After an arduous seven-week journey, the search for the country's best amateur cook reaches its climax with the MasterChef final. The three finalists have to stretch themselves to their absolute limits and lay everything on the table one last time before John Torode and Gregg Wallace make the ultimate decision. The cooks' task is to produce the best three dishes of their lives, push their culinary boundaries in order to impress the judges. It's now or never for these exceptionally talented cooks, as only one of them can lift the trophy and become the 18th MasterChef champion.

In the penultimate episode, the four remaining contenders face a single cooking task to earn a place in the final three and an opportunity to take part in a challenge of a lifetime. They are asked to prepare their interpretation of a classic dish that will showcase their growing cooking talent to judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace. It's their last chance to bring together everything they have learned, to let their creativity fly and to prove they are worthy finalists. This high-pressure cook-off will be the end of the journey for one of the four finalists.

For the three that remain, there is the dream chance to work with one of the world's greatest chefs in the toughest and most daunting challenge of the competition, the Chef's Table. This year, it's hosted at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in London, by Gordon Ramsay himself. It's a special anniversary for the restaurant as it celebrates 21 years of holding an incredible three Michelin stars. The three finalists must work harder than ever to deliver food of an exceptional standard and impress some of the best chefs in the country. Dining are members of Gordon Ramsay's original brigade who have gone on to achieve culinary fame themselves, including Clare Smyth and Paul Ainsworth, as well as his old mentor, former three-star Michelin legend Pierre Koffman. Gordon, along with his head chef Matt Abé, put the finalists through their paces as they try to master Restaurant Gordon Ramsay's classic dishes. Can these amateur cooks hold their nerve, or is the pressure to deliver too intense?

Over centuries, chefs have created dishes in honour of great people that have inspired them, from the peach Melba to the beef Wellington. This year's five finalists must each create a dish inspired by a public figure or an artwork, film, song, TV series or book. This plate of food must tell a story, and the contestants must strive to make it as extraordinary as the inspiration behind it. At the end of this challenge, one of them will be eliminated from the competition.

The second challenge takes the remaining four cooks to the Emerald Isle. Situated in the south west of Ireland, Ballymaloe House and Cookery School is where chefs from all over the world come to learn the philosophy put forth by the late, great patron of Irish cuisine, Myrtle Allen. Led by the school's renowned founders, Darina Allen and Rory O'Connell, the contestants get an incredible whirlwind education in local Irish produce and the ethos of ‘farm to table'. Then they must use everything they have learned to prepare a celebratory dinner for some of Ireland's finest food producers and food historians, and for relatives of Myrtle, all of whom are continuing her legacy.

The last semi-final challenge is a celebration of MasterChef's surprise musical fame. Ten years after MasterChef judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace were sampled on the hit single Buttery Biscuit Bass, this episode marks this momentous achievement by returning the favour. The final six contestants must prepare a dish that is inspired by that song and one of over 20 different food references within it. Savoury or sweet, it's up to the contestants to interpret the brief, and the dish must impress the judges enough to secure a place in finals week. At the end of this challenge, one contestant's MasterChef dreams will be dashed, while the other five move closer to becoming MasterChef champion.

The best eight remain semi-finalists take on a daunting Invention Test in which they must create a dish inspired by the chicken or the egg. The MasterChef market is open, and with a larder full of ingredients to choose from, they must create a dish worthy of being put through to the next round. Two contestants will be eliminated at the end of this task.

The six survivors then travel to Middle Temple in central London, where a very special centenary event is taking place. The Royal British Legion is celebrating 100 years since the nation's collective remembrance traditions were first bought together and the organisation began its important work supporting serving and ex-serving personnel and their families. The poppy appeal, the two-minute silence, Armistice Day, the service for the unknown warrior and the march past at the Cenotaph are traditions that millions participate in every year. Under the supervision of Glynn Purnell, head chef of Michelin-starred Purnell's restaurant in Birmingham, the contestants are split into teams of two to deliver a three-course menu for a prestigious lunch celebrating over 20 war veterans and crucial fundraisers - all of whom have bravely served their country - so expectations are high.

To kick off semi-finals week, the ten remaining hopefuls are given their first taste of what it's like to work in a restaurant setting. MasterChef turns into a professional kitchen for the day, with judge John Torode running the pass. Tables are laid in the dining room and filled with 20 past MasterChef quarter-finalists, semi-finalists and finalists – all of whom have gone on to have full-time careers in the food industry since taking part in the competition.

The semi-finalists must create a three-course menu that they would be proud to serve in their own restaurant or put in a cookbook. Split into three groups, three contestants must each cook their starter, four must each cook their main and the remaining three their dessert. With John running a tight ship, it's up to the teams to bring all their orders to the pass upon call of service. It's feedback from the dining room, however, that lays bare how the contestants cope with a service environment. They hope to receive rave reviews, but instead could fall behind the pack.

