and pomegranate yoghurt.

These dips are lovely.

There's lots of garlic, there's sweet pepper,

there's smoky aubergine.

Your yoghurt, that is lovely.

Really not sure what roast potato mince in filo pastry

with peppers is.

-Agreed.

-You've got to focus on one thing.

I think you have got a really good palate.

-What we have to do with you is get you to focus.

-Yes.

This is just the start of what could be a great competition.

-Yes. Thank you.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

I should have taken more time just to sit,

focus and work out what I was actually doing with my meat.

-I thought it was dreadful.

-No.

-They kept tucking into the dips.

-Really?

Internet star Marcus has fried the lamb mince

and served it with potato, grilled aubergine and courgette,

with a chilli and pomegranate garnish and hummus.

Hummus is nice, nicely seasoned.

I like that. The lamb with the courgette and the pomegranate,

I like that.

But uncooked aubergine and then a potato leaves it

-slightly muddled, Marcus.

-OK.

Needs a bit of refinement, that's for sure.

You need to cook your aubergines more.

But you've got some decent flavours.

Don't give yourself such a hard time.

Everybody in the room is the same as you.

Their skill levels, my skill levels.

Well, you haven't had to taste their food, mate.

Cheers.

I couldn't have been more out of my comfort zone if I wanted to be.

That was awful.

Survived? Yes. Done well? No.

Finally, it's Sinitta.

She's made a spicy squid salad, as well as aubergine

stuffed with lamb mince, feta and balsamic vinegar,

topped with parsley.

You are the only one in the room to do squid.

I praise you for that. When you do squid, though,

I would really appreciate it if you can clean it.

Well. What is that?

I'm worried about that one.

-You're worried about it?

-You don't have to eat it,

I don't mind if you don't want to eat it.

Well, I can't eat that.

-Why?

-Because it's raw.

SHE SIGHS

Your aubergine, it's not very nice.

And the lamb tastes of just processed lamb.

But that's OK because I quite like the squid.

Phew.

I like your squid. Your squid's nicely cooked.

-You've done well there.

-Yay.

I also like the slightly sweet,

slightly sharp dressing that you've put on it.

-Thank you.

-Love the squid, terrified of your aubergine.

-Yeah.

I was the only one to use squid, which, I think, worked in my favour

because my lamb dish...

Can you imagine if I'd only cooked lamb?

Bye-bye, Sinitta.

Interesting outcome. Few ups, few downs.

I think there's a bit of talent in the room.

I think there's some promise.

If that wasn't terrifying enough for our five,

we're about to put them into a professional kitchen.

The five celebrities have been split into two groups

and are on their way to a busy London restaurant.

I hope, if we're cooking with somebody as a chef,

they're not going to shout at us.

I may end up crying.

I'm nearly crying now.

Alexis, Marcus and Tommy will be cooking at Darbaar in the City -

a modern Indian restaurant serving dishes

inspired by the banquets of the Indian royal court.

Service will be run by chef Abdul Yaseen.

Welcome to Darbaar, gents.

The restaurant's going to be quite busy.

We've got approximately around 80 or 90-odd covers today.

How do you feel about it?

-Yeah...

-Nervous, but with your help, we'll do it.

My reputation and the restaurant's reputation is in your hands.

The pressure will be on, so, if you can follow me...

During today's service, Marcus will be in charge of the starter -

Bengal-style Madagascan prawns.

People have got very high expectations from this dish.

The dish is iconic here in Darbaar.

Because it's a starter, you don't have much time.

In six minutes, it has to be on the table from the time

it's been ordered.

The dish includes two marinades.

The first is made with turmeric, chilli and garlic.

You put the prawn down. It's going to take a minute and a half,

approximately, on a medium-to-hot grill.

These are Madagascan prawns.

They're quite expensive.

I would be really annoyed and upset

-if I lose a prawn and it goes to the bin.

-OK.

