Episode 3 Celebrity MasterChef

Brand new celebs in this kitchen and we're about to find out

whether they can cook.

It really does feel like the first day of school. I'm petrified.

Some of them think they can cook, some of them know they can't cook.

Some of them are just delusional.

I'm on it like a car bonnet.

All we want is just a little bit of promise, a glimmer of hope.

I hope I'll polish up well.

You can act, you can sing, but can you cook?

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 don't know what I'm more nervous about.

Knives, Gregg and John, ingredients, everything, really.

I don't quite know what to expect but I'm hoping to learning

and developing and hopefully that will put me in good stead.

I'm really looking forward to being observed by John and Gregg.

That sounds quite sadistic, really.

I can't quite believe I'm doing this.

I quite like what I can do.

Whether someone else will like it, of course,

is a different matter altogether.

Really and truly, I just want to enjoy it

and learn some techniques, as well.

Let's do this.

I love days like today

because I have no idea what's going to walk through those doors.

We can find magic today.

Welcome to the MasterChef kitchen.

We, and the whole nation, are about to find out

whether you can cook or not.

Inside that box are a set of ingredients.

What we're going to ask you to do, from that set of ingredients,

is make for us your ultimate burger.

Can't be that difficult, can it?

Just want something delicious.

50 minutes. Reveal your ingredients and let's cook.

To make their ultimate burger, the contestants have been given

lamb mince, chicken breast, tomatoes, lettuce, bacon, mushrooms,

avocado, harissa, and a selection of cheeses.

They also have a choice of bread, and a basic larder.

In this modern world, a burger doesn't have to contain meat.

It can have whatever it likes inside it,

as long as it's jammed between a bun, I don't mind.

Then I want to see the accompaniments

that actually match the burger, not kill it.

Silent Witness actor Amanda Burton grew up in rural Ireland where

her parents grew their own fruit and veg.

I'm really looking forward to rediscovering my love of cooking.

I think it's lain dormant for a while,

because I don't cook as much now that my daughters have grown up.

I'm looking forward to getting skills back up and running

and delighting people in the kitchen once again.

Amanda is making us a burger with chicken.

She's making like a chicken stroganoff.

She's throwing a load of vinegar into her chicken

and then it's going to go into a pitta bread with blue cheese. Really?

That poor chicken would have been safer crossing the road.

Are you pleased to be here?

-I'm extraordinarily pleased to be here, actually.

-Go on.

It's weird, it's so weird, you know.

It's like walking into something that you kind of know, but don't.

-You're a bit scared, aren't you?

-Yeah.

-You're really scared.

I'm kind of scared, yeah, but good scared.

I always think if you're scared, it's big enough for you.

You've had 10 minutes.

EastEnders actor Emma Barton has been cooking since she was 14

and wants to develop her skills.

-Don't tell me you're struggling with the pepper pot.

-I am.

I've always wanted to go on a cookery course, so here I am,

but in front of lots of people watching.

Oh!

I must be mad.

Emma, what are you going to make your burger out of?

I've never made a burger in my life

so I'm going to go with the mince and just try.

-No?

-Yes.

-Yes?

-Yes.

-How many burgers have you eaten in your life?

-Loads.

-So you know what they look like?

-I know what they look like.

-That's a good place to start.

-Yep. Thank you.

I'm just going to go for it.

Emma has never made a burger before.

The first one is going to be experimented on me.

I bet you're glad I'm not cooking for you right now at home.

-Don't you start!

-You're halfway.

Ex Coronation Street actor Ken Morley

grew up in a family of good cooks.

My mother was a very good cook.

It was only later that I realised,

when she stopped doing it, that I would go into various restaurants

and realise what a load of rubbish I was being served, really.

Watching Ken work has been a bit of an epiphany, really.

He's just taken the meat and fried it and seasoned it,

which I'm really pleased about.

We actually might have a tasty little burger from Ken.

-Have you made your burger?

-That's it, yeah, really.

-You've still got 25 minutes to go.

-That has just dawned on me, yeah.

Have a think. There might be more things you can do in 25 minutes.

-Right, OK, cheers.

-Have a think.

-Thank you.

Former JLS singer JB Gill cooks nightly,

and recently set up his own venison farm in Scotland.

I actually enjoy almost the therapy of cooking.

I don't like to rush, so I don't know how I'm going to get on today.

You've got some big fat chips in here, mate.

-Yes, I thought you'd like those.

-Have you fried them?

Yes, I'd par-fried them and then I'm just finishing them off

-in there.

-Oh!

-Yes, man.

-Are you a bit of a cook, mate?

