Episode 12 Celebrity MasterChef

16 celebrities are battling it out to win the coveted MasterChef crown.

The nerves have left me now. I'm ready for it.

-They've already reached the top of their profession.

-But can they cut it in the kitchen?

I feel I can give it a really good shot, make it to the end and win.

I'm good at cooking basic food. This is not basic food. This is MasterChef.

Cooking doesn't get tougher than this.

These four celebrities are taking on the challenge

to become the next MasterChef champion.

But at the end of this week, only the best cooks will go through to the semi-finals.

I'm feeling a bit like a rabbit caught in the headlights!

I don't feel very confident, but I want to enjoy the experience.

It's a whole new ballgame for me.

I've really just done music, so it's a new chapter in my life.

How am I feeling about my future in MasterChef?! I'll take each day as it comes.

I'll try to give it my best shot. That's all I can do.

I'm loving the experience. I feel really passionate about food.

I want the romance to build.

Each day they've been set challenges to determine their expertise.

Today they'll be tested for their ability to work as a team.

Are they going to be at loggerheads? Are they going to gel? Who will be the leader?

Welcome back. The person standing next to you is your new team-mate.

You are going to have to work well together.

In front of you are a lovely set of ingredients. We're asking you to cook us a pasta dish.

Ten individual portions of exactly the same dish,

but those ten plates of food must be ready in one hour.

Let's cook.

I'm glad I got you, Colin.

What do you think?

Each team has to invent a pasta dish from ingredients that include

a range of pasta, mussels,

tomatoes, pancetta,

mushrooms,

pine nuts, ricotta,

beef mince, chillies,

rocket,

capers, bacon,

anchovies, aubergines

and a selection of cheeses.

Today we want the extraordinary.

Beautiful pasta cooked really well, a sauce that is opulent and beautiful.

Why don't we lose the things that are totally alien to us? Like these.

- Mussels could be really good. - Really? As what? - I'm not quite sure.

Let's just have a think here. Think.

Yesterday, actress Sharon Maughan showed promise demonstrating a knowledge of the basics.

There's nothing wrong that a deep breath and a count to ten wouldn't cure.

But she failed to complete two tests due to illness.

Is it going to be a disadvantage that she didn't do the two tests?

If she can step up to the mark, we've got a food hero on our hands.

- These capers taste really nice. - They're lovely.

I don't know if mixing mushrooms with mussels is a good idea, but we're not using that much.

- I don't think that's a problem. - I'm allergic to shellfish.

-If you're allergic, is it right to cook it? If you can't taste it, you can't have an opinion.

-OK.

- Sorry. - We can do something else, then.

'I feel a bit better now,'

so I'm going to do my best. I don't feel very confident, but I'm going to do my best!

Seven minutes gone.

Sharon's team-mate is former Supergrass drummer Danny Goffey

who has already shown flair in the kitchen.

You've demonstrated a lot of skill. Lovely mix of ingredients. The whole thing is done very well.

But some unusual combinations haven't always hit the mark.

I've got an issue with blue cheese on a breakfast. That is strong.

There's very few things it could match. Nothing on this plate.

- Are you doing the tomato sauce? - I'm starting it.

I'm just putting a little bit of chillies into this mix.

I don't think I'm a particularly bossy person. I think I'm quite laidback.

'I'd probably try to help people rather than hinder them.'

Some people get very competitive, but I don't think that's helpful.

You two spent quite a bit of time working out what to cook for us. What is the dish, Danny?

- We've got Sharon's meatballs! - We're doing a pasta

with lamb and beef meatballs in a tomato sauce.

What will make this dish special?

Em...I don't...

-Believe in yourselves, guys.

-Yeah.

-Who's team leader here, Sharon?

It's equally delegated.

- I'm doing the balls. - I'm doing the base of the sauce. - Which is working.

-If it goes wrong, who carries the can?

-That'll be a joint...

Ever get rid of two people at once?

Danny, as a band member you've been used to being in a team.

-Right.

-Does that cause friction because of creativity?

It can do, yeah, definitely. We were quite a democratic band. We wrote everything together.

Sometimes too democratic. It takes too long. You need quick decisions.

-So we might see a leader in you yet?

-You could well do.

They got off to a very slow start, but I do love their meatballs.