This is a marinade of coconut milk and mustard.

You could just baste the prawn with that.

-Just drop it in the middle.

-On the top, like that.

-Yep.

To finish it, you would want to place it under the salamander.

You are not intending to cook the prawn here.

It is only to retrieve the marinade.

The last thing that goes on the dish is the tomato salsa.

This is your dish.

-Are you happy?

-Yeah, yeah, I'm happy.

I'm good. I think I'm good. I'm excited.

I've never cooked a prawn in my life,

let alone an expensive, Bengal, Madagascar prawn,

so it's put a little bit of pressure on.

Alexis is responsible for a main course.

His dish is a jungle chicken curry.

You grease the pan with oil.

OK. That's already...

Whoa! Hee-hee!

The first stage is to start the gravy.

Garlic, onions and peppers are stir-fried

before a spiced tomato sauce is added.

At this stage, you will keep this aside

-and you will grab the chicken from the tandoor.

-OK.

-Just make sure that you use a cloth.

-OK.

-And this goes...

-Back into here?

The dish needs some fierce heat.

-So, to serve the dish...

-Yeah.

-..you need to place it in this,

and the dish is ready to be served.

So, that's your dish, Alexis.

How many can I cook at one time?

You can still have four or five in one time.

That scares me, there. The amount, the volume.

I don't how I would feel,

if I was on that side of the restaurant, as a paying customer,

and my signature dish, a chicken curry in an Indian restaurant,

is being cooked by someone who's never cooked curry before.

I think if it's not up to what they're paying for,

they will be sending stuff back.

Tommy, the dish that you will be cooking today is

Mewari-baked leg of rabbit.

Mewar is very, very immensely dominated by the royals

-and their hunting lifestyle.

-Rabbit?

-Yes.

-Rabbit curry?

-Yes.

Wow, I've never heard of that before.

Accompanying the pre-braised rabbit leg is a chilli and sweetcorn sauce.

-You will need to just take a scoop of the sauce.

-Yep.

And allow it to stir-fry.

Now, you will take the sauce, pour it on the hot iron.

Place the leg of rabbit here, on top of it.

-Right.

-Now, this rabbit has to go inside the wood-fired oven.

The rabbit will stay there for two minutes, but just be very careful,

because sometimes the oven gets really hot.

You have to take the rabbit out

and place it on a wood board.

-That is your finished dish.

-Yeah.

'The oven's a bit frightening. It's quite hot.'

I don't know how I'm going to deal with that yet.

It's got to be one of those

"get in, give it a go and see what happens".

Across town in the West End,

Donna and Sinitta are arriving at modern British restaurant

Percy & Founders.

Running the pass is chef Diego Cardozo.

I'm Donna, good to see you.

Welcome to Percy & Founders. We've got a busy lunch service ahead.

You're each going to have a main course today.

As long as you follow what I show you and how we want it done,

it's going to be great. We want them to be right.

We're not going to serve them if they're not.

-OK, let's do it.

-Let's get going.

Sinitta will be in charge of a fish main course -

cod with celeriac puree,

salt cod croquette,

wild garlic and a hazelnut vinaigrette.

Great. Something I would love to eat, as well.

-So, when the pan is nice and hot...

-Yes.

..cod in, and we just need to get a nice, golden colour on it.

This dish, from start to finish, should take about six minutes.

-The whole dish or just the fish?

-The whole dish.

-Wow.

Once the cod is coloured, it's finished in the oven.

-Done. Three minutes to finish everything else.

-Finish the rest.

OK? Otherwise, the fish is going to overcook.

The salt cod croquette is deep-fried,

whilst cubes of celeriac are sauteed.

So, this bit here is very important.

You're going to get the wild garlic in. It overcooks very quickly,

so it needs to go in and out straight away.

-Get everything ready, OK?

-Yes.

-So, now we need to plate it.

So, celeriac puree. Make sure it's nice and smooth.

