Top chef and restaurateur John Torode, and food writer and ingredients expert Gregg Wallace are searching for the country's best amateur cook.

The first batch of contestants, picked from thousands of hopeful amateurs, face three high-pressure tests to see who has the passion, the skill and the creativity to make it to the quarter-finals.

In the first heat the contestants face the pressure of the professional kitchen in Italian restaurant Dolada, and in the second they have to master British classics at Rotunda. Finally, they must get to grips with modern Spanish tapas at Iberica.

Only the best will make it through, taking them one step closer to becoming the next MasterChef... Show less