This is the big one. The 21st MasterChef grand final. Weeks of hard graft have led to this moment when one of the three finalists will come out on top.

This will no doubt be a tight race as the finalists draw out every ounce of culinary know-how in the hope of victory. It's a moment that changes lives, but with such pressure resting on their shoulders, will nerves get the better of them?

They have three hours to prove they are the best amateur cook in the country. May the best cook win. It's time to crown the MasterChef 2025 champion.

Finals week continues, and the last four get the chance to take part in one of the most exciting Chef's Tables in MasterChef history, but only three of them will make it. Those that do will be in for an experience money can't buy and secure their ticket to this year's grand final, where one will be crowned MasterChef champion 2025.

The four finalists are asked to put their twist on a classic dish. These dishes are classics for a reason - they are tried, tested and loved. Can the amateurs take theirs to the next level, without losing the heart of the original? Amongst the dishes being reworked tonight are beef wellington, the full English breakfast and the Sunday roast. With so much at stake, nobody will play it safe.

The judges then have to make their toughest decision to date – which three have shown enough skill to go through to the final? At this point, it all comes down to the finest of margins.

The three lucky ones will be counting their blessings as they're about to have one of the most exciting opportunities ever seen on MasterChef. It's time for Chef's Table, which this year is being held at the exclusive Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester Hotel restaurant in Mayfair. They will prepare lunch for Alain himself, who holds a staggering 21 Michelin stars to his name, along with four of his proteges: Tom Kitchin, Clare Smyth MBE, Claude Bosi and Alex Dilling, who all have amassed their own collection of Michelin stars.

This would be an intimidating proposition for even the most seasoned chefs, never mind three cooks who, a few weeks ago, had never entered a professional kitchen. To add to the already stratospheric pressure, each takes on one of the restaurant's celebrated dishes – the epitome of modern French haute cuisine. If they can impress today, who knows what the future might hold?

Running today's Chef's Table is Alain's executive chef Jean-Philippe Blondet. He's worked with Alain for over 20 years and will expect nothing short of impeccable cooking from the three contenders.

After such an intense cooking experience, the finalists will have one more job: prove they have the skills to take home the MasterChef 2025 trophy. Next stop? The grand final.

Finals week on MasterChef has arrived! Seven weeks of intense competition has seen some extraordinary competitors fall by the wayside, and now just four are left standing.

Their journey takes them to the glorious city of Athens, where the four amateurs are immersed in a rich and exciting food culture, thousands of years in the making. Three extraordinary challenges await, designed to broaden their culinary horizons like never before.

The first stop on this whirlwind adventure is Margi Farm, which spans ten acres and supplies produce to some of the finest restaurants in Athens. The candidates' first task is to prepare a delicious lunch for locals, including some Margi Farm employees. Working in teams in outdoor kitchens, they have three hours to get to grips with Greek cuisine and deliver a lunch to remember. If that's not enough pressure, they have to cook a selection of meze dishes chosen by one of the country's best-loved TV chefs and restaurateurs, Argiro Barbarigou, who oversees their work. These plates include some Greek classics that take precision and skill to pull off. Can the hopefuls do these dishes justice and please the locals who know exactly how this food should taste?

Margi Farm is just the beginning. Day two in Athens pushes the contestants to another level as they head to Michelin-starred restaurant Patio for their next challenge. The kitchens are run by executive chef Panagiotis Giakalis, who delivers an exciting cuisine that combines tradition with innovation. The cooks are put through their paces as they each take responsibility for making one course from Patio's extensive tasting menu. This is no walk in the park.

Having got into the swing of Greek fine dining, the contenders have one more chance to shine as they head to the stunning Vouliagmeni Bay, where they are given the keys to a local restaurant – Akti. They will be solely responsible for a dinner service of epic proportions, cooking for mentors Argiro and Panagiotis, as well as some of Athens's leading Michelin-starred chefs. Each finalist must cook one course for the VIP dinner. This is their chance to show what they are capable of, whilst drawing inspiration from their Aegean adventure.

Every step they take on this trip of a lifetime matters, because very soon the final four will become the final three!

It's the end of an extraordinary week of semi-finals as the five contenders left in the competition go all out to stay put. This is the sharp end of the competition, and with such an enormous amount of skill and flair on show, the smallest mistakes can send the hopefuls home.

Making the leap to the final stages won't be easy, as the next brief pushes the amateurs to their culinary limit, cooking one dish that celebrates an ingredient they can't stand.

How can they create a coherent plate of food which has texture and flavour when the last thing they want to do is taste it? Will they understand how to use an ingredient that perhaps they have never cooked with before?

Their choices include offal, bananas and liquorice, which could lend themselves to some great plates of food. Whatever they do to these ingredients, they will need to pull something out of the bag, as only four amateurs can go through to finals week.

In one of the toughest challenges yet, one unfortunate competitor will be left kicking themselves if they miss what is surely the opportunity of a lifetime.

Next stop is finals week, where one contender's dream of becoming MasterChef champion will become a reality – assuming they can outcook the competition!