-I like to experiment.

-I'm looking forward to learning a lot from you guys.

-Righto.

JB obviously has a bit of knowledge.

He knew what sort of mince it was, so it's becoming a lamb,

chilli and mint burger, which is brilliant.

He's serving it with a pineapple and chilli relish.

Wow, it sounds like a great, great thing.

As long as that patty is not overworked,

because it could be a bit tough.

-You've got 15 minutes left.

-Oh!

TV Presenter Alison Hammond was inspired to cook by her mum,

whose Jamaican roots heavily influenced her cooking.

One for me!

I'm here just to see if my food really is good

because all my friends and family think it's amazing.

I just kind of want that recognition from John and Gregg, really.

If they say they don't like my food, I'd be devastated.

It would be the shame of the century.

-Are you pleased to be here?

-Do you know what?

I feel quite a little bit overwhelmed.

I'm really excited, especially to meet you. It's lovely.

Are you confident you might do well in this competition?

I've never made a burger before, so it's my first burger.

I'm not into burgers. Burgers are not my thing.

I'm feeling that this would be a good burger.

Alison is really enthusiastic.

She's got her meat and she's seasoned it really highly, she's put in lots

of things including harissa, which is a chilli paste,

which is wonderful.

She seems to want something very spicy and very tasty.

Good, we might actually have a cook in Alison.

You've just got five minutes left.

Let me see.

-Bit more.

-I would like it a bit more. They might like it raw.

-They are nervous. Nervous.

-I'm nervous.

Ken is just frying some lettuce.

-Have you had fried lettuce before?

-No.

-I don't know what it'll taste like!

-No. I've got a fairly good idea.

Put it on a plate, please. You've got one minute to go.

That's it. Time's up. Time's up.

Ken's ultimate burger is a lamb patty with cheddar cheese

and a fried egg served with sliced potato, tomato,

onion and mushroom relish, and fried lettuce.

You decided you liked the fried lettuce, did you, Ken?

I thought it was an unknown quantity, really.

You know what I mean?

Hey.

Your lamb patty is cooked really nicely. Really, really nicely.

-A little bit of pink running through it. Really delicious.

-Thank you.

I like the egg.

I like that sloppy yolk across the top of the meat,

because it creates almost a sauce.

Your little relish with onions and red wine, I like the taste of.

I will say to you, though, I'm not going to eat your fried lettuce.

-Why ever not?

-Because it looks awful.

I don't mind trying the lettuce.

Well, actually, it's all right. It's not that bad.

It's a little greasy, but you haven't fried it to death,

so it's still got its crunch.

-It's actually OK.

-Yeah.

-Well, who knows?

Maybe you're a mad culinary inventor.

Yes, not too bad. I mean, it's the first day, you know.

Obviously you look at it afterwards,

and you think it's not as sharp as you thought it would have been,

but, you know, what can you say?

Alison spiced her lamb burger with harissa,

and served it with chips,

an avocado salsa, and wholegrain mustard.

Do you know what? You have got a bit of a size issue.

You've got a little burger in a big bun.

SHE LAUGHS

-Yeah, it's...

-It's too small?

-Yeah, look!

-What is that?!

I knew I should have used the bigger one.

You cooked a bigger one but...?

I had two burgers cooked, right,

but I thought, "I'm going to give you the little one

"and I get the other one."

It's really nice. You're going to love it. Smashed it.

In that burger, you've got loads of chilli,

loads of fiery spice,

and I like it with your crisp lettuce and your well-cooked chips.

Alison, I think that's great, actually.

You've got some nice ideas,

and you're bold and you're not scared to flavour, which I love.

Yeah. Thank you.

Now that I've started, I think I want to stay.

I think I could get used to this.

JB added mint and chilli to his lamb burger,

which he served with chips and a pineapple relish.

Look at all those lovely colours, and look how clean that is.

Thank you.

Oooh.

I'm nervous of that now.

-Look, it's still raw in the middle.

-OK.

You can't eat that.

When you made your burger, you really worked that meat,

and it became quite dense, so when you fried it,

it's very, very dense in the middle and very, very hard for it to cook.

I like the adventure of the chips.

I think that's great - big, fat chips.

I like your pineapple relish.

Um, you look upset, mate.

Yeah, because I like my burgers well done,

and it would have been good to check that it was well done

and cooked all the way through.

At this stage, I'm willing to forgive you,

because I think you have got heaps of potential.

-Thank you.

-Seriously.

Emma's chilli and onion burger has been served with chips and mustard.

You were in a right tizz.

-You got yourself in a real state, didn't you?