They must get that pasta sauce to taste delicious and the pasta to absorb that beautiful sauce.

You've had 15 minutes. 45 minutes left.

On the second team is TV presenter Justin Ryan, who made a bad first impression.

I don't know where to start. I've watched in amazement as you made bowls of gruel

and bowls of porridge.

But he managed to turn things around with his final dish.

It's a good-looking, modern plate of food and that sauce

is really, really tasty.

This is a really weird one for me and Colin. We've never been in competition before

and now we're fighting to find out which of us is the better cook. That breeds a little bit of tension.

Get a big pan on, please, Colin. We'll get some pasta softened down.

I've got a frying pan ready as well with some hot oil.

Working with Justin is presenting partner Colin McAllister,

who has shown some early signs of promise.

Considering your lack of experience, maybe you have a natural touch.

-However, his palate has been called into question.

-The sauce is sweet,

but it needs something sharp to take it from good to great.

Justin and I are a good team. We do work well together.

You have to know what you're good at and what the other person's good at.

That's a good partnership.

Halfway. Half an hour left.

-Colin and Justin, you guys are assembling.

-We are assembling.

-What are you cooking for us?

-A cross between moussaka and lasagne.

We've got some sausage in there, mushrooms, loads of pasta, aubergines and then the final dose of cream

and lots of cheese. And breadcrumbs.

-Colin, what strengths does Justin bring to the party?

-He's very good at making it happen.

Being practical and saying, "That's how we can achieve that."

I'm very like an ideas person.

I'll say, "Try a bit of this. What about that?"

So teamwork you seem very happy with. This layered lasagne with sausage, beef, tomatoes,

mushrooms, aubergines, cheese... you seem happy with.

- It's a hearty tray. There's a lot. - Can you grate this?

-Are you doing this with other people in mind or just for you?

-We've tried for...

-You asked him to grate some cheese, then took it off him!

-You grate it.

-It's not practical.

-It's the time.

We've 60 minutes and this concoction hasn't made it to the oven. Alarming!

-Colin, are you used to being bossed around by Justin?

-He wasn't bossing.

- I don't think so! - Maybe other couples boss each other around. We don't.

Justin and Colin, I thought they were team players and worked together. All I can see

is Justin running around like mad and Colin cleaning up.

I don't know what it'll taste like. I've never seen anything like it.

Can I just say you've only got 15 minutes left? 15 minutes.

- I think it's... - Shall we do Lady and The Tramp?

You've got 10 minutes left and that means plated as well.

Last two minutes! You're going to have to shift!

Are we cooked? Oh, God...

-How many fingers and thumbs have you got?

-How many's here?

-Count them.

-Where's the other plate?

-There. Look. 10 seconds left.

-That's it. Step away from your bench. Your time's up.

-That was good. That was really stressful.

It was so stressful!

Danny and Sharon have made ten plates of spaghetti, topped with lamb and beef meatballs

in a cherry tomato and basil sauce.

I think you work very well together. I do. And your idea was sound.

I do have one issue - there isn't enough sauce.

And pasta sauce does not sit on top of pasta, it gets mixed together.

Your pasta still has a little bit of firmness. I like that. Good.

It's cooked well. Everything is cooked well. And your tomato sauce is sweet and nice.

It needs more flavour. There's a little hint of spice, but it needs more.

- Oh, dear... - I know. It's scary.

You both obviously have a really good palate. That sauce is really tasty. The concept is good

because there is the variation. They're going a little bit dry, but, on the whole, not a bad job.

'- I felt we were a good team. - We were.'

- It's hard at first because... - We were so polite.

- But I think maybe it worked. - I'm so happy.

So happy to have worked with Danny. I'm getting a bit theatrical!

Colin and Justin's dish is a Mediterranean pasta bake

topped with pine nuts, parmesan and capers,

accompanied by a rocket and tomato salad.

Inside we have lamb sausage, beef, mushrooms, aubergines,

-cheese, pasta, salt, pepper, milk.

-And bacon lardons.

Bacon lardons! Brilliant. Then we've got scattered pine nuts and capers

and tomatoes and olives. We're up to 15 ingredients in one bowl.