And then just a little spoonful on the side.

Just enough to hold the croquette in place.

Fish just in between.

And this, you want it almost falling off the fish and onto the plate. OK?

-Lovely.

-The hazelnut vinaigrette you just want to sprinkle

around the plate a little bit.

-You like it?

-Beautiful.

-OK.

-Amazing.

-Are you going to do it like this?

-Thank you so much.

I'm going to do it exactly like that.

Excellent. There we go. Remember you said that.

LAUGHTER

You know, it's quite overwhelming, and you think,

"Someone's going to eat something I prepare today." That's crazy.

Donna's dish is sirloin steak with king oyster mushrooms,

a mushroom ketchup, sugar snap peas and spring onion,

and crispy shallots.

First thing I want to do, you see this layer of fat here?

We want to make sure it's nicely caramelised.

So, you want to check it. It's a nice colour.

-And now...

-So clever.

On the side. And good steak, you can smell it straight away.

Yeah, it looks fabulous.

Colour on one side, colour on the other side.

-Into a tray.

-Yeah.

So, it's going to be 30 seconds in the oven, nothing else.

-OK.

-No more.

Next is the king oyster mushroom

and the sauteed sugar snap peas and spring onion.

You've got a mix of red wine sauce with creme fraiche.

Put a ladle-full in...

That looks so good.

-So, we're ready to plate now.

-Great.

-OK.

We got a mushroom puree here. It's like a mushroom ketchup, actually.

A nice big spoonful of this.

And then, spoon in, and just drag it across.

Then the steak, right next to it.

-Oh, wow.

-Mushroom coming off it.

The dish is finished with the beans and some crispy shallots.

Are you going to be able to do this? What do you think?

I will give it my best shot.

Should be a "yes".

-LAUGHTER

-It should be a "yes, absolutely".

-OK. Yes, absolutely.

-Brilliant. Excellent.

-Right.

It's midday and, across the city, lunch service is about to begin.

-Woo-hoo!

-That's actual people coming in.

-Real people.

-The problem with this kitchen is you feel so exposed.

-Look at them.

-LAUGHTER

-Yep!

-I'm starting to really get nervous now.

-I know.

The order - one chicken pasanda, one paneer tikka, one royal prawn,

one Abdul's platter for two people, one hariyali samosa.

-Chefs?

-ALL:

-Yes, Chef.

Marcus is first in the spotlight with his starter.

I've never done one before, but, for me,

I want to nail it straight from the beginning.

He needs to perfectly cook the Madagascan prawn

over the searing heat of the coal-fired grill.

I would say, based on my limited knowledge,

that that looks pretty good, but, let's wait and see what chef says.

About two minutes.

Can I have table number 16?

-Is that me? Prawn?

-Yeah. Is your prawn ready?

Yeah.

I need it quick, please. One sec.

TIMER BEEPS

A-ha.

-That's good.

-Good?

-Yes.

First one's good.

New order - one jungle chicken, one kadai paneer,

one black lentil, one pilau rice, one mixed breads, please.

Yes, Chef!

This is my first order.

OK. Just trying get used to how hot the pan gets.

Hm, got a fire. Is that good?

I don't think so. There we go.

Whilst keeping one eye on the sauce,

Alexis must also master the 400-degree tandoor oven.

That goes here.

Forgot my tongs, haven't I?

Right, it's going to have to be hands.

-TIMER BEEPS

-Agh!

Oh!

HE GROANS

Right.

Alexis, table number 19!

Table number 19!

Yes, Chef! Coming, Chef.

Backs!

One chicken, Chef.

Excellent, well done. Thank you.

Tommy is getting to grips with the wood-fired oven for his rabbit dish.

Right, out she comes.

It's looking all right, but it looks a bit dry,

so, I'm hoping he says it's OK.

-No.

-No? You've got to take it back. Take it back?

-Yeah.

-No good?