-Yes.

I am happy with that. It's cooked enough for me.

I really like your chips. I like that you've put salt across them.

And I think you've got a tasty burger.

I also like that you've given me a little pot of mustard,

because I'm a fan of mustard.

Yeah, your burger's OK. But see these big flecks of onion?

-This is raw onion. Look.

-Yes.

Not very nice amongst meats, raw onion.

If you're going to put onions and chillies and things

through burgers, cook them first.

I am beaming, because I can't believe I've just done that.

I mean, I'm talking as if I've just, you know, saved someone's life, and I haven't.

I've just cooked a burger.

And I've never used a deep-fat fryer before.

Never cooked chips.

Excited.

Amanda was the only contestant to use the chicken,

which she shredded with bacon and tarragon,

and served in a pitta with chips

and a salad of avocado, lettuce, mint and pineapple.

-Did you put the blue cheese in in the end?

-No. No, I didn't.

-Why no blue cheese?

-Because I thought it would be horrific.

-Right, OK.

-It's not a conventional-looking burger, is it?

-No, no.

It's more of a sort of chicken sandwich.

Actually, that's not bad at all.

The chicken's moist. You've got salty bacon there.

You've got tarragon in there as well, which I really like.

It doesn't look great, does it? It looks a bit of a sight.

Yeah, I guess so. Yeah.

-I think actually, the whole thing - you're trying to do too much.

-OK.

-Let's just look at this chip.

-No, I know.

-I mean...

-It's not a good look, really, is it?

-No.

It's quite sobering, really, I think,

whenever you get judged on the food,

so, yes, little bit less giddy.

I'm not brimming full of confidence, but I think you guys are OK.

Thanks very much. Off you go.

Oh, it's all over.

-Wow.

-That was just a burger. Could you imagine...?!

Some good flavours.

A bit of raw food, some greasy food.

Their next challenge,

they're actually going to a restaurant kitchen.

We are about to shorten the life of some poor head chef.

It's day two,

and the five celebrities have been split into two teams,

and are on their way to their first experience

of a professional kitchen.

It could be disastrous, couldn't it?

You know what I mean - if it went definitely wrong,

because they're making a living from all this.

I think it would be better in black, don't you think?

-So much more slimming.

-JB LAUGHS

Don't you think, though? Why is it so white, bright?

It's like, "Hello! I'm big! Look at me!"

The three actors, Emma, Ken and Amanda,

will be cooking at Iberica,

a contemporary tapas restaurant in London's Canary Wharf.

Service will be run by head chef Cesar Garcia.

Hello.

I want you to work hard, quick, but confidence of yourself, OK?

So let's go.

During service, Amanda will be in charge

of the lamb sweetbreads, served with a crumbed and deep-fried egg,

red peppers, and a Manchego cheese foam.

Wow. That looks amazing. So it's about 40 seconds for that?

-Yeah, only a bit. Did you see?

-Tiny time.

-Yeah.

You put it on the middle.

That's so beautiful-looking.

-It's a gentle dish, isn't it?

-Yes.

-Gentle. OK.

-Oh, that really is fantastic. Wow.

-Perfect.

-Now for the service, I want your best, yeah?

-OK.

I won't let you down.

SHE LAUGHS

I can always disappear into a fridge if it goes terribly wrong.

Ken is responsible for the endive salad

with blue cheese, julienne of apple,

caramelised hazelnuts, mustard vinaigrette, and a quince paste.

We only want to give them a bit of colour, but be careful,

because we don't want them to get burnt and bitter, OK,

because they are already bitter.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

The preparation, the organisation, is very, very precise.

And here we are two hours before anybody arrives,

and everybody is working like there is no tomorrow.

-I'm really worried about making a mess, sorry.

-No.

-You can stay later to clean, don't worry.

-Oh, OK.

HE CHUCKLES

Emma will have to prepare the corn torta fritas,

topped with caramelised onion and blue cheese scrambled eggs.

-You take that with your hands.

-Yep.

-Oh, wow!

-Look how I'm moving my arm.

-Yes.

-Always there.

-Brushing forward.

This is what I want. I want to see like a doughnut, OK?

I want to see them thicker inside.

We finish with the scrambled egg on the top,

with the cheese, the caramelised onion, and the cream.

-And that's it.

-Beautiful. Thank you.

-OK?

-Yep.

I really want to do Chef proud. He's so nice.

I really want to get it right.

OK, so we're ready for the service now.

I'm going to do it just as well.

Across town, singer JB and TV presenter Alison

are at the St Pancras Grand Hotel,

home to The Gilbert Scott,

which specialises in traditional British fare.