The acidity from the parmesan cheese and the tomato coming together with the spiciness of the lamb sausage

is a little bit overpowering. Your aubergines aren't cooked enough. They need to be cooked first

or they just go hard. That's probably why it's salty,

the saltiness coming from those aubergines.

I'm slightly frightened by it.

I think you two work well together, but not efficiently together.

You took charge, Justin, which is great, but then you've got to give him some work to do.

There's a lot of cheese flavour in with tomato.

You can get the hint of some meat, but I can't tell which.

It's perfectly edible, but because there's so much going on,

it's just a little bit muddy.

'I'm a bit disappointed.'

Maybe we bit off more than we could chew.

As he read through the ingredients, it sounded like the whole menu!

JUSTIN: I had a little taste afterwards and I thought it tasted OK.

Cooking for 10 people in an hour is actually really daunting.

No doubt about it, this has been a really tough task.

But what comes next... it's a lot tougher.

Thank you.

I don't care what they say!

That was hard work.

Justin and Colin need to have a complete 180-degree U-turn.

Their ideas about food are crazy, John.

Throwing all those ingredients under sheets of pasta is silly.

I couldn't help but chuckle.

-I think the division of labour is wrong.

-Justin takes charge, but doesn't give Colin any work!

I think Colin's got good ideas.

On the other side, the teamwork of Danny and Sharon, it started off that little bit too slow.

Then they ran out of time. It's a shame. The essence of the dish is good. It just needed more finesse.

It's amazing how they started to click. They worked brilliantly well.

But the pressure is going to mount and I wonder if they've got the energy to really push forward

and do what is necessary. Tomorrow we are taking them out to the general public.

-They have to feed real people, not just you and I.

-Mate, take cover!

Take cover.

JUSTIN: I expect the next part is going to leave me absolutely frazzled.

I'm excited, but in equal parts terrified.

DANNY: It's getting better and better. I've conquered my nerves slightly.

I can let the cooking do the talking. If food could talk.

SHARON: I feel scared still, but I'm looking forward to it.

Looking forward to what's to come. A bit.

It's the morning of Day Two.

Now Justin, Sharon, Colin and Danny face their first outside catering challenge.

Welcome to the Royal Free Hospital, one of the busiest in London.

Over 700,000 patients a year, 900 beds,

over 4,500 dedicated staff.

It's those staff that you are making lunch for today.

This is all about mass catering.

Each team today is going to be tasked with cooking 40 meat dishes,

40 vegetarian dishes and 30 hot desserts. That's a huge amount of food.

Lunch is at 12.30. Good luck. Off you go.

I can't think of a more important group of people to feed than those that run a hospital.

These people are on tight schedules. They need their lunch.

The Royal Free Hospital in London's Hampstead is internationally renowned for pioneering research

and world-class treatment.

The staff canteen provides the fuel which powers its huge workforce.

Overseeing service today will be Head Chef Graham Haden.

We've got a lot of work to do, a short space of time.

In front of you are the ingredients that you'll be cooking with today.

You know what you've got to do.

The two teams have to invent two mains and a pudding from ingredients including

lamb mince, salmon and pork,

together with a selection of vegetables and fruits.

Lamb mince would make a fantastic shepherd's pie.

The courgettes, you sharpen them like a pencil...

-They will also have the run of the larder.

-There's bread here.

This could be the perfect solution! Here's some I prepared earlier.

Try not to get too complicated.

-Right, are you ready? Menus?

-We're going to do salmon with rice and courgettes.

-OK.

-Then we'll do a vegetable bake.

-Yes.

And...apple crumble.

-Gentlemen?

-We want to do a shepherd's pie.

We thought for the vegetarian option doing a stuffed pepper.

-And your dessert?

-Apple strudel.

-We've got to crack on. Time is very short. All right? Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

Let's get all this out of the way.

We need this.

I want courgettes.

The teams now have 2.5 hours before service.

'Sharon and I work well together.'

We're very democratic and politely English to each other.

'We're going to have to operate a bit quicker this time.'

Confident? It's not a word that even comes into the equation.

I have absolutely no confidence, but I have loads of hope and some determination.

We can't let the stress get to us. We have to prepare interesting food for an awful lot of people.

'These guys go out of their way to save everybody's lives.'

I want to make sure that today we give a little bit back.

- What takes the longest? - Cook the potatoes, the rice and the apples.

