Six more amateur cooks kick-start their MasterChef adventure as they go all out to get their hands on their very own MasterChef apron, before battling for a place in this week's quarter-final.

Making a good first impression is key as the contestants will be tasked with taking an everyday ingredient from Basic to Brilliant. John and Gregg will be expecting their chosen ingredient to shine on a plate that shows personality and great flavours. Will their ingredients be the stars or understudies of the show? The two who can wow the judges the most will get their hands on a gleaming white MasterChef apron and whizz straight through to the next round.

The four who impress the least will need to prove their MasterChef worth as they are challenged to think on their feet. The cooks will each be given two whole quail, but who will turn the majestic game bird into a complete dish that sets the judges' pulses racing? They have a range of protein, fruits, veg, grains and spices to choose from as they endeavour to create something truly spectacular. With just two more aprons left, it is now or never.

Just one more challenge awaits the four still standing – a chance to cook their best two-course menu for the judges and their invited guests. Sampling the contestants' dishes will be MasterChef champion Simon Wood and finalist Tony Rodd from 2015, and 2012 MasterChef champion Shelina Permalloo. Now is the time for the contestants to lay all their cards on the table, as these diners will expect nothing short of restaurant-standard food that makes their taste buds tingle.

Armed with the diners' input, John and Gregg will deliver a verdict that sees another contestant leave the competition. The other three become quarter-finalists, where they will encounter their biggest challenge yet.

Television's biggest cooking competition continues with a third week of culinary heats. Twelve more of the country's best amateur cooks must go all out for the chance to reach the quarter-final.

The first six go all out to prove they deserve one of the four coveted MasterChef aprons on offer, as John and Gregg set their first challenge – Basic to Brilliant. They must turn the judges' heads with a dish that celebrates a staple ingredient. Whether their humble ingredients can be transformed into a thing of majesty remains to be seen. The two who come up with the best plates will head straight into the next round wearing gleaming new MasterChef aprons.

The four lagging behind will need to get stuck in once again as they are asked to think on their feet. This time John and Gregg are hankering for a brunch dish. Their creation must include a poached egg and hollandaise sauce, but the cooks have free reign to embellish it however they choose from a bounty of brunch goodies, including avocado, bacon, mushrooms and smoked salmon. There are only two more places in the next round, so rubbery eggs and split hollandaise will not be well-received - this needs to be a brunch to remember.

Then it's time for the final showdown of the heat as the four left standing come together for a corker of a challenge. They must prepare their own two-course menu in one hour and 15 minutes for three diners who know their stuff – MasterChef 2017 champion, Dr Saliha Mahmood-Ahmed, 2020 champion, Thomas Frake, and 2018 semi-finalist Nisha Parmar. The contestants will be hoping for clean plates and positive reviews as the diners' opinions will weigh heavily on the judges' final decision.

One more will miss out on a place in this week's quarter-final, as the three best move forward with their dream of claiming the title still intact.