At the end of this mammoth task, two contestants will be saying goodbye to their dream of becoming MasterChef champion, while the remaining eight continue to the next round.

In the last of the quarter-finals, this week's four most talented cooks face just one intense challenge. They must cook two courses that will excite not just John and Gregg but also three former MasterChef champions: Steven Wallis, Kenny Tutt and Thomasina Miers.

With just two semi-final places up for grabs, they need to show real flair and ambition to edge closer to the MasterChef 2022 trophy.

This week's seven best home cooks return to test their culinary wits and try to prove to judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace that they have the potential to be MasterChef champion 2022.

Tonight's challenges are designed to gauge their creativity and culinary repertoire. The first is the Market Challenge, where they must invent a dish on the spot for judges John and Gregg from a market full of ingredients including Bavette steak, plaice and oysters. The pressure is on to impress because at the end of this test one contestant will be sent home.

The remaining six then take on their most demanding assignment so far - cooking a dish to a brief set by one of the country's toughest food critics, William Sitwell. William has asked them to cook a dish inspired by a favourite ready-bought food item - sweet or savoury. The four who produce the best dishes will go through to this week's quarter-final. Who can handle the pressure and show they have what it takes to progress further in the competition?

It's the fifth and final week of heats, and the last nine home cooks arrive to face the Audition Round. They must cook their signature dish that will show judges John and Gregg who they are as a cook and how good they could become.

John and Gregg don't witness them cook in the MasterChef kitchen. Instead, they taste each dish in the new Tasting Room. Just like diners in a restaurant, they judge each contestant's food solely on the plate that is put in front of them. After tasting all nine plates, John and Gregg pick their three favourite dishes, awarding those cooks a MasterChef apron and immunity from cooking in the next round.

The remaining six contestants get another chance to impress the judges and win themselves a coveted apron. If they delivered a savoury dish in the first round, they must now cook a sweet dish, or vice versa. This time, John and Gregg are in the kitchen witnessing their every move. The pressure is intense and the stakes are high as only four cooks can join the three already fast-tracked in the next round. For the other two, their MasterChef dream will be over.

This week's four most talented cooks return for the fourth quarter-final, with two places in the semi-finals up for grabs. They face just one intense challenge: they must cook two courses that will excite not just John and Gregg, but also three former MasterChef champions - Thomas Frake, Dhruv Baker and Saliha Mahmood Ahmed.

The seven best home cooks from this week's first round return to test their culinary wits and try to prove to judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace that they have the potential to be MasterChef champion 2022.

Tonight, the contestants face two challenges that are designed to gauge both their creativity and culinary repertoire. The first is the Market Challenge, where the seven must invent a dish on the spot for judges John and Gregg from a market full of ingredients including chicken thighs, rack of venison and whole John Dory. The pressure is on to impress because at the end of this test one contestant will be sent home.

The remaining six then take on their most demanding assignment so far: cooking a dish to a brief set by one of the country's toughest food critics, Jay Rayner. Jay has asked them to cook a dish with one of the most versatile ingredients in the world, rice. Whether it be used in a savoury or sweet dish, it must be the star ingredient, not just an accompaniment.

Just two places are up for grabs in this week's quarter-final, so the dishes must be flawless.

It's the fourth week of heats, and nine talented home cooks arrive with both their dreams and ingredients ready for their first test, the Audition Round. Each must prepare a signature dish that shows judges John and Gregg who they are as a cook and how good they could become.

John and Gregg don't witness them cook in the MasterChef kitchen. Instead, they taste each dish in the new Tasting Room. Just like diners in a restaurant, they judge each contestant's food solely on the plate that is put in front of them. After tasting all nine plates, John and Gregg pick their three favourite dishes, awarding those cooks a MasterChef apron and immunity from cooking in the next round.

The remaining six contestants then get another chance to impress the judges and win themselves a coveted apron. If they delivered a savoury dish in the first round, they must now prepare a sweet, or vice versa. This time, John and Gregg are in the kitchen witnessing their every move. The pressure is intense and the stakes are high as only four cooks can join the three already fast-tracked in the next round of challenges. For the other two, their MasterChef dream will be over.

It's the third quarter-final, and this week's four most talented cooks return to fight for a place in the semi-finals. Tonight, they face just one intense challenge: to cook two courses that will excite not just John and Gregg, but also MasterChef champions Simon Wood (2015), Ping Coombes (2014) and Shelina Permalloo (2012).

With just two semi-final places up for grabs, the contenders need to show real flair and ambition to edge closer to the MasterChef 2022 trophy.

This week's seven remaining home cooks return to try to prove to judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace that they have the potential to be MasterChef champion 2022.

Tonight, the contestants face two more challenges that are designed to gauge both their creativity and culinary repertoire. The first is the Market Challenge, where the seven must invent a dish on the spot for judges John and Gregg from a market full of ingredients including poussin, clams and whole bream. At the end of this test, one contestant is sent home.