- Anything that's hard. - You get on with that and I'll make the shepherd's pie.

Why don't one of us do potatoes...?

- Well, can I do the onions? - Do they have a machine?

-Do they have to peel potatoes manually?

-Yes.

-Do they?

-Yes.

OK.

I'm not going to be put off by volume here. This is a chance

to, you know, rather than gung-ho, straight in, let's really plan this out.

I'm looking for military precision. That's the key.

-You're doing the vegetable bake, you're doing salmon.

-Yes.

-Who'll do the dessert?

Me. By then we'll both be doing it.

I'm just trying to cut 40 pieces of salmon.

I'm starting to freak out. I didn't know what 40 pieces looked like. It's a lot.

I can cut these and put them aside and they don't need long to cook. Then I can join Sharon and help.

While Danny portions the salmon, Sharon preps the veg for the vegetarian bake.

-You need to chop quicker.

-I know, but I can't.

I feel really bad that Sharon's doing all the chopping!

Carry on. Don't feel guilty. I'll scream, "Daniel!"

I've just got a few more to do.

There you go.

As Danny puts the salmon in the fridge to cook later,

the other team is working on the shepherd's pie.

You've got to peel 50 potatoes. We need one, then an extra ten.

Thank you(!) This will take forever, but it's got to be done.

Mind over matter. There's nothing worse than a plate full of someone's misery, is there?

Feel the love in every spud.

It's the whole quantity thing. The most we have dinner for is perhaps 15 people.

Does it matter that after four potatoes I'm starting to feel bitter?

Does that matter? "Oh, no! Peel them off!"

30 minutes in and Danny gets started on the dressing for his salmon,

while Sharon is still chopping veg.

- Do you love to chop? - I love to chop! I'm a-choppin'!

"I love to chop!"

-Is that enough vegetables?

-Yes.

-Anything else?

-No, that's fine.

-Sharon, are you more comfortable on your own?

-I love Danny!

It's an umbilical cord we're tied by.

-And what are you doing?

-A vegetable bake for vegetarians.

It's hard. I'm a complete carnivore.

What is the secret of this, feeding 200 people?

Basically, it's just more of what you'd do. It's just having great, big dishes.

-I agree with you. Just do what you normally do, but bigger.

-I think so.

-Like that.

-Yes.

-Thank you.

With her veg in the oven,

Sharon moves on to preparing her tomato sauce.

Right, sweat that off now.

It's not like my one at home for a fiver. Wow! Where is it? What a monster!

-Right, that's your base. That's your tomato sauce.

-How satisfying is that?

Meanwhile, Colin and Justin are both still working on their shepherd's pie.

It's a physical workout, cooking this amount of lamb!

Man alive! This is hard going.

-You're still doing them potatoes?

-Is there a quicker way?

-Yeah - move your hand!

Justin has finally transferred his mince into the industrial pan.

What about this for a spatula? That's what it is.

-Justin, where's the vegetarian course?

-We're about to do that.

-We've got the meat underway...

-Where's the pudding?

-It'll have to come last.

-We're not going to let it stress us. The apples are here, ready to go.

-Oooh.

Half the cooking time has passed and throughout the hospital staff near the end of a busy morning shift.

Danny and Sharon have moved on to their pudding,

but their salmon will need to be cooked just before service.

-You know my concern with yours? The fish being overcooked.

-That was always my concern, too.

I'm just going to bake it, then onto the grill to crisp it up.

-You'll cook half and half?

-No, it's in three.

-Three lots?

-Danny, you are the champion of the world.

-I know.

-Who's the boss?

- We are both the boss. We're equal. - I'm getting more sort of, er...

-Assertive?

-Yeah.

-More assertive?

-I couldn't even think of the word!

-Fantastic. Good luck.

-They need more than luck, John!

- Thanks very much, Graham(!) - I thought he was on our side.

- That one can go there. - I think it goes on the top.

OK, thank you.

Across the kitchen, Justin and Colin finally decide to split the workload.

Colin takes on the stuffed peppers, while Justin chops the apples for the strudel.

I've got something like 35 apples to chop. These have to be softened down in a pan,

then get them cooked in my pastry.

We've got an awful lot to do and time is running out.

-Have you got the mixture for those?

-Not yet.

-Pudding - where's that?

