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15 years, two judges, you and me, Gregg,

over 300 celebrities and literally

thousands of plates of food.

Some of them have been great...

I love it. Yes!

..some of them, not so great.

Oh, God! Sorry.

We've trawled our vaults to bring some of our favourite moments

from the past... Bosh!

..and picked some of our most memorable challenges to share

with everybody in full.

It's all here. The kitchen meltdowns...

Oh!

..the chaos...

Oh!Oh!

Ah! Come on!

Stop it, I'm trying to get it right.

..the singing, the dancing...

# Stop, wait a minute, Mr Postman... #

..and of course the food disasters...

..and the triumphs.

Delicious. Ah, really?

Sharpen the knives, light the stoves,

it's 15 years of Celebrity MasterChef.

Come on!

Don't panic, Mr Mainwaring.

Cooking doesn't get funnier than this.

In tonight's show, it's out of the frying pan and into the fire.

I've never even sunbathed so this is too hot for me!

From the cuts...

..and the burns... Ow!

Yeah, that hurt.

..to the meltdowns, disasters...

Guys, the gas has gone out,

you're going to have a whole restaurant full of people.

..and triumphs.I'll tell you what, sack the day job.

We look back as the celebrities are pushed to their limits,

in their first experience of a professional kitchen.

I don't have two minutes, I've got one.

Running in an Olympic Games is far easier than this

because I have four years' worth of preparation, not four hours!

And we revisit a classic MasterChef challenge,

involving Janet Street-Porter, Ade Edmondson and Les Dennis.

Why can't we just start without the meat?

No, we're not starting, we'll wait.

We don't know...Just shut up.

I feel like I'm in an operating theatre.

One of the things about Celebrity MasterChef that always

surprises our celebs is just how tough it is.

They think they're going to walk in here and have a nice time?

Hell, no.

I don't want to go in! And we don't hold back.

Right from the start, when often they've only cooked for us once,

we expose them to the toughest culinary challenge there is.

That is the heat of a restaurant kitchen.

We are unleashing you on the paying public.

What, already?

The look on their faces when we announce it, it's always priceless.

Are they insured?

But nothing compares to the actual experience itself.

Up at the crack of dawn

because, of course, work in a pro kitchen starts early.

No celeb likes an early start, Gregg.

We're just going to give it our all. Give it a go.

This is it. Oh, very smart!

All I knew is, it's all going to be equally terrifying!

Good luck, everybody.

It's a steep learning curve, this challenge.

Look at that, look at this, look!

They'll get taught a dish that they will have to

prepare from scratch.

It sounds so hard.No, it's not too hard. It's going to be great.

We don't want to overcook these scallops, OK?I can do that.

Oui, Chef.

Bearing in mind, these are dishes the chefs have perfected over years.

That's beautiful.

God, I hope no-one orders venison today.

They have to learn to cook them...

It's got to be right because if I do an extra minute, at any stage,

it's snookered.

..and get them out to paying customers,

all in the space of just one morning.

Running in an Olympic Games is far easier than this

because I have four years' worth of preparation, not four hours!

Before lunch service can start...

Still boning, still boning, boning, boning, boning, boning, boning.

There's a mountain of morning prep they have to tackle.

I've done this kind of thing before but not en masse.

This is serious. I feel as if I've been peeling potatoes for hours.

I've got to get through 80 in an hour.

You know, that's over one a minute, isn't it?

Often, they're faced with unfamiliar ingredients.

Oh, my God, trotters?Yeah.

Never worked with a piece of meat this size in my life,

I've never worked with venison before.

It's all a new process.

Oh, it nearly went swimming!

Fish just repulses me.

Seriously, it's grim.

It's a scallop. I've never one done one of these before.

Oh! You've completely broken the scallop. It's been snapped in half.

While some celebrities are intimidated by new ingredients,

Essex diva Gemma Collins... Absolute precision.

..took prepping fish for the first time in her stride.

Do you love me? Is it not perfect?

I do, the fish don't! Oh.

Gemma might have been short on knowledge...

I'm doing four fish at the moment.

Do you want to put that in the oven for me, hon?

..but definitely not in confidence.

Oh, someone get me fish out.

I feel that I've got this right under control in the kitchen now.

I think if I worked in a kitchen,

I'd need to be like where this man's standing, you know?

The fish, the fish! I need to be the boss.

All our celebs would have eaten out and in plenty of restaurants,

no doubt about it, but none of them are prepared for what it's like

inside a professional kitchen when the orders start flying in.

