Episode 1

Professional MasterChef is back for its ninth series. Two Michelin-starred Marcus Wareing, formidable perfectionist Monica Galetti and MasterChef maestro Gregg Wallace team up once again to search for the country's next culinary superstar.

In this opening heat, six professional chefs from all over the country arrive at the MasterChef kitchen and put their reputations on the line to stake their claim to the coveted title. The chefs face two daunting challenges: firstly a test of their basic skills, followed by a chance to cook their own signature dish for the judges. At the end of the heat, three chefs will be sent home and the strongest three will go through to this week's quarter-final.

Each chef begins with the infamous skills test. Under the watchful eye of all three judges, the first moments for any competitor are nerve wracking, as their knowledge, palate and experience are put under scrutiny. Nothing goes unnoticed as they chop, slice and sear their way through their first assessment.

The first three chefs face a skills test set by Marcus - in 15 minutes they must cook a steak diane. A classic dish traditionally cooked at the table in front of the customer, the judges may be the trickiest customers any chef has faced. When the chefs have their sauce-making skills and butchery put to the test, will they manage to deliver something delicious or a total disaster?

The remaining three chefs then face a skills test set by Monica. The pressure is on, not only to hold their nerve but also to demonstrate their pastry skills as they are tasked with making a pistachio, frangipane and raspberry tart coupled with a white chocolate creme anglaise at breakneck speed. The chefs have to whisk up the best custard of their careers and cook a perfect tart in 25 minutes without the mixtures splitting in order to raise a smile from the judges.

Finally, the six chefs cook their own signature dish for Monica, Marcus and Gregg. In an hour and thirty minutes, it is their opportunity to showcase their creativity, palate and style. It is also their final chance to show off their culinary talent before three of them are sent home, and three become quarter-finalists, moving another step closer to being crowned MasterChef: The Professionals Champion 2016.