-The apples are just about to be cooked.

Oh, my word.

They've made a list and think that means it'll be done!

Work through it!

Colin, be mindful that we have to get these peppers baked in time.

- What's in this pepper mix? - How many are we doing? 30?

- We need enough rice... - Is it 40?

- 40. - Oh, my God! I've only done 30!

- 40 vegetarian, 40 meat? - Oh, no! I'm supposed to do 40.

One, two, three...

I've only got 31. I need another nine peppers.

Oh... I need another nine peppers.

And then the right foot. Squeeze. It's going much easier.

Slow down just a tiny bit more.

You've got one hour before service!

Time is busting us apart here.

Sharon's vegetable bake is ready for assembly.

-Taste enough salt? Yes?

-Just. Subtle.

As Sharon's vegetable bake goes in the oven,

Danny pan fries the courgettes for his salmon dish.

These are very bland. I've got to think what to put in. I might put coriander in.

Or maybe a bit of dried chilli.

Meanwhile, Colin and Justin are behind making the stuffing for their peppers.

There's so many things to do at the same time. In your own kitchen, you just take your time,

but because there's a real time constraint here, we're really, really up against it.

While the boys race to stuff their peppers,

-Sharon is already taking her pudding to the pass.

-Put it on the hot plate.

-I will.

I have apple crumble for 30 people sitting out there ready to be served.

It's the most terrifying thing!

With 20 minutes to go, Justin starts putting together the apple strudel.

I've never made strudel before, so I'm running at a brick wall.

Justin? Your strudel is stuck to the bench.

You're not going to butter the tray or anything?

Oh, my God...

I'll have to abandon that one.

This one is going to come in two.

It's safe to say it's not looking quite as it should have done.

-I need to get something in the oven.

-Cook it now. If it's not right, it doesn't get used. OK?

Where do I find icing sugar?

Icing sugar, guys?

Just give me a clue!

Icing sugar. Fantastic, thank you.

Colin! Can you open an oven so I can come through with these, please?

Sorry, Sharon.

The peppers have only just gone in the oven. We've got 10 minutes.

They are so out of their depth, but to carry on saying it's fine, that is meltdown.

Danny's salmon, dressed with soy sauce and spring onions, is ready for the oven.

Colin, Justin, Sharon, Danny - eight minutes!

-I thought they were in the oven!

-They're cooked. We're just going to grill the potato.

I've got loads of them, remember.

- Come on! - Mind your backs! Mind your backs!

These can go out. Grab one, Colin.

Come on, guys! I need this food now!

-Are they cooked?

-Well...

-If not, leave them in the oven.

Five minutes, then we're done.

Put those in, get the others out and see what they're like.

It's now 12.30 and the canteen is opened.

But with some of the food yet to reach the pass,

the hospital staff will have to wait.

-You've got to stand and serve it. Are you happy?

-It's really nice.

You have a queue outside waiting for food and it's 120 people long.

Danny? Bring your salmon.

Quick. Go, go, go.

Go. Go.

Go.

Danny and Sharon have made salmon with rice and courgettes,

a vegetable bake

and an apple crumble.

Colin and Justin are serving shepherd's pie,

peppers stuffed with rice and cheese

and a dessert of apple strudel.

What would you like? Shepherd's pie.

The shepherd's pie for you?

The shepherd's pie is an instant hit.

-There you go.

-Thanks.

-You're very welcome. Enjoy it.

-What would you like?

-A piece of salmon, please.

Salmon.

Soon Danny's salmon and Sharon's vegetable bake also prove popular.

If you want soy sauce, it's there.

After a busy start for Colin and Justin, business has slowed down.

Colin and Justin's shepherd's pie.

What were Colin and Justin doing for two and a half hours?!

I don't know what they were up to. The meat is really tasty.

And I like that gravy, that lovely thick gravy.

I'd like those potatoes to be properly baked on top, not grilled.

-It's not bad.

-I think that's a decent dish. The sort of thing I would order.

Shepherd's pie was fantastic. Nicely flavoured. It was lovely.

Best shepherd's pie I've ever had.

-Here you are. You're welcome. Enjoy it.

-It looks lovely.

Look at that. That's cheese - corrugated cheese.

-The pepper is far too strong. It's not cooked enough.