They will be working under the watchful eye

of Marcus Wareing protege Chantelle Nicholson.

We don't even know what our service is going to be like going into it.

If they can keep themselves organised, work cleanly,

and listen to what's going on in the kitchen, I think they will do well.

OK, snails go in.

-How many snails did you put in?

-Seven per portion.

Remember, these are cold,

so you need the heat to go all the way through, OK?

We don't want cold food going upstairs.

JB is in charge of the starter of Dorset snails on toast

with bone marrow, parsley butter, and roasted garlic puree.

But the real challenge will be the cooking of the bone marrow.

If you overcook it, it will basically start to dissolve,

because it's fat.

You can see it's starting to bubble around the bottom.

-That's about where you want it.

-OK.

So, toast.

These just sit around.

Got the marrow on the plate. Got a roast garlic puree here.

Three of those on top. OK? Job done.

So you think you can do this dish?

-I'll give it a very good try.

-Yeah?

I need more than a good try, because it's going out to our customers,

and it's our reputation on the line, so no pressure.

I was going to say.

I've never cooked something like this before,

so it's definitely going to be a challenge.

There's a lot to live up to, and hopefully I'll be able to master it.

Alison's starter is an omelette Arnold Bennett.

The omelette is mixed with haddock and cheese

and topped with a hollandaise sauce.

Like a nice, even, caramelisation on top.

Under the salamander.

Do I have to wash up my own pots and pans and start again?

-Not today.

-OK.

You won't have time.

And there we are. There's the omelette Arnold Bennett.

-This is how it needs to be, OK?

-OK.

-So on the plate.

So nothing around the edges, as you can see.

It's all nice and clean.

If you turn your eye away from this for a minute and it burns,

you have to start the whole thing again.

It's 12 o'clock, and across London, restaurant service is beginning.

Really nervous. Oh, my God.

-JB:

-You can kind of feel everyone getting ready

and getting a little bit itchy.

-Is this like the calm before the storm?

-The calm before the storm.

Wow. This is so cool, your job.

Let's hope you're still saying that at the end of the service.

Really?

Yeah, today is going to be busy. They need to work quick.

OK, first order. One endive salad. Come on, Ken. I need that.

New check. Amanda, one lamb sweetbread, please.

Did you hear?

Yes!

If you don't say yes, I don't know if you hear the check or not.

OK. Yep!

After Ken has prepared the salad,

he needs to grill the blue cheese before he adds the hazelnuts.

-Ken?

-Chef.

Hazelnuts not in the salamander.

-Only the cheese, yeah?

-Oh, right.

I don't want to see overcaramelised hazelnuts.

Oh, right, right.

Where does this go? Do you know?

I want to hear this, Ken.

Where is the quince paste?

-The quince paste on the board there, OK?

-Sorry.

-The quince paste.

-Oh, yeah, yeah.

-The marmalade, OK?

-Ah, yes, yes, yes.

-Nice on the plate, but I want all the ingredients in it.

-Yes.

-OK.

Is nice. Table 19, please.

The pressure is now on Amanda to get her deep-fried eggs

onto the sweetbreads.

Excuse me.

Oh, God, this is difficult.

Oh, dear, it's gone.

Is it not hot enough?

This is not good. Miguel, this is not good.

What's happening, Amanda?

Nope. It's not good. It wasn't hot enough, I don't think. Sorry.

-This is out. No.

-Off. OK.

So delicate, this egg.

Sweetbreads!

Down here?

-Any good?

-Thank you.

-OK, new check.

One torta. Yes, Chef.

-New check. Emma, two tortas.

-Yes, Chef!

We need to keep an eye always.

So I can leave that on the heat while I'm concentrating on that, can't I?

Yes.

-So that's one. Thank you, sir.

-One minute...

-Oh!

It WAS one.

Oh, that is so unfair.

So much harder than it initially looked.

-Be careful you don't overcook the egg on the pan.

-Yep.

That's overcooked, and that looks awful.

I'm not happy, but I'll let him tell me.

Chef? It's overdone, isn't it?

It's overdone, OK. So I need one, please. I need it.

The crisp is nice, but... It needs to be a bit softer.

They are waiting. Please, I need two more, quickly.

It just looked so easy earlier. But it really isn't.

Back in King's Cross,

JB and Alison are already in the thick of service.

OK, we have two snails and two omelette going together.

Got that, JB? Yes, Chef. Alison? Yes, Chef!

OK, you've got another two omelette and another two snails. Yes, Chef.

