The final three chefs must produce the best three dishes of their lives to stand a chance of being crowned MasterChef champion 2021.

In the first heat, five amateur cooks compete for two quarter-final places. This year's competition features a new round in which each cook must showcase their favourite ingredient.

Five amateur cooks compete in the second heat. To win a quarter-final place, they must impress judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace along with former champions Saliha Mahmood Ahmed and Kenny Tutt.

The four winners from the first week of heats return to compete in the first quarter-final. They are challenged by food critic Grace Dent to prepare a great British pudding.

Five more amateur cooks compete for places in the quarter-finals. In the first heat of the second week, they cook for former champions Irini Tzortzoglou and Jane Devonshire.

In the second heat of the second week, five more amateur cooks compete for places in the quarter-finals.

The week's four heat winners return for the quarter-final, chasing a place in knockout week. They face a Critic's Test set by one of the country’s toughest food critics, William Sitwell.

Five more amateur cooks compete for places in the quarter-finals. In the first heat of the second week, they cook for former champions Shelina Permalloo and Mat Follas.

Five more amateur cooks compete for places in the quarter-finals. In the second heat of the second week, they cook for former champion Steven Wallis and 2006 finalist Dean Edwards.

It’s the third quarter-final and the four talented heat winners return to fight for a place in the semi-final.

In the last week of heats, five more hopefuls try to impress judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace.

In the last of this year's heats, five contestants cook for judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace and two previous MasterChef champions.

In the last of this year's quarter-final, four talented heat winners return to fight for a semi-final place in the Critic's Test. The challenge is to cook a dish inspired by global street food, and it will be judged by one of the country's toughest food critics, Grace Dent.

Just 10 chef's remain. Split into two groups of five, they now face the pressure of cooking in a professional kitchen for the first time.

The second group of five semi-finalists experience the pressure of a professional kitchen for the first time.

It's the last challenge of the semi-finals, and the six remaining amateurs must cook-off in front of three esteemed food critics to win a coveted place in the finals.

For the first challenge of finals week, the five finalists cook a five-course lunch at the resplendent Plaisterers Hall in the City of London.

The final four amateur cooks interpret a classic dish of their choice before the best three face a Chef's Table challenge at Michel Roux Jr's acclaimed restaurant Le Gavroche.