MasterChef

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!

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!

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.

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.