I need seven chicken salad on the pass.Yes, Chef.

There isn't a dress rehearsal. Come on, baby girl. Mama loves you.

They all have to hit the ground running.

How long till the first one? I don't know.

It's what happens in service.

You're lucky if your first order is for one or two plates.

Two scallops, one crab.Oh!

But when the next comes through for three...

Three liver.Three!

..and then another for four plates...

Starting with four, that's a good start, isn't it?

..suddenly, you're juggling three tables' worth of orders,

all going out at different times. You've got seven on order.

I'm a little overwhelmed right now.

I'll take going out on stage in front of thousands of people

over this any day.

I think I'm going under, I think I'm going under.

Whoa! Too ambitious.

You can forgive mistakes, you can forgive being slow,

especially when you're being slammed with orders.

But what a chef will not forgive is forgetting your orders.

Which is what happened to Corrie's most infamous serial killer,

Brian Capron.

I've got... I've got... Have I got...?

I've got eight now, haven't I?

No, no, no. You got four on now.

Just four? Four lots, you mean? This is the way a proper chef works.

You get one table, you get halfway through it

and start the next table.

Halfway through that one, you start the next table,

That's how you work.

Now you want to get a pork belly on for the next table. Two.

Get the two on now. Right. Can you do that?

If it's going to confuse you, which it obviously is...

I've got those on, four.

Now you start the next two. Two, OK.

Brian, are you listening? Three more, yeah?

So four, two, two, three. Yeah?

This is a nightmare!

Two langoustines, two halibut, one, two, three, four, five, six,

seven, eight, nine, ten,

11, 12, 13.

You've got 15 portions on order. 15!

Oh, God Almighty!

In a pro kitchen, that's what some people call

getting in the weeds, where you get so many orders,

you can't remember anything.

Chef, how many cods was it straight away?

Not only is it tough to keep up in service,

you have to synchronise your orders with the others in the brigade.

But a platinum selling album and a Golden Globe between them

didn't help singer Mica Paris...

You're doing like four or five things at the same time,

plus you're trying to look glamorous as well.

Very hard.

..and actor Amanda Donohoe with their coordination.

Right, one lamb, one John Dory, guys,

three minutes from now, please.

Oh, three and a half. Three and a half.

Three and a half, Amanda, yeah? Two minutes.

We can't be two minutes if she said three and a half, yeah?

You're happy with that fish?

It looks cooked from here. Yeah, it's cooked.

He's very patient.

I know if I was him, I would have killed me already,

you know what I mean?

Just pop it under the grill for one second, otherwise you're going to

make the food cold, yeah?

Mica, we need the garnish, please, coming down to the pass, yeah?

Yes.Or we're going to have lamb and no fish. Yes, I'm coming.

Woo!Just give it a second because we want to serve this pink, yeah?

Shall I leave it under?No, pop it on there cos it needs to be...

Oh, dear. What are we going to do about that?

I don't know, what happens now?

We'll use one of these lambs

but don't forget you need another lamb on. OK.

Very quickly, yeah? Yes, Chef.

That's what happens in a pro kitchen when you get into a panic.

Get on, guys, this is the bit where we turn it up a little.

Oh, no! But reality star Amy Childs...

This is for the owners of the restaurant

so I'm a little bit like, "Oh, my God!"

..and Breakfast TV's Louise Minchin proved it is possible

for some celebrities to work perfectly in sync.

Amy, I'm going to try and hold mine back a bit,

so that we're on time together.

I'm stressing, I'm not going to lie to you.

Oh, God!Are you OK? Careful.

It's fine. Right, OK, cool.

OK, I'm ready for the pass, Chef.

Let's go, let's go. Ready, Chef.

Well done for getting both plates up at the same time.

That's perfect. Ready for that glass of wine next. Or not. Let's go, check on.

Four cappelletti, small, followed four sea bream, one polenta chips...

Four?!..one friggitelli. It just never stops, does it?

The professional kitchen is an opportunity for the celebs to

pick up some of the tricks of the trade,

to help them develop in the competition.

Good news, Amy. Table eight loved the cappelletti. Nice work. Woo-hoo!

Hey, top chef today!

And that's why we like to send them to a wide range of restaurants...

Push it. Keep pushing.

..to experience food from all different cultures...

I'm a bit nervous about all the spices and how much to put in.

..and cuisines.

It's food I love. I've never cooked it. I've got no understanding of it.

