WHAT TO WATCH

BBC One, 8pm

MASTERCHEF

All those lockdown cooks get a chance to show off their pandemic-era prowess in the show’s 18th series. On the evidence of tonight’s opening heat, contestants on the stalwart culinary competition really have stepped up a gear. In fact, so impressed are judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace by some of the dishes they taste-test that they high-five each other, Wallace dances a jig and at one point even declares his love for a contestant. Adding to the heady atmosphere is the fact that the format’s been tweaked slightly to pack a stronger flavour punch. Instead of opening with The Market Test, the heats kick off with an “audition” episode in which the nine contestants, separated into groups of three, have 80 minutes to cook a signature dish for the judges. No longer do Torode and Wallace linger by the kitchen counters chatting to cooks, but wait in a tasting room to be served. They choose three amateur chefs to put through to the next round and task the remaining six with cooking another signature dish, with four progressing and two eliminated. The new recipe has refreshed the show somewhat, and with cooks turning out all manner of intriguing fusion food, it looks a flavoursome new series. Continues Friday. Vicki Power peek over the garden walls of Windsor and Balmoral castles, an entertaining blend of history and royal chitchat. Garden designer Manoj Malde describes Prince Philip’s contribution to a 1959 remodel of the Windsor garden; also celebrated are his introduction of red deer to Windsor Great Park in 1979 and the presentation to the Queen of the

Duke of Edinburgh

Rose in honour of his 100th birthday.

John Torode and Gregg Wallace make an energetic return