The remaining six take on their most demanding assignment so far - cooking a dish to a brief set by one of the country's toughest food critics, Jimi Famurewa. Jimi has asked them to cook a dish with an interactive, playful or theatrical element to surprise and delight him and the judges.

At the end of this episode, only four contestants can go through to this week's quarter-final. Who can handle the pressure and show they have what it takes to progress further in the competition?

It's the third week of heats, and nine home cooks arrive with both their dreams and ingredients ready for their first test, the Audition Round. This year's auditionees come from all over the UK and must start by cooking a signature dish that shows John and Gregg who they are as a cook and how good they could become.

John and Gregg don't witness them cook in the MasterChef kitchen. Instead, they taste each dish in the new Tasting Room. Just like diners in a restaurant, they judge each contestant's food solely on the plate that is put in front of them. After tasting all nine plates, John and Gregg pick their three favourite dishes, awarding those cooks a MasterChef apron and immunity from cooking in the next round.

For the remaining six contestants, there is another chance to impress the judges and win themselves a coveted apron. If they cooked a savoury dish in the first round, they must deliver a sweet dish now, or vice versa. This time, John and Gregg are in the kitchen witnessing their every move. The pressure is intense and the stakes are high as only four cooks can join the three already fast-tracked in the next round of challenges. For two, their MasterChef dream will be over.

It's the second quarter-final, and this week's most talented four cooks return to fight for two places in the semi-finals. To get there, they face just one intense challenge - cooking two courses that will excite not just John and Gregg but the three finalists from 2021, Alexina Anatole, Mike Tomkins and champion Tom Rhodes.

This week's seven best home cooks from the first round return to test their culinary wits and show judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace that they have the potential to be MasterChef champion 2022.

Tonight's first task is the Market Challenge, with the seven having to invent a dish on the spot using a marketful of ingredients, including whole mackerel, squid and pork tenderloin.

The pressure is on to impress because at the end of this test one contestant will be sent home. The remaining six then face their most demanding assignment so far - cooking a dish to a brief set by one of the country's toughest food critics, Grace Dent. Grace has asked them to cook a dish centred around one of her favourite ingredients, the humble potato.

In a competition where only the food matters, and with just four places up for grabs, these amateurs will need to be good to make it through to the quarter-finals.

Nine home cooks arrive for the second week of heats.

Their first test is the Audition Round. Each must cook a signature dish, which John and Gregg judge solely on taste. Their three favourite dishes earn a MasterChef apron and immunity from having to cook in the next round.

The remaining six contestants then get another chance to impress the judges and win themselves a coveted apron. If they cooked a savoury dish in the first round, they must deliver a sweet one now, and vice versa. This time, John and Gregg are in the kitchen witnessing their every move. The pressure is intense and the stakes are high as only four cooks can join the three already fast-tracked to the next round. For two, their MasterChef dream will be over.

In the first quarter-final, this week's four most talented cooks return to fight for a place in the semi-finals. They must cook two courses that will excite not just John and Gregg, but also three previous MasterChef champions - Irini Tzortzoglou from 2019, Jane Devonshire from 2016 and Tim Anderson from 2011.

With just two semi-final places up for grabs, the contenders need to show real flair and ambition to edge closer to the MasterChef 2022 trophy.

The seven home cooks who made it through the first episode return to face two more challenges designed to gauge both their creativity and culinary repertoire. The first is the Market Challenge, in which each of the seven is tasked with inventing a dish on the spot from a market full of ingredients, including monkfish, quail and lamb. The pressure is on because at the end of this test one contestant will be sent home.

The remaining six then face their most difficult assignment so far - cooking a dish to a brief set by one of the country's toughest food critics, Tom Parker Bowles. Tom tries to get their creative juices flowing by asking them to cook a dish inspired by their favourite holiday destinations.

Only four cooks can go through to the quarter-final. Who can handle the pressure and show they have what it takes to move another step closer to being crowned MasterChef champion?

This year the judges are mixing it up – introducing a whole new set of challenges the passionate amateurs must complete in order to progress in the competition.

Each week for five weeks, nine home cooks cook for the judges. This year their first test is the Audition Round, in which they must cook their signature dish - one that tells John and Gregg who they are as a cook and how good they could become. John and Gregg don't watch the chefs in the kitchen. Instead, they taste each dish in the new MasterChef Tasting Room. After they have tasted all nine dishes, the best three dishes will be awarded a coveted MasterChef apron, securing their place in the competition.

The remaining six contestants then get another chance to impress the judges and win themselves an apron. If they cooked a sweet dish in the first round, they must prepare a savoury dish now, or vice versa. This time, John and Gregg are in the kitchen witnessing their every move. The pressure is intense and the stakes are high as only four cooks can join the three already fast-tracked in the next round of challenges. For the other two, their MasterChef dream will be over.