I suspect there might be a few little bumps along the way.

This Wagyu is £200 a kilogram. Oh, I can't believe it's so expensive!

We really want them to open their eyes...Mm!

..to the range of possibilities out there. Oh, mate!

This is just unbelievable!

Someone find me a Greek chef to marry now.

This is to die for!

Oh, God! So cool! That's amazing!

Adventurer Charley Boorman is known as a globe-trotter, but in 2014, in

an Asian fusion kitchen in London, he was tasked with cooking

a complex Indian samosa dish with seven different elements.

Can we just throw a few more ingredients in there to make

it a little harder?Yes, there's coriander in it as well, actually!

He may have crossed continents on a motorbike...

Can I have one samosa, Charl? Yes, sir! Ch... Boss.My name is Chef.

Chef. Yes, Chef.

..but crossing a chef during a busy service... I'm shaking.

..is an altogether different challenge!

There you go, Chef.

One samosa.That's not coriander, that's bloody rocket!

Take it back! That's what you gave me, Chef.I didn't give you this.

Who gave me that?Don't blame me. I need two more samosa, Charl, ASAP. ASAP. Yes, Chef.

It is really difficult to keep on top of the orders,

but it's kind of exciting in a kind of horrific way.

Why have you burned so many samosas? Because I'm not very good, Chef.

I just want it to be perfect, Chef.

Two minutes for the next one.

I don't have two minutes! I've got one! OK. One minute, then.

Come on, samosas! Cook!

I just want to make him happy, that's all!

And the dish itself isn't the only challenge the celebs need to

overcome in the kitchen.

One of the reasons restaurant food tastes

so good is that it's cooked in ways you just can't achieve at home.

Powerful gas woks, professional stoves, and huge ovens.

My barbecue's nothing like that!

Are you letting me loose with a blowtorch in here? Wow!

Tandoori oven, yeah?

Cos there's no knobs, there's no dials to control the temperature.

It's a question of touch, feel, experience.

Going to be 350 degrees centigrade.

OK, so I come from a hot country, originally.

Tottenham(!)

It just bakes your skin straightaway. OK.

Basically, any hair I've got on my arms, I can kiss goodbye to that.

Well, it's cheaper than...Well, it's cheaper... It's cheaper than

going for a wax.Absolutely. What do you think? A perfect job

every time! Of course, I guarantee it won't grow back for six months. Oh, really?Yeah. Oh, super!

You can pay me at the end of the day.

TOWIE star Joey Essex is known for his fake tan and pearly white teeth,

but he got a short, sharp

and sometimes painful lesson on the perils of cooking in a tandoor oven.

That's fine. Oh, no! Naan bread from tandoor.

They are going to try to lay on their own hands.

So this is truffle trimming.

Going to be 360 degrees, more than 360 degree heat. Argh!You'll do it.

Don't worry. Put it in. It's so hot!

Go on! Oh!

Ah! Doh!

Doh! Argh! Ah!

If they lose one or two seconds, the naan will burn,

they need to remake again.

Oh! It's going to fall off! No, no, no.

It's... Wow! And you made it! Look at that, mate.

It's amazing. Look at this!

If you know about naans, you know that's a perfect naan.

It... It could be better. Could it?Yes!

Wow! That's class, innit?

Happy? Yeah. I'm really happy. I mean, I dress myself to look cool

and you've just dressed that plate to look cool.

It's like fashion.That's true. Respect.

Joey think that looks like fashion.

Well, it's not unlike the things he wears!

Bosh! No!

Oh... Got it.

How many times?

Five times, but I got it.

Ah, singed all me hairs!

Look how hot it is. Look.

That is a perfect naan bread. Look at that.Excellent. Wallop.

But Joey's finished dishes weren't always the fashion statement

he intended. The naan bread is soaked with oil.

I think you can't serve it. I can't serve the naan?Yes.

So, can you make another one, please?

You're joking!

I'm going to get told off for this one as well.

I'll hold this... Bosh! Look at that!

It's perfect.

A bit less oil. Like this? Just sprinkle oil, yeah.

Perfect.

There you go. One more venison, please.

Bosh!

Oh. Yeah. This time, you're all right. Excellent.

Living the naan life.

Wallop!

Another contestant who had a really tough time handling the heat

was reality star Spencer Matthews.

He was using a tandoor to cook guinea fowl,

but he lost count of the amount of times he burnt himself.

Can I have guinea fowl, please?Yes, Chef.

Ah! It's hot!

