Masterchef 2025: Best TV Tonight
Masterchef 2025 launches at 8pm on BBC One tonight, or stream it now on BBC iPlayer.
The UK’s biggest cooking competition is back on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, once again on the hunt for the nation’s best amateur chefs—celebrating the dishes that bring people together.
Reports suggest producers have had to re-edit the show to reduce appearances by former hosts Gregg Wallace and John Torode, which might give this season a slightly different feel.
Over the next eight weeks, a fresh batch of hopefuls will embark on the culinary adventure of a lifetime, aiming to whisk, chop, and sizzle their way to the ultimate title: MasterChef Champion.
In this first episode, new contestants begin the five-week-long heats. Among them are a vocal coach, a writer, and a marketing manager, all hoping to earn their place in the competition by winning a coveted white MasterChef apron.
The opening challenge is Basic to Brilliant, where contestants must transform a simple ingredient into a show-stopping dish—one that not only dazzles the taste buds but truly showcases the star component. The two standout cooks will advance straight to the next round, proudly wearing their new aprons.
The rest will have to fight for survival in the dreaded Mystery Box challenge. This time, the trio of surprise ingredients is trout, chocolate, and beetroot. With full access to the larder, contestants will have 45 minutes to create an imaginative and delicious dish. Only those who rise to the occasion will move forward—others will see their MasterChef journey end here.
But the pressure doesn't ease for the remaining four. One final hurdle stands between them and a quarter-final place: preparing a two-course meal for three very experienced guests—2024 champion Brin Pirathapan and finalists Chris Willoughby and Louise Lyons Macleod. These returning stars know what great food tastes like—and how intense the MasterChef kitchen can be.
Will the dishes be enough to impress? The journey to crown the 2025 MasterChef Champion has officially begun.
If you can’t wait until 8pm tonight to watch it on BBC One, you can stream the episode on BBC iPlayer, now.