It’s the last of the heats, and the final five rookie cooks arrive at the Young MasterChef kitchen to make themselves known to judges Poppy O’Toole and Kerth Gumbs. They are: a waiter from Gloucester, a law student from Nottingham, a mum from Burnley, an acting student from Leintwardine, Herefordshire, and an engineering student from Portsmouth, bringing flavours of Mozambique.

The amateur cooks from all over the UK must put their personality on a plate and show that they have the culinary chops to take the competition head on. What has Gen Z got to say for themselves behind the stove? Has all of the social media scrolling and family compliments resulted in a chef-to-be? The judges are about to find out.

With only three spots in the competition up for grabs, the cooks must leave nothing behind. For two of them, it’s the end of the road. Show less