Yes, Chef. Get two done first, then we move onto the next two.

When you've got four to look after, it's a lot harder.

Definitely feeling the pressure.

Got more toast done?

Yeah, you need one more marrow. It's overcooked.

Alison, just slow down on the omelettes.

JB's messed up, so I need to slow down a little bit.

Glazing, Alison, under the salamander.

Get the butter on the bread.

OK, just watch. It's got to be done right.

I know you're under pressure

but we can't spend time cleaning up after you, OK? Yes, Chef.

-OK, JB, this needs to be cleaner. Alison, how are we going?

-OK, Chef.

Yeah, I need your two up now.

Perfect. Very nice.

Perfect. You're working two more. Hey, it's not clean, come on.

Can't send that upstairs.

-Sorry, Chef.

-OK, service.

Table four.

When she says, "Slight slowdown", I'm like, "What?"

I don't go slow.

I'm just hoping I've got a little bit of a break, now.

Oh, God, I need to do two.

Oh, my God, it's not enough. Look at this.

Got to share it out.

-How are we going, Alison?

-30 seconds, Chef.

-Perfect.

-OK, JB, how long for you?

-One minute, Chef.

-Yeah.

-Right - we clean this one, Alison?

-It's clean, Chef.

-Much better.

OK, JB, these are ready to go. You need to speed up.

But that doesn't mean "be messy".

Ready, Chef.

OK. Service?

-Much better, JB, OK?

-Thank you, Chef.

12, please.

As soon as you've got more than two orders on,

it can get a little bit out of control.

Definitely takes some getting used to.

It was a little bit scary, to be honest.

Horrible. I want to go home!

Across town, Ken is grilling the last of his endive salad orders.

It's missing a bit of, er...cheese,

and I don't want to see the hazelnuts on the salamander -

third time I've told you.

You mustn't put your nuts under the grill.

That's the secret of it.

Ahh...oh, me cheese!

OK - looks really nice and it's all in its section.

-Very good. That's the standard.

-Thank you...Chef.

Table 13.

There have been no screams from the restaurant - did notice that.

No dying screams or anything like that.

That's a good sign.

Meanwhile, Amanda's working on her final dishes.

I'm so happy.

SHE LAUGHS

Had the last few right.

Probably blown this one, now, now I'm talking about it.

It's such a buzz.

-SHE LAUGHS

-Flying.

We need to finish service - be the masters, eh?

-Much, much, much better.

-Much better.

-Do they have salt?

-Yes, they do.

-Very good. You are doing so good.

Amanda, quickly - another minute

and we'll prepare for the dinner service, OK?

Yes, I'm going to clean up, chef.

SHE LAUGHS

Can I work here tonight?

On the torta section, Emma's still struggling with her scrambled eggs.

-Emma, do you need a hand here?

-I need help.

-Yeah? OK.

See, this is how it's done.

It's all right - got it all under control.

-Bit better than before, Emma - keep going like that, eh?

-Thank you.

Ooh!

Emma, last order for you - one torta, OK?

I want perfect the torta and I want perfect the scrambled eggs, yeah?

Yes, Chef.

I think I may have cracked it.

And it's the last one!

Actually, I shouldn't be cocky, should I? Because...

Here goes.

Behind...

OK, much better.

-I can see it's your best one so far.

-Thank you, Chef.

At least you finish with a really good one, OK?

Thank you.

I will never sit in a restaurant and go, "Hm...not sure about that."

Won't ever, EVER!

Back in King's Cross,

JB and Alison are co-ordinating the last of his snails and marrow

and her Arnold Bennetts.

-How long for three snails?

-Five minutes.

-Five? Yes, Chef.

Alison, you need to slow down.

You've got two going with one of those. Yes, Chef.

I'm trying to focus and concentrate.

-JB, how are we looking?

-Looking OK.

-How many pieces of toast have we got going?

-Two.

No, something got spilt on those.

-OK. So these are rubbish, yeah?

-Yes, Chef.

-OK, get rid of them, then.

-Yes, Chef.

This is what you've got to do - sometimes, you've got to roll with the punches.

JB has struggled a bit with the chargrill,

which is a difficult thing to get your head round

if you've never used one before.

I have seen an improvement as the service has gone on,

which is a good thing.

OK, Alison, start glazing two, please. Yes, Chef.

I'm impressed with Alison - she's organised, she's methodical

and she's just going through the motions.

OK, looking good, Alison.

Wow, what an experience. It's brilliant.

Kind of perfected my omelette to a point where I think it's amazing.

Beautiful.

-JB, you've got to beat that, come on.