Hang it over there.

Yes! I need two sea bass and two guinea fowl.Yes, Chef.

Argh! Are you OK?Yep. Don't worry about me, Chef.

I have burnt myself a couple of times, but there's no...

There's no stopping us. We have a service to complete.

It's so hot!

Argh!

You OK?Yes, Chef.

It is! Honestly! I don't know why I keep forgetting that

when you put it in that hell hole it becomes boiling hot.

Yeah, just touch that bit.

Honestly!

It's so hot, the whole way up.

Spencer actually did all right that day.

A few calloused fingers, but all jokes aside,

kitchens can be a dangerous place.

And some celebs sustain injuries that mean

they are pulled from service altogether.

Ooh!

Yeah, right, take it out.

Argh!

Oh!You all right? Yeah.

You sure? Let me just see. Let me just see.

Did you burn yourself? Are you all right? Yeah.Yeah...

Yeah, that hurt. What happened, Russell?

I put my finger on the big round oven and then it sizzled.

So you could serve my finger...

I was just going to say, this is really good to serve, you know?

You OK?

Ai-ai-ai!I've just burnt my hand.

And it's just... I can feel it start blistering.

OK, put it... Cold water.

Argh!

I've done it!

Accidents happen and they can happen to anyone.

Take determined, self-made business Dragon Michelle Mone.

SHE SCREAMS

She had a seriously tough time getting through service.

Let me see, let me see.

Let me see. Put your... Put your hand up. Where's...? Come...

Get out of the kitchen.

I don't know how bad her cut was, I didn't see it,

but I know she's very distressed and upset.

Um, I just hope it can be patched up, so she can carry on today,

cos she'll be gutted if she doesn't get to do her service.

Right, guys, we've got five minutes for service.

Oh, you're back! Well done. You OK?

I think I almost took the tip of my finger off.

I'm feeling a nervous wreck.

One prawn, one scallop to follow. Two ribeye.

GREGG: Credit where it's due, though.

I mean, Michelle is one tough cookie. She's straight from the school of "the show must go on".

A huge big bit of meat just came flipping off of that,

right into my cheek.

I'm having a bad day!

Come on, Michelle. Let's go, let's go!

I need a chips.

I need a chips. Coming, chips. Yes, Chef!

One plate.

Service!

My finger's full of blood and painful, yeah,

but no blood will go on the food, it's fine.

A cut finger and a burnt nose!

The brave chefs that allow our celebs into their kitchens

want them to learn, but their first priority is always their customers

and making sure the food that's served is up

to their restaurant's standard.

So if our celebs aren't up to scratch,

they'll quickly know about it.

I'm a chef. I've never been easy-going in my life.

If I get easy, things, they're not going to work.

So I'm going to be tough enough and a bit of pressure helps.

When Cold Feet star John Thomson entered the competition,

he just loved cooking. He was so enthusiastic.

I've absolutely relished what I've done so far.

The learning curve is so huge.

But he found out how hard it can be to cook at the highest level,

when you've got a tricky pasta dish to master.

Pasta's split.

And a perfectionist head chef like Francesco Mazzei

watching your every move.

I need one tortelli go with the sea bass, yeah?

Quick, quick, quick, quick, quick, quick!

How long the tortelli, John? Er... 30 seconds, Chef.

Wow! Are you sure?Er, no.

OK, good, so, tell me the right time, then, OK?

One minute, Chef. Good. Don't waste my time!

It's gone.

What's happened?It's split.

Oh, no.I put three more in.

You sure?Yeah, yeah. Three in. What we do with this, then?

Disaster here.Yeah. What shall we do here?

OK. Three more. Come on. Three more. There's three in, Chef.

Leave it, leave it, leave it. I'm not giving that. Come on.

Let's do it again. You're burning your butter there now?

Nothing can prepare you for this maelstrom...

..of craziness, really.

Look, this one is boiling, this one is not boiling.OK.

Why did you put it there? OK?OK, Chef.

Three, four, five, six, that's it. OK.

Don't touch it now, OK?

To be fair to the chefs,

it's not easy having a brigade of rank amateurs take

over your lunch service.

But being famous counts for nothing in this challenge.

Cooking in a pro kitchen is nothing like cooking at home...

What do I do now?!

..where nobody cares if the plates aren't warm...It's cold.

Heat it up. Yes, Chef.It's too cold.

Re-plating it! ..and the food looks a bit scruffy.

That's too much sauce. We have to re-plate.

