MasterChef 2023 has kicked off, where a new group of amateur cooks are taking to the iconic kitchen in the hopes that they'll be able to impress the judges and bag themselves the coveted trophy.
The first week of MasterChef 2023 heats began on Monday, April 10, where nine chefs will cook for John Torode and Gregg Wallace, aiming to make a good first impression and secure themselves a place in the next round.
Here's everything you need to know about the week 1 contestants...
Geva
66-year-old Geva is a local Government Councillor. She has four daughters and lives with her husband and two cocker spaniels in Braemar, Aberdeenshire.
When asked about her cooking style, she said: "Lazy… But I do plan for the week ahead and I do experiment a lot. I could probably open a cookbook shop as I have shelves full of them.
"I cook from scratch 99.99% of the time – my husband loves puddings and cakes and I guess I show my love for my family by cooking them nice food when they come home."
Jo
56-year-old Jo is the CEO of a recruitment company. She has two children and now lives in Huddersfield with her partner, where she describes her cooking as "English modern with quite a bit of French classical thrown in".
In addition to this, she added: “I also just love to cook food that feeds my friends and family, I’m a Yorkshire lass, and cooking food inspired by the ingredients and area I live in is also important to me."
Jonny
31-year-old Jonny works as a tech product trainer. He was born and raised in County Durham, and now lives in Hebburn with his girlfriend where he loves cooking "street food style" food.
He describes his cooking as "full of big flavours and deliciousness, the kind of stuff that makes you want to go back and have two more because it’s so good."
Matthew
33-year-old Matthew lives in Wolverhampton and works as an IT Project Coordinator and describes his cooking style as "refined".
He adds: "I like to create my own Caribbean dishes and fuse them with French, Italian and Asian cuisines. Chefs that inspire me are Ainsley Harriott, Chef Natty, Gordon Ramsey and Levi Roots."
Nickolas
31-year-old Nickolas works as a delivery driver and lives with his partner and five year old daughter. He was born in Venezuela and his family now live in Darlington.
Speaking about his cooking style, Nickolas said: "I love championing Latin flavours from all over South America. Sharing the dishes from my heritage with others especially my daughter is special.
"I love the punchiness of Venezuelan food but I also have an adoration of French classics and techniques. In many ways my food is a mixture of all of these things."
Terri
30-year-old Terri is an accountant who grew up in County Down, Northern Ireland but now lives in Warwick with her partner Ffion and dog Louie. She describes her style as "classic Irish / British / French food with a modern twist using flavours from around the world, in particular Japan."
Terri adds: "My food is inspired by places, people, ingredients, and experiences. I love trying a new dish in a restaurant and recreating my own version of it."
Vanessa
36-year-old Vanessa lives in Croydon with her fiancé James and works as an Anti-Piracy Manager in Sport. She describes her cooking as "classic dishes with a Neurodiverse twist".
She adds: "My dishes are classic recipes with a burst of flavour inspiration from my Portuguese-Indian heritage, my East-African born and raised parents, my travels to 60 countries, as well as my neurodiversity. It’s quite an eclectic mix!"
Woei
41-year-old Woei is a supermarket manager. He was born and grew up in Malaysia and now lives in Bristol with his wife and daughter.
Woei revealed that Malaysia is a big inspiration for his cooking, adding: "I love using lots of spices, and I cook lots of curries. I always want my food to remind me of a place or person that is close to my heart and it’s amazing to be able to share that with other people."
Zoe
26-year-old Zoe works as a manager in a tech start up. She grew up in Aberdeen, studied in Edinburgh, and now lives in Stirling with her fiancé. She describes her cooking as a "Scottish/Italian fusion".
Zoe adds: "Living in Scotland, we have access to such amazing, fresh ingredients, and I love to incorporate locally grown produce in my cooking.
"The Italian side of my cooking is inspired by my Italian fiancé. We visit friends and family in Italy quite a bit, and our trips are often focused on the food, sampling our way around the country and tasting all the traditional grub."
MasterChef 2023 airs on BBC One and iPlayer. For full listings see our TV Guide.