-Yes, Chef.

-Lovely. Well done.

-Thank you, Chef.

Good to go, 108, please.

-Well done, guys.

-Really enjoyed that.

-Yeah?

-Thank you, Chef.

-How did you find it?

It got a bit hairy at times, but it felt good.

-Felt good. Well done, Alison.

-Well done, you.

Sorry, I'm just cooking myself an omelette.

SHE LAUGHS

Well done, babes.

Service may be over,

but there's no let up for the celebrities.

Welcome back to the MasterChef kitchen.

Nobody said it was going to be easy.

Now, for the first time, you are cooking your own dishes.

One hour, 15 minutes, your two courses.

At the end of this, one of you will be leaving the competition.

Impress us.

Let's cook.

This is a brilliant opportunity for them to show us

what they are all about.

We know what we can nurture.

We know what sort of cooking can come out at the end of this.

What we need is somebody who has got real adventure,

somebody who's got a great imagination,

and somebody who really wants to learn.

It's a lot of pressure going on, to be honest.

I think we're all pretending we don't want it,

"Oh, it's just for fun."

We want this.

-Alison.

-Hello!

I really want to know what it is you're going to make for me.

So, I'm going with the pork chops,

mashed potato - sweet mashed potato -

and asparagus.

And pudding is what?

I'm going to go for a bread and butter pudding,

with a little bit of rum in it as well.

What is that pot? Is that a dutchie?

Yeah, that's a dutchie pot.

My mum's dutchie pot is black

and the blacker the dutchie, the sweeter the food.

-Is that the..."Pass the dutchie..."?

-Yeah!

# Pass the dutchie on the left-hand side... #

The pork chops are going in there.

I'm going to cook them down with a little bit of sauce.

I know you probably would like them quite rare.

Mine are really cooked well and they're going to be tender.

It'll be beautiful.

Alison says she wants her pork really well done.

I'm fine about that, because she promises it'll be lovely and moist.

You can cook meat really well, as long as you keep it moist.

That means not boiling the life out of it.

I've never cooked a main meal and a dessert.

I've always cheated and bought a pudding.

Never done a dessert before.

So that's going to be a challenge.

Just have to give it a go.

Emma is doing pork, caramelised apple, mashed potato...

What a classic combination. Fabulous.

For dessert, chocolate fondant with a champagne cream and strawberries.

Who wouldn't love that?

But we know what happens with chocolate fondants,

especially from people who cook desserts.

Emma, you look a lot happier than you did the last time I saw you.

-What's happening?

-Um...I gave myself a bit of a talking-to.

I know I would regret it if I went home and went,

"I had this wonderful opportunity and I've thrown it away."

So I've got to keep focused and enjoy it.

Cor, you're a bit of a fighter, ain't you?

I'm a Leo - raaar!

You've had half an hour.

I'm just somebody who likes to have a dabble in my own kitchen.

I just hope that Gregory and Johnny are feeling, um,

complementary and generous today.

What are your dishes today?

Well, the main dish is salmon,

which is covered with a madras curry,

accompanied by pilau rice, which also has coconut in it.

And for dessert, you're going to be having a compote of fruit

together with a Greek yoghurt overlay

and lots of honey on top of it.

Where did you get the taste for Asian flavours?

When I was at college, years and years ago,

and skint, with all the rest of them,

we used to go to a place in Manchester

where they made these curries

and you had a choice of the mild or the killer.

And we used to go for the killer.

You know, it sort of cleaned you out completely and you were ready for the morning.

So that's when I got into it, really.

So I'm hoping you'll enjoy this.

You have got 25 minutes left.

I'm looking forward to the challenge. I am pushing myself.

If I keep going in the competition,

I guess the sky's the limit with how good I can become.

I am loving the colours on that tray.

JB LAUGHS

Mate, that is lovely. What are you making?

Uh, those are venison kebabs.

-Why these, mate?

-Em, well, I've got a venison farm

and I absolutely love the meat.

So, for me, it was kind of something that reflected what I do.

Lovely. Lovely. What's dessert?

Dessert is an Eton mess.

So if there's anything that troubles you, here, mate, what is it?

Um, probably the meringues, which are now almost ready.

And I'm hoping don't...don't fall on me.

ALARM BEEPS

Meringues take about three or four hours to dry out.

What he's making at the moment is more of a pavlova.

Puffed up, big, white, which has got marshmallow softness in the middle.

At least he's demonstrating skill.

You've got 15 minutes left.

I think being part of this competition

has really made me focus an awful lot more

on what makes really tasty food and what makes an interesting plate.