And often, the hardest lesson our celebrities, like Sugababe

Amelle Berrabah had to learn, is how to make their plates look good.

Move the knife, don't smash the tuna.I'm so sorry!

Being sorry is not going to fix it. Just take your time and do it right.

OK?OK, Chef. I'm not happy at all, to be honest.

I don't think he's even going to want to serve this.

Oh, no!

OK, Amelle, come over here. Stop, stop, stop! It's not even centre.

The tuna is all smashed up. This is not what I showed you, OK?

Yeah, I understand. Let's do it again.Do it again. This cannot go out like that, OK?Yes, Chef.

Corrie's Brian Bovell's quenelles also didn't pass muster.

I'm not happy with the quenelle. You know?All right.

That needs to be as professional.

Can you make it again for me, please?OK, the quenelle. Do it!

Quick!Absolutely! Yes, sir! Yes, sir!

He made it look so easy, man, before.

It's those little details, man.

Those chefs sure earn their money, especially

when the staff start answering back.

Oh, yes! I think I know who you're talking about,

our friend, writer and broadcaster, Janet Street-Porter.

So, Janet, two cod.

Janet, where are you?I'm doing it! We've got two cod on order. You need to communicate with us

to make sure we all know what's going on?

I'm doing it! All right. OK, so you've got four away as well.

We need another two cod just after the other docket, OK?

It was always going to be interesting to see how Janet

took to being bossed around. Yes, Chef! I'm seasoning them!

We don't know if you're doing it if you don't answer, OK?

All right, OK, right. Do I do this in, yeah?

So we're going to need that dish up in eight minutes, Janet, OK?

Yeah, yeah, yeah!

Having a timer would be a plus, wouldn't it?

So make sure your garnish is seasoned.

What if I don't like it as salty as you do?

It's my restaurant, so I'll tell you whether it needs more salt.

Yeah, over to these plates.

Quick as you can. We want a nice, clean presentation.

Ah...Oh, don't! Don't, don't! I'll pick it off the plate!

We need to hurry up. Mess all over the plate is going to slow you down.

It needs to be a nice circle, yeah?

We need more sauce. That's not enough.

Yes, but I'm left-handed and the thing's right-handed.

Doesn't matter. Left or right, the amount of sauce is always the same.

Right, service.

OK, a little bit messy, little bit slow. Let's speed it up.

It's hard because of the heat and also him

shouting at you puts you off.

I know he's trying to be helpful, but it's doing my head in.

All things considered, I think the chef stayed pretty calm.

But sometimes, our celebs... All right, guys.

Let's speed up a little bit more because you are behind.

..push them to breaking point. Hey! Everyone! Hello!

Oi!

When I talk, I want to hear people answering me, yeah?

If I say something, I want to hear yes, no, maybe...Yes, Chef.

In 2009, Emmerdale actor Deena Payne, sprinter Iwan Thomas

and Crimewatch's Rav Wilding couldn't seem to do anything right.

Do you know how long for that beef salad, please?

Two minutes, Chef. I'll get my stopwatch out, shall I?

What's wrong with that? Plate's not hot.

It's freezing! By the time it gets to the customer, it'll be cold! Yes, Chef.

Really nice, really nice...Yes... But a thumbprint.

Got a what? Thumbprint!

It's the first dish. Look at it!

Lobster lotus chip. Lobster...lotus chip.Yes, Chef.

Nor could tough man boxer Joe Calzaghe. Right, Joe, what are you giving me next?

I'm not trying to be arrogant, but if you don't answer me

then I don't know that you've heard me.Yeah. And then you're not doing what I want you to do, OK?

Yeah, sorry, Chef. Two minutes, Chef. Every time I ask you for a time, Joe, you say two minutes.

I need the truth.OK. Maybe four?

And reality star Gemma Collins was more

interested in chatting to the guests than she was cooking lunch.

Gemma! Come back to the kitchen!

But with the best will in the world, in professional kitchens,

there are some situations out of everyone's control,

as actors Christopher Biggins and Tina Hobley discovered.

One halibut, one ravioli. BOTH:Yes, Chef! Thank you.

Guys, the gas has gone out.

No gas. Can we get maintenance in the kitchen, please?

Thank you. Well, let's call it a day!

Basically, we're in a hotel and everything's highly...

It's a highly sophisticated system, so someone in the hotel has

pressed a button which means my gas has gone off.

Things that should be boiling aren't boiling.

And I need to put my ravioli into boiling water,

so, you know, it's a little stressful.