Try to do it again. I want the sauce little bit more moist, more flowy.

I want the rabbit to have nice and searing texture.

-OK. Right.

-Do it again, please. You still have time.

This is the trick now.

Can I have one more rabbit, please?

It's cheffing, isn't it, this? Blimey!

-That's beautiful.

-Thank you.

-That's beautiful, very good.

-Thank you, Chef.

-Very, very good.

-Thank you.

Oh, he was over the moon. He said, "Very good".

So, that's all right. That's all right.

Tommy, buddy?

-How's that going?

-Beautiful, this.

-Is that the one you messed up on?

-Yeah.

But it's good. Can't waste it, can you?

Fair play.

Over in the West End...

..Donna already has two orders on for her steak dish.

Let's lift it up again, let's have a look.

Brilliant. Nice and golden, excellent.

There's no oil under this one. So get the oil, make sure there's oil.

Can you see those sticking to it?

-I've got this, it's all good.

-OK? You good?

-Ugh! Oh!

-OK.

-Bit more colour. To make sure you get the colour...

-Bit more oil.

No, no, put it down. Make sure you press the centre.

You see it's not straight completely?

I can just about see, but, yeah.

Good, let's go. Up with everything.

-Right, Donna.

-Ready?

-This one first.

The steak must be cooked a perfect medium rare.

Let's have a look.

Very nice, really nice. Pink, very good.

-When you plate, you plate with confidence, yeah?

-Yeah.

One spoon, yeah? And then you go back.

Yeah.

Yeah, OK.

Now, with the sauce, you finish all around the plate, yeah?

Little bit of crispy shallot.

-OK.

-Good. Well done, Donna.

-Service, pick-up table 1, please.

-Thank you.

-Yes, Chef.

It's fun, in a weird way.

I feel like I've got it under control at the moment.

It's all good.

On order, guys. Main course, three cod and one sirloin.

-So start cooking.

-Two crabs, one baked goat's cheese.

Main course, four cod and two sirloin.

-ALL:

-Yes, Chef.

-Sinitta?

-You're getting lots of cods through, eh?

-Already losing my mind.

I'm having a nervous breakdown.

Sinitta now has seven orders on for her delicate cod dish.

-No, no. What are you doing?

-Just doing that.

You're breaking it, look. You're breaking it.

-I'm trying to put it back.

-But you cannot just break the fish.

A palette knife with a fish, be careful with it.

It breaks very easily, the fish. So let's get a fresh piece in.

That's not good enough. OK?

Let's get two pieces in now, straightaway.

Well, it was going fine and then he got upset,

because the fish was a bit broken.

It's like... But he didn't say that before.

Sinitta is struggling.

He's really different now.

Poking the fish with a palette knife and cutting through it,

-so we have to start over.

-It's like, no more Mr Nice Guy.

We've got lots of cheques coming in and little food coming out,

so I'm a bit worried.

Back in the City...

Marcus, you've got five more royal prawns in the middle course.

..service is reaching its peak.

It just doesn't stop.

The trickiest part is the timing.

It can't be left out too long, can't be cooked for too long.

Everything has to be p... Ow.

And not burning yourself.

There's one going over.

Chef, two prawns.

Marcus?

It looks a little too dry.

When you plate, just make sure you have a little bit of shine to it

-on the bottom and top of it.

-OK.

-It's more appealing.

-Bit more moist.

-Thank you.

-Perfect.

Across the kitchen, Tommy and Alexis are also swamped with orders.

I've got six in total. It's full-on.

I mean, this... This is not mellow.

Wow. I'm hoping that that one there now isn't going to dry out.

Otherwise, I'll have to make another one.

Oh, he's coming. Oh, dear.

Alexis. Is it hot?

Not as hot as it could be, Chef.

Do you think I'll serve this in the restaurant, no?

-I'll heat it up.

-Can you just give me another portion, please?

-As soon as possible.