Not that you'd guess that, necessarily,

from what I'm about to hash up today.

Are you, how we say, going for it?

-I'm making ravioli.

-That's bold.

-Yeah. I just realised that.

-What's in it?

It's got ricotta, pancetta, sage, bit of mint, bit of lemon...

So you can make us decent ravioli?

SHE LAUGHS

-Don't you put...!

-No - are you confident? Are you confident?

Yeah. It's nice, you know...

I've cooked nice ravioli in the past,

so I'm hoping today will be good.

What's for dessert?

Dessert, I'm making my own version of, like, an eggy bread -

blackberries and blueberries with Chantilly cream.

SHE LAUGHS

Amanda's menu is an absolute winner

as long as she gets it technically correct,

because what she's doing is two quite classic dishes

which have simplicity.

Simplicity's really difficult to get absolutely perfect.

Two minutes.

Put it on a plate, please.

That's it! Time's up.

Time's up.

Alison, up you come, please.

Is that all we get, Alison?

SHE LAUGHS

Well, you weren't very happy last time with my portion size,

so I thought, "I'm going for it today."

Alison's pork chops have been cooked

in a stew of peppers, chilli and Worcestershire sauce

and served with sweet potato mash, asparagus and an apple sauce.

The pork itself - I understand why you've cooked it like that,

because it's actually falling off the bone.

It's bold, it's brash, it's flavoursome and it's addictive.

-Yeah.

-Good job.

I like your style.

I like the addition of sweet potato with it.

It does lack refinement, but hey, first things first -

-flavour first.

-OK.

Alison's dessert is a rum-soaked bread and butter pudding.

Wow, it's got a huge amount of rum in it.

I love the creaminess of the bread and butter pudding.

I think it should have more sugar round the outside,

so a crusty, sugary crunch on the outside of that pudding

and I think the inside could probably do with

just a little bit more cooking.

-Yeah.

-But in all, it's a tasty, tasty thing.

-You've done all right.

-Aw, brilliant.

You've got all the refinement of a smack in the ear,

but you do do flavour.

-Great.

-Thank you.

Do you know what? I'm feeling really good after that.

I feel like I do actually belong here.

Emma's pork tenderloin

has been served with mash topped with rosemary, caramelised apples,

a cider cream sauce and broccoli.

That's...a bit minimalist, innit?

Pork's a little bit dry.

Those big lumps of garlic, you can taste them -

a bit raw and quite strong,

as is the rosemary on top of the mashed potato.

I think your concept's good.

Mashed potato, pork and apples is a great combination.

You've got nice flavours.

-I would focus on cooking things properly.

-OK.

For dessert, Emma has attempted a chocolate fondant,

served with strawberry and pink champagne cream.

Wow.

Not a fondant I've ever seen before, Emma.

I'm sure it isn't.

Whoa!

I don't understand it. Didn't do that at home.

And I'm telling the truth there!

-Did you turn the oven on?

-Oh, stop!

Really nice, buttery chocolate flavour,

really nice, mild strawberry flavour through the cream.

It's actually lighter than I thought.

-Argh!

-Gutted.

I love that you find hope in that dessert.

-It really makes my heart thump.

-It tastes nice.

I know, but strawberries and chocolate, Gregg,

course it's going to taste...

-It hasn't really worked, has it, Emma?

-No.

-Sorry, Emma.

-No. Sorry, guys. Gutted.

-Thank you.

The thing is, you try and second guess

and that's the worst thing you should do.

You should just do what you like and what you know and...

..stop fannying about, really.

JB's venison kebabs have been chargrilled with onion and peppers

and served with sweet potato chips and a beetroot relish.

I love the rich venison with that sharp onion and the sweet pepper.

The whole thing, charred - really lovely colour around the outside.

-It's going a little bit dry...

-Mm-hm.

-..but I love the flavour.

I don't like how you've made that beetroot relish

into a dirty pink colour.

And that's my only complaint.

After that, I think the whole thing is magic.

-Thank you.

-Really fantastic.

JB's Eton mess is cream, raspberries,

strawberries and blackberries,

topped with a soft meringue and served with a raspberry compote.

I like the flavours of the berries and the cream.

Who wouldn't?

But what you made is more of a pavlova.

Meringue takes a good couple of hours to dry out.

Listen, you've cooked well today, mate,

but what I've got here is all mess and no Eton.

I am pleased. I'm a little bit frustrated with the Eton mess,

but it tasted good.

Ken's salmon fillets have been coated in madras curry sauce

and accompanied by coconut rice

and chunks of mango topped by dry ginger.

