In this first edition, John and Gregg relive some of the best and worst food from the early rounds of the competition, and look back at the celebrities' first taste of the MasterChef kitchen. For some it's a triumph, but for others it can end in disaster. John and Gregg also revisit two of their favourite challenges, both of which involved taking the celebrities out of their comfort zone. First, it's back to 2012, when footballer Danny Mills, writer and comedian Emma Kennedy and TV presenter Michael Underwood were sent to a film set to cater for more than 100 cast and crew of drama New Tricks.
John Torode and Gregg Wallace look back on further highlights from 15 years of the show, remembering the contestants' first experience of a professional kitchen, recalling those who thrived and those who only just survived the intense pressure. They also revisit a semi-final challenge from 2013 in which Janet Street-Porter, Shane Lynch, Les Dennis, Speech Debelle, Brian Capron and Adrian Edmondson cooked a three-course meal for 150 students, parents and fellows at Cambridge University's Gonville and Caius College.
John and Gregg recall some of the most entertaining team challenges of the past 15 years, including the 2015 semi-final featuring Rylan Clark-Neal, Chesney Hawkes, Mica Paris and Kimberley Wyatt.
John Torode and Gregg Wallace recall some of the best - and the worst - reviews of the celebrities' creations. From members of the Women's Institute to previous finalists and the forthright opinions of the restaurant critics, the role of the external opinion is a crucial one. John and Gregg also revisit a classic challenge from 2011, in which the five semi-finalists were tasked with cooking the much-loved recipes from residents of a retirement village.
John Torode and Gregg Wallace look back at moments when their celebrity contestants were pushed to the limits of their culinary skills - from having to impress some of the best chefs in the country to mastering the precision of pastry and the most daunting challenge of them all, the Chefs' Table. The judges also reminisce about a classic challenge from 2017, in which a group of celebrities had to master the creations of world-renowned pastry chef Cherish Finden. And in 2012 Christine Hamilton, Dick Strawbridge and Lisa Faulkner faced a final-week challenge unlike any other. They had to prepare a fine dining lunch from a tiny kitchen on the Orient Express, keeping their culinary skills - and their balance - on track as the train steamed through the British countryside.
John Torode and Gregg Wallace consider some of the very best MasterChef highlights, from the most amazing dishes to outstanding challenges to some of the most impressive individual success stories. John and Gregg also reflect on what it takes to be `the best", and how finalists and winners start to shine during the culinary rounds - in particular when in 2012 the semi-finalists took over the brasserie on a cross-channel ferry. Then the judges revisit one of the final challenges from 2008, when three celebrities faced cooking with Marcus Wareing - which resulted in one of the most memorable moments in Celebrity MasterChef history.