-Yes.

-I only have one minute now. Thank you.

With the last tables in,

it's the final chance for the celebrities to impress.

So one of these looks a bit dry,

so I'm going to add a bit of butter on this one on the right.

One prawn.

This is the best one up until now.

-This is really good.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

Can we have it away, please?

I'm really happy with how I've done.

Considering I've never cooked prawns, never in the kitchen,

I'm honestly really enjoying this. I'm learning so much.

Hoping this is piping hot.

Backs.

One chicken, Chef.

This is beautiful.

I feel that there's a "but" coming.

-This time, it's not coming.

-Ah!

-Thank you, Chef.

-Thank you. Go on.

Go on, you got some more working.

'I really, really thought I was in trouble there.'

Phew! It's a rush.

-Can I have that away, please, as soon as possible?

-Yes, you can.

Tommy's rabbit is the final order of the day.

Yes, it's good, it's just...

That's perfect, see? Let's get it done.

-This dish looks perfect.

-Thank you, Chef.

-Right.

-Thanks a lot and congratulations.

-Thank you very much.

-You were good today.

-Cheers.

-Thank you.

Woo-hoo!

This has been an absolute inspiration for me.

It's just been a fabulous experience, really has.

I loved every minute of this.

It was nonstop, nonstop.

I've no idea how the rest of these guys do it.

I was pleased with that, but...

I had no idea how hectic it was going to get.

Across town...

Nice, Sinitta, well done.

..service is also drawing to a close.

Last table. Let's make this the best table today, yeah?

-Woohoo!

-OK. Good.

It's Sinitta's last chance to prove she's up to the task.

Terrified of breaking this cod.

It's got to be ready now, huh?

-Nice and gentle, it's going to break.

-Yes, I know.

Just trying to turn this over.

-Look at that colour, beautiful.

-Oh!

-Here.

-Don't break it, don't break it.

-Tables are waiting, we need to go with this.

-I know.

But I'm trying not to break it. You've scared me now.

Oh! Sorry.

OK, how do we do this?

Both Donna and Sinitta's final order are on the same table,

so the dishes must go out together.

It's very good.

Just tight, tight, tight.

Lovely, good.

Very good, very nice.

No heart attacks, please. We're almost done, we've almost done this.

-Plating is getting better every table, yeah?

-OK, good.

-Really nice.

Looking good.

Can't believe it.

-Yeah, that makes two of us!

-SINITTA LAUGHS

Shall we go? Are you happy with them?

-Amazing.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

Service, please, table 28.

So, that's it. We've done it.

-Well done.

-High five.

-Group hug?

-Thanks, guys.

-Wow.

-Well done. That was great.

-That was so much fun.

That was so much fun.

That was a lot of people fed.

It makes me a bit more confident about having

more than six friends for dinner.

I would describe it as a bungee jump,

where you're just doing something that you know is crazy

that you'd never done before, that's really scary.

But once you've done it, you just feel elated.

Welcome back.

This is the first time you get to cook your own food.

One of you, however, will be leaving the competition at the end of this.

Two courses, and those two courses in just one hour.

Ladies and gentlemen, let's cook.

I'm shaking so much.

So much pressure.

I'm definitely nervous today.

But I think it's all right.

The thing I'm most worried about is presentation.

What are you making for us, Marcus?

So, I'm very much into my healthy foods.

The main course is a naked burger

with sweet potato wedges and Parmesan broccoli.

And I wanted to kind of show you guys that you still can

make healthy food still taste amazing.

What's a naked burger? Is it a burger without a barn?

Yeah, it is without the bun.

And have we got a dessert, or have we got another dish?

So, my starter is chickpeas, cashew nuts,

goji berries and coconut in a kind of salad, with spinach.

Marcus, I'm enjoying your new-found confidence.

-Thank you very much.

-Looking forward to it.

-Thank you.

Marcus's main course -

a naked burger, no bun.

