Recipe for SUCCESS

JOHN TORODE and GREGG WALLACE on celebrating 20 series of their popular cookery contest

- TESS LAMACRAFT

MASTERCHEF NEW EASTER MONDAY, WEDNESDAY & FRIDAY, TIMES & REGIONS VARY, BBC1 COOKERY

John Torode and Gregg Wallace are all smiles as TV Times congratulates them on MasterChef reaching a magical milestone. Originally airing on the BBC between 1990 and 2001, the culinary competition returned to our screens in 2005 with the pair cast at the helm on judging duties, and this week sees the revival version serve up an impressive 20th series!

'We've done something pretty special to mark the anniversary and invited 80 previous finalists and friends of the show back [in semi-finals week] for a meal prepared by the new contestants!' smiles John, 58, who's married to actor and home cook Lisa Faulkner.

'The dinner was an extraordinary event,' agrees Gregg, 59. 'I don't think I've ever experienced anything quite so emotional. It made me realise how MasterChef has touched so many people over the years.'

Over the course of the next eight weeks, the new run sees a fresh batch of 58 hopefuls battling it out in a bid to be crowned the 2024 champion.

Here, John and Gregg tell us what's on the menu and reflect on how things have changed over the years...

Congratulations on this incredible milestone! What are your memories of the first series?

GREGG I remember being really excitable, so nothing much has changed!

JOHN It was an afternoon show on BBC2 back then, called MasterChef Goes Large, and we filmed in the ex-dining room of university digs. It was all filmed with just two cameras and two sound men, and the lighting person was somebody with a piece of cardboard who had to run on to the roof to block the sun! It was extraordinarily different from what we have now.

Of course, the winner was Thomasina Miers,  food restaurant chain] Wahaca and doing very well across the country.