-The rice is not really seasoned.

Big hunks of cheese in it.

It's not very nice, Mr Wallace. I don't like it at all.

The filling's very good. The actual pepper wasn't cooked as much as I'd like.

Back at the pass, Danny and Sharon's section is still thriving.

There's only two salmons left. Nearly out of salmons.

They went down very quickly.

Unfortunately, we're out of fish. There's vegetable bake.

Nice Mediterranean vegetables, sweetness and seasoning all melting into each other.

I'd like the potatoes more crispy, but I like that.

She's got lovely tomato sauce, vegetables still crunchy.

-Not bad. I'm really impressed.

-So am I.

-I'd eat the whole thing.

It's good.

It tastes home made, which is really nice.

It's pretty tasty. I'd go for it again, I reckon.

The courgettes aren't overcooked, the salmon is nicely cooked, then grilled. It looked great.

It tastes great. I think he's done a really good job.

That's nice. That's nice. What a lovely light lunch.

The salmon was really well cooked and perfectly seasoned.

The rice was a little bit bland, but the salmon was very well cooked.

Colin and Justin's main courses have not sold out,

-but they're hoping their pudding is more of a hit.

-Thank you.

-Enjoy it. Thank you.

Colin and Justin's apple strudel.

The apples were stuck to the bench when Justin tried to get the apple strudel off the bench.

What we've ended up with is some filo pastry, a tiny portion, and inside, look...

We have some apple and on the side a nice piece of cinnamon bark.

This is undercooked apple inside unsweetened pastry

with a really good dash of cinnamonon it. Thankfully we have custard

to take away the pretty nasty taste of what is that so-called strudel.

No, no, no, that's not good. Oh, that's a real shame. That's a real, real shame.

It's...OK. The pastry's quite raw. It tastes...it just tastes raw. The apple's nice.

I wish I'd had the crumble.

Pudding? Pudding and custard?

They've managed to get a crispy top on it, fruit is nicely sweetened, juicy. That's nice.

I am really actually quite blown away by Danny and Sharon and the food they've produced.

Never had apple crumble in a hospital before. This was really nice.

-Lunch is finished.

-Thank you!

- You all right? - Well done, you two.

It was physically very hard, but I'm incredibly proud.

My head inside was telling me that I could not do this. I loved it.

It's the first time I've ever cooked for that amount of people. It's made me want to do more cooking.

Onwards and upwards.

I'm happy because the customers seemed to be happy. We worked as a team and we made it happen.

I've had the time of my life here and to cook en masse. I had no idea that Colin and I could do it.

Tough gig today. For one team, I think, a great success.

For the other, I've got to say there's a lot of work to be done.

Danny and Sharon got on with their jobs and the food they produced was exactly what we asked of them.

Quality food in big numbers.

They went that extra inch, they tried really hard to get good flavour and that effort showed.

I'm really starting to get into it. Really enjoying it.

I'm really pleased I found something I can do with my hands as opposed to making music.

It's something really new for me. I'm having a good time.

SHARON: I really like working in a team.

I'm scared about cooking on my own. You're in competition with others.

I'll have to just get used to it.

I would have thought that Colin and Justin, as a partnership, would have been

a coherent workforce. Today it just didn't happen.

The only thing that really came off well was that shepherd's pie.

The stuffed peppers and apple strudel, not quite there, guys.

Today's challenge felt like the scariest thing imaginable,

but I feel like it was a valuable experience. I feel richer.

I feel kind of fired up and ready to go back into the kitchen.

JUSTIN: Today's been fantastic. Utterly fantastic. My confidence has built

and now I'll be really disappointed if I'm going to be asked to leave.

I feel more competitive than ever.

The celebrities have managed to survive their first outdoor challenge,

-but the competition is about to get a lot tougher.

-Justin and Colin need to lift their game.

Tomorrow someone's leaving the competition.

From now on, no more teamwork. It's all about the individual. The competition will be ferocious.

Tomorrow the battle to stay in the competition continues.

And one of the celebrities faces elimination.

Just under 20 minutes! Steamed sea bass, rice, sweet chilli sauce.

I need you to smile from ear to ear as you chow down on my fish.

-Are you seriously going to deep fry a chocolate bar?

-Yes, I am.

The person leaving us

is...

Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd - 2011

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