Now that could be a piece of dry meat

served with dry broccoli.

I just feel we need a sauce of some type.

I don't like the pressure.

I think you're under more pressure...

on this one,

because you should be able to get this right.

I don't think there's any room for failure here.

-Alexis, you look a little stressed, mate.

-I am stressed, I am stressed.

I just need to kind of perform now.

Yeah, I reckon you could take a breath here.

I don't... No, no breath. Breath's bad.

What are you making, Alexis?

So, I'm making a rack of lamb, a rosti,

bit of aubergine, two sauces,

and an individual pear tatin.

It's a big risk, because I haven't done the tarte tatin enough.

But, hey.

-Alexis, take a breath.

-Thank you.

If you get it right, I think we're going to love it.

I hope so.

The pear tatin sounds delicious.

The thing is, I've seen nearly as many failed tarte tatins

in this MasterChef kitchen as I've seen chocolate fondants.

When I'm cooking at home,

there's no way do I spend an hour making dinner.

But the minute somebody says to you, "You're being timed",

it's sort of like a natural reaction just to go,

"Oh, my goodness! Oh, my goodness!"

Donna's going very, very classic.

Mackerel served with beetroot and horseradish.

It's really, really, really good together.

And then a panna cotta served with some summer fruits

and a summer fruit coulis.

I haven't tasted my panna cotta, so I have no idea what it's like.

I'm hoping it's OK.

With that panna cotta, it needs to be wobbly.

And the fruits that go on top have to be lovely, lovely, lovely.

Donna, you have a serious expression on your face.

-You've got a fighting expression.

-A fighting expression?

I don't know if it's a fighting expression, more panic.

How many times have you made this panna cotta?

Er, twice?

Uh-oh.

Fingers crossed, right?

Fingers crossed.

You're halfway.

You've got half an hour left.

More!

I feel a lot more at ease cooking my own food.

I suppose everything could go wrong, really.

But fingers crossed that nothing does.

I'm making salmon

with chilli peppers, runny honey.

For a starter, I'm going to do chorizo and scallop

with chilli and a little bit of ginger.

Do you want to stay in the competition, or you had enough?

No, no. I'm here to win it.

Know what I mean? 100%.

-Rock on, Tommy.

-Rock on yourself.

I'm really surprised by Tommy,

because what he's going to cook

are flavours which are really bold and actually very exciting.

His main course is a big piece of salmon,

but salmon's a dangerous fish.

Cos overcooked salmon tastes like cotton wool.

I thought I was going to feel a lot more like home and relaxed.

But, because today's Elimination Day...

Phew!

I'm, like, all over the place.

-Sinitta, how are you?

-Very good, thank you.

What are you making today?

Green papaya and cod soup.

Followed by beef with a beef and spinach mousse

in a pastry.

Beef and spinach mousse?

-Yes.

-A mousse?

-A mousse.

-Like a light, fluffy thing that you pull up with a spoon?

-No.

So not a mousse.

More like a burger?

-Mm.

-Mousse burger? Burger mousse?

-Spinach burger mousse.

-Spinach burger mousse.

I've never had anything like that.

-Yay.

-Best of luck.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

Yay!

Sinitta is right out there.

We've got ourselves a hot and sour soup,

with cod and green papaya.

Her main course, we've sort of got a minced Beef Wellington-cum-burger

in puff pastry. It might be a bit dry.

Mm. This is going to be fine.

It's all going to be fine.

Five minutes.

Get it up, get it out. Let's get it on.

I don't really know what I'm going for here.

Where's that thing that does, like...?

You've got one minute to sort out

whatever it is you're going to sort out.

That's it! Stop.

-Pff!

-It's over.

That was crazy.

Marcus, up you come.

Marcus' starter is a chickpea, cashew and spinach salad,

with goji berries and desiccated coconut.

I like it. I like the freshness of it.

I like the fact that it's robust.

