Exclusive - MasterChef: The Professionals champ Alex Webb reveals what he's looking for in a winner ahead of the series 17 final

Six weeks ago, 40 contestants stepped into the famous MasterChef kitchen with the hopes of impressing the judges with their culinary skills.

Now, just three remain in the MasterChef 2021 line-up, and of course, only one can be crowned this year's champion. But, who should it be?

Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com, on behalf of Coffee Friend, MasterChef: The Professionals winner Alex Webb revealed what he looks for in a winner.

He said: "I think it would be quite nice to have someone who is a bit different, who we haven't seen before. Obviously it's nice if someone like that can get a restaurant because they've been in a different life before that, so it'd be something great for them to look forward to.

"It's exciting trying to find a new winner. As soon as you become a winner, you join a little club and everyone gets on really well!"

When it comes to this year's contestants, Alex says the talent and skill has definitely "gone up".

"In general, the talent has been really good. Especially in Lockdown, everyone is more interested in cooking. Every year, the talent goes up. I think everyone is more interested in doing different styles and cuisines and the further along you go, the competition gets higher," he explained.

However, he does want the finalists to be mindful as they approach the last hurdle.

When asked what advice he'd give to the contestants, he said: "First of all, you have to practice. Even though the dishes I was doing, I'd done before, you have to practice them so you know they actually work and you're confident. And I think my advice for those who get further along the show is that you're going to be more noticed and you're going to be asked more questions and things like that, so just be ready for it and keep yourself grounded."

MasterChef is on BBC One on Thursday, 8th April at 9pm, and the final airs on Friday, 9th March at 8.30pm. To find out what else is on TV in the meantime, check out our TV Guide. Visit our hub for more Entertainment news.