MasterChef: The Professionals moves to BBC One for new series this autumn

The new series of MasterChef: The Professionals will have a new home on BBC One when it returns for season 13 this autumn.

In a statement the BBC said the move from BBC Two was a mark of the cookery competition's success – it has been the channel's biggest cookery series for the past three years, with 3.55 million tuning in to watch Stu Deeley win season 12.

Chef Stu won praise from Wallace for his unique dishes and for "falling in love with the flavours that surrounded him" in his home city of Birmingham.

Director BBC Content Charlotte Moore said: “MasterChef is one of the channel’s biggest brands and following the impact of COVID on the production of original programming it feels like the time is right to move 'The Professionals’ to BBC One and find an even wider audience.”

Thirty-six more contestants will line up for the 13th competition when it returns for 18 episodes broadcast across six weeks in the autumn. Returning to preside over the culinary wonders will be Michelin-starred chef Marcus Wareing, in-demand chef and TV presenter Monica Galetti and MasterChef judge Gregg Wallace.

Producer Shine TV's executive producer David Ambler remarked on the difficulty they had making the show around the COVID-19 protocols.

"Although it has been filmed in very difficult times for the hospitality industry, the series has uncovered some really exciting culinary talent which the MasterChef judges are excited to share with the BBC One audience."

MasterChef has become one of the great British television format exports of the 21st Century and has been adapted into 58 productions, across 63 markets, with the series achieving No.1 status in many territories.

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