The semi-finals are in full swing, and just six extraordinary cooks are still in the race. But nothing could have prepared them for what's now in store.

The brief in this episode has been set by one of the most revered chefs in the world, a man who needs very little introduction: Heston Blumenthal. Heston is a pioneer in the world of molecular gastronomy, and his three-Michelin-starred restaurant The Fat Duck has inspired generations by ripping up the culinary rulebook. His dishes excite all the senses, giving the diner an experience like no other. This year marks the 30th birthday of his groundbreaking restaurant, and the semi-finalists are honouring the celebration at MasterChef HQ.

The contestants must dig deep, as working in teams, they will be asked to recreate some of Heston's most celebrated dishes. The recipes are detailed and complex, but if they do them right, the results should be out of this world. It's time to roll out the liquid nitrogen as the hopefuls take on recipes that have taken years to develop and master.

After judging their take on his creations, Heston next gets the chance to taste the semi-finalists' own food, as the contenders' next brief is to cook a dish filled with theatre and magic – something truly ambitious that plays with the senses and is full of wonder. Emotion and storytelling are crucial components, and Heston will be hoping for some passion in the plates he tastes.

At the end, five deserving cooks will go through to the next round, leaving one to savour the memories as they head back home. The hunt for this year's champion continues.

It's semi-finals time, and with just eight contestants remaining, the heat is rising. Everyone has their sights set on reaching finals week, but to get there, they will need a steady hand, as they face some of their biggest culinary adventures yet.

Glorious Chawton House in Hampshire is the setting for the challenge in this episode. Once owned by Jane Austen's brother, this stunning abode is the location for a special lunch to celebrate the literary giant's birth 250 years ago. Working in two teams of four, the contestants must cook up a lunchtime feast that both suits the occasion and is worthy of a guest list that includes house staff and volunteers, members of the Jane Austen Society and Jane Austen's fifth great-niece! This illustrious crowd, of no less than 80, are hoping for a lunch to remember. Catering for such huge numbers is tough in itself, but the importance of the event just piles on the pressure.

The teams need to devise and cook their own three-course menu whilst also getting used to the unfamiliar al fresco kitchens located in the Chawton House gardens. Working together is the only option for success, as any weak links could send lunch service into free fall.

If that's not enough, the eight amateurs then head back to the MasterChef kitchen for one more challenge. Working alone this time, they need to cook a plate of food that incorporates layers or swirls, adding texture, colour, beauty and opulence. This should be a feast for the eyes as well as the palate. They have one hour and 45 minutes to deliver a dish that shows progress as well as wondrous levels of creativity.

The two cooks who are outperformed on the day must head home, leaving the strongest six still in with a shot at becoming MasterChef Champion 2025.

Knockout week comes to a head with just ten cooks remaining in the competition. Success could mean a place in the semi-finals, but it will take every ounce of effort to get there.

Knockout week continues as the second group of eight hopefuls return to take on the competition. Those who show they mean business will earn the right to work in their first professional kitchen.

Knockout week has arrived. Sixteen amateurs compete for the final ten places and the opportunity to tackle their first professional kitchen service.

It's the last quarter-final, and the best cooks from the week's heats are back with one thing in their sights: a place in knockout week.

It's the final heat as the last group of food-obsessed cooks go all out to try to nab one of the last three quarter-final places in this year's competition.

It's the fifth and final week of the heats, and another group of home cooks take the first step towards making their culinary dreams a reality.

Jay Rayner sets the brief for the week's quarter-final. He would like the cooks to make a wrap. They can fill it with their choice of ingredients, but the wrap itself must be made from scratch.

The second heat of the week begins with new contenders ready for their first taste of cooking in the MasterChef kitchen. Those who win aprons could earn a place in this week's quarter-final.

It's the fourth week of heats, and a fresh batch of ambitious cooks, including a fishmonger and a data scientist, are ready to kick-start their MasterChef competition.

Esteemed food critic and writer Jimi Famurewa sets the brief for the week's quarter-final – to create a modern American classic that will make him feel like he's back in the USA.

It's the second heat of the week, and another cohort of brave cooks are each hoping to win one of the four MasterChef aprons on offer – their ticket to the rest of the competition.

It's week 3 of the heats, and the latest home cooks are ready to bring their A-game to the kitchen. If they reach the standards expected of them, they could claim a MasterChef apron.

Grace Dent sets the brief for the quarter-finalists. They must create the perfect picnic, which has to include two savoury items and one sweet.

This week's second heat welcomes new hopefuls to take on the cooking competition. The contenders will need to jump straight into action as they cook off for one of the MasterChef aprons.

The next group of home cooks are ready for a culinary battle in the second week of heats. The contestants will need to hit the ground running if they are to win an exclusive MasterChef apron.

It's the first quarter-final, with six chefs competing for a place in knockout week. The challenge is to produce a stunning dish combining sweet and savoury ingredients.

It's the second heat of the week, where the final challenge is to cook a two-course meal for three past champions to win a place in the quarter-finals.

It's the start of the 2025 competition, bringing together the UK's best amateur cooks, but only one can win the coveted MasterChef trophy.