The next series of Masterchef will feature 'The X Factor style auditions' as part of a major revamp of the show, according to the papers. The Sun reports that judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace will try out amateur chefs from the 20,000 that applied to take part in order to find the 20 best contestants. The next series of the show will also be expanded to 15 hour-long episodes and will see the contestants facing 13 challenges. "It will allow viewers to see more development of the contestants," said executive editor Karen Ross, "and enjoy an entire series of challenges that, up until now, have only been possible in the last two weeks of the semi-final and final. "The new massive kitchen will give us space to do this and having the same competitors across the series will not only help them to become even stronger cooks but it will also give our viewers a chance to engage with them more." "Masterchef has grown into unmissable television," added BBC One controller Jay Hunt. "The new series will give the viewer the chance to be part of the action from the very beginning and to experience more drama and cooking than ever before." The series will feature two weeks of audition shows before launching into the main contest.