I love the cumin running through it.

The coconut and the berries give it a little bit of sweetness.

It's good. I like it.

It's a healthy, nice, colourful dish.

I like it because it's all nicely cooked

and you seasoned it nicely, as well.

For the main course, he's served a naked beefburger,

sweet potato fries,

and broccoli, topped with Parmesan and pine nuts.

There is some uncooked meat in the middle of there, look.

Happy with the salty Parmesan across the broccoli.

Happy with that. Really happy with your sweet potato chips,

I like that. They've got some real heat to them.

Like your choice of veg.

Uninspired by your burger.

The good thing is you're sticking to your guns.

You're doing food you believe in. That's great.

-I think what you do now is give a little bit of refinement.

-OK.

'I think, overall, the feedback was very positive.'

INDISTINCT CONVERSATION

'Both of them said really good things about it,'

so my little heart was like, "Yes!"

I'm going to have a heart attack.

LAUGHTER

For his starter,

Tommy has made queen scallops with chorizo

and salad leaves dressed in honey and chilli.

I like your scallops

and the heat from the chorizo and the smoky paprika.

I love that. I absolutely love that.

-I think your dressing's a little too sweet, Tommy.

-OK. Thank you.

I completely agree with Gregg.

However, you've got lovely crispy bits of spicy chorizo.

Chorizo and scallops together is a great combination.

Thank you.

For his main,

Tommy has cooked a salmon fillet

with a rub made from chilli, honey, soy sauce and mustard.

It's served on a carrot, onion, mixed leaf and sesame seed salad.

Your main course is massive.

Not even a bear could eat that much salmon.

-I could eat it.

-You could? Right.

-Without a doubt.

-All right, all right.

Tommy, your salmon's cooked beautifully.

It falls apart.

I expected it to be dry and not very tasty at all.

-But I was completely wrong.

-Thank you.

-It's delicious.

-It looks horrible.

-TOMMY LAUGHS

-But it tastes great.

-Thanks.

That dish deserves to look a lot better than it does...

-Yeah, I'm sorry.

-..because it tastes fantastic.

I could eat that all day long.

'I'm shaking.'

I am, I'm shaking.

Oh, the remarks were fantastic.

I feel ten feet tall.

Sinitta, up you come, mate, please.

-Ooh!

-Ooh, steady.

-Steady!

-Oops.

-Aye-aye.

-SHE LAUGHS NERVOUSLY

That first.

Sinitta's first course is a Thai-inspired

cod and green papaya soup.

You left your skin on your fish.

Is that not good?

No, you don't want to eat cod skin.

-You don't.

-OK.

-I don't like that very much.

-Hm.

It's very watery.

Your first reaction, when you get a mouthful is...

it's very, very insipid.

Oh.

I understand what you're trying to do here.

You're trying to make a hot and sour soup.

The thing is, it needs flavours of Thailand.

It needs lemongrass, it needs lime leaf,

it needs galangal, it needs ginger.

With a soup like this, you've got to really make it powerful,

and it doesn't have those flavours.

-Unfortunately.

-Oh.

Sinitta's main is her beef and spinach mousse Wellington,

with broccoli and roasted garlic.

-Ooh.

-That's...that's raw meat.

Oh.

Sort of a cross between a steak tartare and...

-a burger.

-No, it's supposed to be cooked.

Cooked it could maybe be quite nice,

because you've got lots of spinach and lots of seasoning in there.

I don't know what to say, cos the meat and the pastry are raw

and it's a meat and pastry dish.

Not good, I'm afraid.

-Thanks.

-Sorry, hon.

-Thank you. Thank you.

Both dishes a complete disaster.

A big, fat disaster.

I think you should stay away from meat.

-I know. Forget meat.

-Forget...!

Seriously.

Donna has served pan-fried mackerel on a bed of spinach,

topped with pickled beetroot and radish.

