MasterChef the Professionals 2016: judges, rounds, and what you need to know

TV’s toughest cooking show is back for a brand new series
Tough tasks: MasterChef the Professionals is back for a brand new series
BBC/Shine TV
Ben Travis9 November 2016

Winter is here, and the dark evenings don’t make you want to go outside.

Well, now you don’t have to because MasterChef: The Professionals is back on BBC Two – and you know you’ll get sucked in like you do every year.

Here’s what you need to know about the 2016 competition.

The judges

While the main MasterChef duo consists of Gregg Wallace and John Torode, the Professionals show has a different pair calling the shots.

Marcus Wareing, twice Michelin-starred chef, and the no-nonsense Monica Galetti are the judges here – with Wallace on presenting duties.

Gifts for Masterchefs - in pictures

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How it works

Each week of the competition will see two separate heats of six pro chefs take part. The top three from each group will make it through to a weekly quarter final, where they’ll be whittled down to three for the knockout week later in the series.

The rounds

The contestants will be put through their paces. First up is the skills test, where they have to recreate one of Monica or Marcus’ famous dishes against the clock. Then they’ll have to make their own signature dish to earn a place in the semis.

There’s a new test this year in the semi-finals – the reinvention test, where the hopefuls will have to try new twists on classic dishes.

It’s just as hard as it looks

The Professionals version of MasterChef is never going to be easy, but the Standard can say from experience that cooking for Marcus Wareing and Monica Galetti is majorly daunting.

Here’s what happened when our own David Ellis stepped into the MasterChef kitchen to cook them a Steak Diane.

So go ahead and cancel all your weekday plans, and get ready for some major meal inspiration in the coming weeks.

BBC Two, 8pm

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