Knockout Week draws to a close as the week's best cooks return to compete for a place in this year's semi-finals. This is the sharp end of the competition, so it will take bags of self-belief and some perfect plates to get there.

What better way to celebrate MasterChef's 20th birthday than with some canapes? The contenders need to create sweet or savoury bite-size chunks of loveliness that would elevate even the most sophisticated of parties. With just under two hours to come up with nine identical portions of canape heaven, they need to produce morsels that would have the most seasoned party-goers clamouring for the silver trays.

The one who doesn't bring the party as much as the rest will be sent home, leaving the rest with a huge sense of achievement as they sail into the semi-finals, one step closer to becoming MasterChef champion 2024.

As the semi-finals continue, it's down to the remaining six amateurs to stave off the competition.

For the chance to be part of a truly wild experience, the contestants will first need to impress John and Gregg with a dish that turns on the theatrics. It must sing creativity, magic and sparkle, and invoke memories long after the last bite. With the standard of competition so high, their dishes should be real showstoppers, leaving the judges with a problem on their hands. For one, the show will be over as the curtain falls on their time in the competition.

The show goes on for the remaining five as they are whisked off to Buckinghamshire, home to an ancient forest which will provide the stunning backdrop for a truly extreme challenge. The amateurs will be cooking at Nomadic – a wilderness dining experience where they will be at the mercy of the elements. A table will be set for a special dinner hosted by a guest who knows a thing or two about the outdoors – bush-craft expert Ray Mears. Some of the world's leading conservationists have been invited to join him for a dinner that will celebrate the wonder of nature and some of the stunning produce found within the forest itself.

The amateurs will rustle up a five-course menu designed by a chef who will be right at home in the forest – Swedish Michelin-starred chef Niklas Ekstedt, who is renowned for delivering modern cuisine that celebrates foraged ingredients, cooked using the most primitive technique of all – live fire. The semi-finalists are about to get a taste of precision cooking in one of the harshest environments yet as they battle flames, heat and smoke in the hope of delivering food that hits Niklas' Michelin standard.

Nobody else will leave the competition, but John and Gregg will be observing closely. The smallest details matter as the temperature soars in the hunt for this year's champion.