MasterChef UK 2023: BBC One release date, trailer, and Series 19 guest judges including William Sitwell

MasterChef is back for its nineteenth series, with amateur chefs from around the UK once again competing for the eponymous honour. Gregg Wallace and John Torrode are both returning – alongside the occasional celebrity guest judge – to determine which of the chefs is best. 

Series 19 is set to begin on BBC One on Easter Monday (10 April), with three new episodes airing each week on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays. They’ll be taking through the usual audition stages to test both their culinary skill and their inventiveness in the kitchen. 

Here’s everything you need to know about MasterChef Series 19 ahead of its release on BBC One.

What is the format?

MasterChef is a cooking competition that sees amateur cooks compete against one another in the hopes that Gregg Wallace and John Torrode will bestow upon them the title of MasterChef.

According to the official BBC One synopsis, “nine cooks face an audition test, in which they must cook a family favourite dish, and an invention test. Seven will progress to the next round, and two will be eliminated.”

Who is judging?

Gregg Wallace is set to return as judge once again. Wallace, a former greengrocer, appears on each iteration of MasterChef. You might also recognise him from appearances on Saturday Kitchen, and as the (now-departing) host of Inside the Factory.

John Torrode will be joining Wallace for the nineteenth series in a row. Outside of MasterChef, Torrode is perhaps best known for hosting John and Lisa’s Weekend Kitchen alongside his wife Lisa Faulkner. As a chef, he’s credited with popularising Australian food in the UK in the 90s in his London restaurants The Luxe and Smiths of Smithfields. 

As ever, Wallace and Torrode are set to be joined by a number of celebrity guest judges, including food critic William Sitwell and last year's finalists Eddie Scott, Pookie Tredell and Radha Kaushal-Bolland. India Fisher – who you might recognise from appearances in Dead Ringers, Peep Show, and Doctor Who – will once again return to narrate MasterChef. 

Who are the contestants?

The contestants for MasterChef 2023 are yet to be announced, but you can expect to see more details about the 45 new amateur chefs taking part this year after the end of the first episode. 

Is there a trailer?

Yes, there is! You can watch it right here.

When is MasterChef on?

MasterChef Series 19 starts on BBC One on Easter Monday at 8pm. The series will then continue with a new episode on Tuesday 11 April at 9pm, and then a third episode on Friday 14 April at 8.30pm. From next week, transmission will shift slightly. Episode 4 will air on Tuesday at 9pm, with episode 5 arriving on Thursday at 9pm, and episode 6 on Friday at 8.30pm. In Wales, episode 5 will be broadcast on BBC Two rather than BBC One.

You can also stream the series online via BBC iPlayer.

How many episodes are there?

With three episodes a week for the next eight weeks, MasterChef will run for 24 episodes. It’s therefore expected that the series finale will air on or around Friday 2 June.

Will there be another series of MasterChef?

Yes, there will! In February 2022, it was announced that the BBC had reached a six-year deal with production company Shine TV, guaranteeing that MasterChef would return for multiple further series over the coming years.

Where is MasterChef filmed?

MasterChef is currently filmed in London. As part of the aforementioned deal, though, MasterChef production is planned to move out of London and into Birmingham from 2024 – meaning that the parent show Masterchef and its spinoffs (MasterChef: The Professionals, Celebrity MasterChef, and Young MasterChef) will all be filmed in Digbeth Loc. Studios from next year.

How can I apply to be on MasterChef?

Applications to be on MasterChef are currently closed, but you’ll be able to apply for the 2024 series shortly after Series 19 ends.

You can, however, apply for the first series of the upcoming BBC Three spinoff series Young MasterChef. Anyone between the ages of 18 and 24 (as of 1 July 2023) can apply via the MasterChef website, so long as they’ve never worked as a professional chef before.

Why should I watch MasterChef?

It’s one to check out if you enjoy a high-stakes (or, sometimes, high steaks) cooking competition.