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It鈥檚 the third week of heats, and nine home cooks arrive with both their dreams and ingredients ready for their first test, the Audition Round. This year鈥檚 contestants come from all over the UK and must start by cooking a signature dish that shows John and Gregg who they are as a cook and how good they could become.

John and Gregg don鈥檛 witness them cook in the MasterChef kitchen. Instead, they taste each dish in the new Tasting Room. Just like diners in a restaurant, they judge each contestant鈥檚 food solely on the plate that is put in front of them. After tasting all nine plates, John and Gregg pick their three favourite dishes, awarding those cooks a MasterChef apron and immunity from cooking in the next round.

For the remaining six contestants, there is another chance to impress the judges and win themselves a coveted apron. If they cooked a savoury dish in the first round, they must deliver a sweet dish now, or vice versa. This time, John and Gregg are in the kitchen witnessing their every move. The pressure is intense and the stakes are high as only four cooks can join the three already fast-tracked to the next round of challenges. For two, their MasterChef dream will be over.