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Twenty familiar faces from the worlds of showbusiness, music and sport compete to win the 2018 title. In the first of the heats, the first batch of five celebrities undertake three tough culinary challenges in a bid to prove their cookery talent to judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace.

Hoping to show they've got what it takes are actor Keith Allen, TV presenter Michelle Ackerley, former international rugby player and TV presenter Martin Bayfield, recording artist and model Josh Cuthbert and singer-songwriter Carol Decker.

The first challenge for the five hopefuls is the Mystery Box, the infamous test of imagination and creativity. The contestants must use the ingredients in the box, which include pork mince, prawns, fennel, cabbage and pears, as well as a basic larder, to create one just dish. With nerves running high and just 50 minutes to create something from scratch, the celebrities must think on their feet to impress the judges.

The celebrities are then split into two groups to take on the challenge of cooking for the first time in a restaurant kitchen, preparing dishes for paying customers. Josh and Carol head to Leicester Square Kitchen, which showcases contemporary Mexican and Peruvian small plates, while Martin, Keith and Michelle are sent to Smith and Wollensky, an American-inspired steak restaurant.

In the final test of culinary creativity, it's back to the MasterChef kitchen, as the contestants are asked to prepare a two-course menu of their own design in just one hour. The celebrities work furiously in a last attempt to prove themselves to the judges, because at the end of this test one of them is sent home.