You've given me something new, here - madras-flavoured salmon -

-which I really like.

-Oh, cheers.

-Really like. However, once you get a load of mango juice...

-Hm...

..it's "good night, salmon".

Mango and fish, mate, I'm sorry to say...

Fish and fruit don't really work.

Salty, from the sea, with a mango?

-Bit difficult to match.

-Yeah.

Ken's pudding is a raspberry, blueberry and blackberry compote

topped with Greek yoghurt, honey, cinnamon and mint.

Hmm...

Flavours of honey and cinnamon and sharpness of fruit

and a lovely, sharp, cleansing bit of mint as well,

are wonderful, wonderful flavours, wonderful flavours.

But it needs some sort of body.

You shouldn't be able to drink a dessert.

If you're going to do something like this,

give me a nice biscuit that I can eat with it.

Give me something that shows me a bit of skill.

Right. Fair enough.

-Thanks, Ken.

-Cheers. Thank you.

I'm beginning to wonder whether I can cut the mustard, you know.

I've done extremely well out of being mediocre in my life.

Why change the habit of a lifetime?

Amanda's main course

is ravioli stuffed with pancetta, ricotta and peas

served in a sage butter sauce.

Sweet pea, richness of sage, saltiness of ricotta,

the smokiness of the bacon...

I really like it.

A little bit of a shave of Parmesan cheese across the top

and I would have been in raptures.

-OK.

-But I'm really pleased for you,

I think it's a really nice little dish.

At this stage in the game, I'm really impressed with you.

That's nice ravioli, nice ideas. Well done.

Amanda has made a dessert of eggy brioche,

topped with a compote of figs, blackberries, blueberries,

cassis, vodka and red wine

served with a cardamom cream.

Inside that dish, you've got a texture, an American pancake,

with that brioche full of egg with sugar

and that wonderful, rich, reduced fruit sauce.

-Yum, yum, yum, thanks very much, Amanda.

-Thank you.

-You made me smile.

-That's all I wanted to do.

-Really very, very good.

-That'll do.

You can't ask for more. You can't ask for more. Well done.

-It's nice when somebody likes your food, isn't it?

-Yes.

Yeah, sorry - oh, dear.

SHE LAUGHS

Ahem...excuse me.

You just want people to enjoy your food, I suppose,

and it's lovely to get some nice feedback, yes.

Could have gone terribly wrong.

SHE LAUGHS

Thank you very much for the effort you've put in.

I love the way you've approached this competition. I really do.

Off you go.

-That went like the blink of an eye.

-Didn't it?

Blink of an eye.

-I was surprised today. Were you?

-Yeah, I was quite surprised.

I tell you who really surprised me

-and that was Amanda.

-Yeah.

From a really shaky start

and from what we saw with her burger, and that chicken mishmash,

although it was tasty, I've got to say, her food today,

I thought, had a bit of elegance about it.

I thought Amanda was the standout contestant, actually.

I agree with you.

I think JB is a decent cook

who could actually make a real challenge for this competition.

I think JB's actually got a bit of skill.

I think he's tried to attempt a little bit too much

and tried to be a bit too fancy.

But his flavours are good. The concepts are good.

I would like to see more of Alison.

I know her food needs to be more refined, John,

but she does have different and interesting flavours.

That leaves us with Emma and Ken.

And both of them, in my opinion, are in danger of going home.

Ken's food is sometimes a bit of a strange combination

and I feel as though...a bit of a lack of ambition.

It's MasterChef, after all.

I may well be returning to the paradise,

which is the northwest of England, shortly.

Emma - I think she tried today to deliver to us classic food

but I also think she tried to do the MasterChef thing,

tried to prove that she's a great cook

when, actually, she's probably just a good cook.

So disappointed it didn't go the way I wanted it to go, but...

Hey ho.

Who has got the ability to overcome those mistakes

and get stronger?

We have made our decision.

The contestant leaving us...

..is Ken.

Cheers, guys. Bye-bye.

I...I don't feel I've lost at all, in this. It's been a pleasure.

I wish them luck, every one of them.

They're very, very keen. I'm sure they'll do very well.

I actually can't believe I've got through!

I really can't. I actually am like that - "Huh?!"

Now I want to carry on going through, to be honest with you.

Really, really chuffed.

I obviously have no idea what is coming up, but...yeah,

just throw myself into it.

Bring it on. Let's do it.

Tomorrow night, the four celebrities are back

to fight for their place in the semifinals.

Oh! The bread!

Argh!

Let 'em rock!

Oh, oh, oh!

It literally looks like a mess.

This is like a road accident.