MasterChef: The Professionals returns to BBC One for the 17th series of the UK's most revered cooking competition. Thirty-two of the country's most ambitious chefs are invited to battle it out in the MasterChef kitchen, in a bid to become the 2024 champion.

Judging throughout the journey are culinary legend Marcus Wareing, renowned chef Monica Galetti and celebrated MasterChef judge Gregg Wallace, all hoping to unearth the next culinary superstar.

Over seven weeks, the 32 professional chefs will have their skills, creativity and culinary knowledge put to the test in a series of demanding challenges as the judges hunt out the most impressive talent in the industry. Only the strongest contenders will be in with a shot of winning the coveted MasterChef: The Professionals trophy.

Tonight, it's heat one, which will see the first four brave chefs enter the MasterChef kitchen. Their mission is to impress across two daunting tasks, in the hope of securing a place in this week's quarter-final.

First stop is the infamous skills test. The chefs have ingredients laid out for them, with just 20 minutes to show off their talents. Nobody will want to leave a bad first impression. The first two chefs take on the challenge set by Monica: to make a carrot schnitzel and serve it with a white bean hummus and Middle Eastern herb sauce, zhoug. This is plant-based cookery at its best, and will require the chefs' intuition and a little bit of flair.

It's a sweet dish for the two remaining chefs as they tackle a dessert brief given to them by Marcus. Their job is to a rustle up choux pastry beignets and serve them with lavender sugar and a whipped orange cream. Precise pastry work will be the order of the day as the chefs try to delight the judges with light, fluffy sugary clouds.

The heat will end with all four chefs cooking their own two-course signature menu. Can they pull off an exceptional main and dessert in just one hour and 30 minutes?

The best chefs on the day will head into the quarter-final as the race for the title of MasterChef: The Professionals champion 2024 gets off to a flying start.

It's the first quarter-final of the series, which will see the week's best competitors don their chef whites to compete for a place in knockout week. Two challenges stand in their way.

First up, an invention test with a twist. The chefs will have to rustle up a dish using a mystery ingredient. In this round, it's stout. They will have a glorious selection of produce in the pantry, but the stout will need to shine. It's a delicate balance, as too much could kill the dish completely.

The pressure then ramps up with the infamous critics' challenge. Two courses in one hour and 15 minutes is daunting by any stretch, but taking their seat in the dining room are esteemed critics Jay Rayner, William Sitwell and Leyla Kazim. If there's a time to up the ante, it's now. Every element on the plates will be scrutinised, and no error will escape unnoticed.

With the critics' verdicts to hand, it's down to Marcus and Monica to decide which chefs have what it takes to cope with the pressure of knockout week, and continue in the battle to become this year's MasterChef: The Professionals champion.