I like the flavour of that very oily fish, the mackerel,

with that beetroot you've made sharp

through some sort of vinegar and you've put heat in there, as well.

That's nice. I like that.

Yeah, some good flavours in there.

I really like your little pickled radishes.

The fish is cooked really, really nicely.

It's a pretty little plate. Nothing to whinge about.

-Oh, phew.

-OK?

-I can breathe.

Donna's dessert is vanilla panna cotta

with raspberry coulis,

passion fruit and edible flowers.

That hasn't set, has it?

I know. It's a little bit wibbly-wobbly.

Technically, it's not correct.

It tastes all right.

It's probably good with a straw, rather than a spoon.

SHE LAUGHS

The biggest problem you've got is your panna cotta hasn't set.

But it tastes good.

Both your dishes taste good.

'So disappointed with my panna cotta.'

I just don't know what happened.

Last up is Alexis.

His main is roast rack of lamb

with a potato rosti,

fried aubergine and tomatoes,

salsa verde and tzatziki.

The majestic bit of the plate is that lovely, slippery, oozy

bit of aubergine with that lovely, creamy yoghurt

and the lamb, which is cooked beautifully.

The rosti and the salsa verde don't really love each other

as much as the other bits.

I love the smack of that strong garlic yoghurt coating pink lamb.

There's very little that would stop me finishing that plate.

Thank you.

For dessert, Alexis has served pear tarte tatin

with salted caramel and Chantilly cream.

Mate, I like the look of that.

The flavours there are just gorgeous.

Pastry holding together sticky caramel sauce,

with the sweet juice of a pear,

is my idea of absolute heaven.

Absolute heaven.

That's very, very good, Alexis.

-Thank you.

-Very good.

It's individual. It shows some skill.

But, more importantly, it tastes great.

I fluked it and it went well,

so I think I did all right.

Thank you very much indeed.

We're going to ask you to step outside

while Gregg and I have a little chat, because, unfortunately,

one of you is going to be leaving the competition.

Thank you very much. Off you go.

Interesting round, I think. Really interesting round.

Some very, very good food, I have to say.

Alexis was superb today.

I really liked his lamb.

Loved, loved, loved that pear tatin.

Very, very good indeed.

Good job from Tommy.

Scallop and chorizo, a match made in heaven.

The salmon, as atrocious as it looked, was fantastic.

Now, I've got Marcus with an uncooked burger.

I've got Donna with a panna cotta that didn't set.

And Sinitta with a burger-type affair, mousse pastry thing

that was raw.

'I want to stay and I want to learn more,'

but I think I'm going home today.

I'm still very nervous.

And I'm still pretty sure I may well go home first,

but, I don't know, there's still positive vibes there.

I'd be sad if I had to go home.

Sort of looking forward to cooking another dish.

But whether I get the chance to or not, that's another matter.

I think it's quite obvious to you and I who is not going further

in this competition.

Today's decision is not a difficult decision.

We can't, unfortunately, take all of you through to the next round.

One of you has to leave us.

The person leaving us...

..is Sinitta.

-Thanks, Sinitta.

-Thank you.

-Thank you so much.

-Thank you, hon.

I'm feeling proud of myself, that I took on the challenge.

I've had an amazing experience, met new friends.

So, good luck, everybody.

Great day, today.

As elated as I am now,

I'm already starting to worry about the next one.

I'm excited that I got through.

I'm going to have to raise my game a bit,

so I can give these guys a run for their money.

It's fantastic to get through to the next round.

I can't tell you, I'm so happy.

To be honest, I feel really chuffed right now,

cos I honestly wasn't expecting this.

Celebrate tonight and then focus on what I'm going to do next time.

Here we go!

Next time...

I have got no idea what this is.

..the four celebrities are split into teams...

He going to get the hint.

Do you want more mango?

Tommy, don't open the oven!

..before cooking their own two courses to stay in the competition.

It's not moving at all.