John Torode and Gregg Wallace search for a new Masterchef
John Torode and Gregg Wallace on the new series, new outfits and new taste sensations…
NEW cookery Masterchef mon, thu, fri / BBC1 / times vary
Gregg Wallace and John Torode are excited about putting a new batch of 56 amateur cooks thorough their paces in the 14th series of Masterchef.
Over the course of seven weeks and a wide range of challenges, including The Critic’s Test where the contestants must cook a dish set by a food expert, they’ll be whittled down to just three.
TV Times met up with John, 52, and Gregg, 53, to hear what’s in store and what winds them up – they are now such a double act that they often finish each other’s sentences during our chat!
My top challenge this series is… Gregg: I loved the contestants cooking for the RAF. We got to go up in a helicopter and get dressed up like middle-aged members of Top Gun! It was great fun.
John: Travelling to Peru was interesting. We got to eat llama and a bowl of frozen piranha heads.
The best thing about the show is… John: The contestants’ diversity. We’ve got housewives, dentists, surgeons, a rubbish collector and a cathedral organist in this series. Gregg: Yes, we’ve got some seriously big characters, you normally get one or two but this time we’ve got a whole basketful!
The most annoying thing in the Masterchef kitchen is… Gregg: When contestants undercook things and then say, ‘Yes, but I didn’t want to overcook it’, like those are the only two options. How about just cooked! John: When someone takes a very expensive product and has no idea how to prepare it. In this series, somebody used a kilo of lobster to make a pasta dish that tasted of tomato sauce. That upset me. The foodie styles I’ve had enough of are…
John: Foams! I call them ‘Phlegm’ because that’s the noise they make when they’re being made and they look like it on the plate!
Gregg: Yes. I can’t imagine saying, ‘Listen guys, why don’t we all go out and have a really good foam?’
My favourite dish ever is… Gregg: Peter Bayless, our second winner, made a Parisbrest, which is a circle of choux pastry with a coffee cream and almonds, that was simply stunning. My wife Anne-marie makes them for me now.
The most creative dish is… John: There’s someone coming up who does a dessert tribute to George Michael called a Careless Whisper, which is very clever.
The best advice I could give to Masterchef hopefuls is…
Gregg: Practice what you’re not good at because you’re going to need an all-round cookery education. John: People who do really well understand their style, stick to their guns
and do it with finesse.
When I’m not on TV I like…
John: Doing yoga.
It’s great for flexibility and I really enjoy it. Gregg: I play computer games and read history books. I also go to the gym, although if I wasn’t on the telly I’d probably give myself over to gluttony!
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