But the show has to go on! Biggins! Move yourself!

This flat top works regardless,

so you're going to have to share that hot top together, guys.OK.

You've got to have a lot of love for each other today.Yes! We've got the love.

Don't know if you've got the finite touch just yet, Biggins!All right.

We'll get there.

Guys, what's happening with this gas? Anyone know?It's still off.

I'm going to have a hot restaurant full of people...I know!

..who can't eat any food in a minute.Shall I go and sing to them?

These lunchtime services are always for real paying members of the public,

who need to remain oblivious to the drama that goes on in the kitchen.

And just when all seemed to be lost...

Chef, fantastic news, the gas is back.

Yay! Gas is back on, everybody! So, no excuse for any dodgy cooking.

Ha-ha!

Right, mains away, table 22.

Halibut and ravioli.

I want them both on the pass at the same time.

You're only as good as your last meal, guys.The last supper!

Am I dripping? A little bit.

Lovely halibut. Really beautiful halibut.

What's the matter with the ravioli, then, Chef? Nothing.

Well, you can sink or you can swim and over the years,

there have been a few celebs that have thrived off the experience.

How do you think I've done?Really well. I'm not going to deny it.

Really, really well. I have potential?

That's my best batch. I'm proud of that.

I was in control of that whole situation.

I feel like I'm in a rhythm now and I can flow. It's good.

I think once I stop, my head will probably explode,

but at the minute, I feel good.

Yes!

Absolutely perfect!

Good job.Thank you so much! Well done!

You did really, really well.Thank you. You did really, really well. Loved it.

Oh, my goodness! Did you enjoy that? I loved it. Yeah, we did.

It's why we do this challenge

because it has the ability to really ignite passion in people.

Thank you so much.

I get a sweaty kiss! Honestly, it was brilliant!

It's the adrenaline rush, John,

the buzz of being part of a well-run kitchen.

It's one of the greatest highs you can get.

We saw a perfect example of that in 2019.

Reality star Vicky Pattison came to us...Oh!

..and in her first test, she was clueless!

I'm 31 now and I went to uni when I was 18.

I sort of did a bit of cooking there.

Fajitas for the lasses, or, like, a shepherd's pie. Maybes a chilli. I do a canny chilli.

Vicky, you OK?No. What's the matter?

I'm really hot and I'm really stressed out. I've got the chicken and the onions in.

I don't know how to make like the body of the curry, like, the sauce.

Do you cook, Vicky?

No. I'm hoping, learn some skills here, find a fella, kids...

Hello, Delia.

The next day, we sent her off to the restaurant kitchen and I don't

mind admitting, John, I would have bet it was going to be a disaster.

Three salmon, Vicky. You are going to get it.What the hell?!

That's six salmon!

What the fish-loving hell?!

Straight out the gate... Vicky, how are you doing?

I'm a bit overwhelmed with the six salmon straightaway, like. That's OK, no problem.

Obviously... I might get me potatoes on, what do you reckon? Get your potatoes on, that's right.

Potatoes in, all of them, in they go. Try not to throw them into the emulsion. Place them nicely.

She had a hectic start,

but surprised us all and really started to flourish.

Never ever done this before. Like, can't even make a fry-up

and make sure me beans are hot at the same time as me bacon.

Looks good, buddy.Thank you, babe. Well done.

Come on, Vicky. Bring it up, bring it up.Pair of salmon.

Looks good.Thank you very much, Chef. Looks good, Vic, well done. Thank you.

And even as the orders mounted up, she didn't lose her focus.

There you go, babe.

Nice job, Vicky. Nice job. Thanks, babe!

I need those three salmon up now, please.No problem, Chef.

Definitely not easy, by any stretch of the imagination,

but I feel like I'm sort of getting a bit of a flow going.

How long on that salmon, Vicks? About two... Less than two minutes.

Vicky, you've nailed it. I tell you what, sack the day job.

I'll give you a job. I've enjoyed it!

OK, Vicks, your last one. Let's make it good.

Salmon there, Chef. All right, good girl. Well done!Thank you.

Service, please!

You know that saying, if you can't handle the heat?

Never really applied to me before.

That passion that was ignited in Vicky got her all

the way to the final.

I love it when the celebs come back really inspired

and they need that inspiration

because by the time they get to the semifinals,

the professional challenges just get tougher and bigger.

One of the most extraordinary nights I can ever remember was

the semifinal of 2013,

where our celebs had to cook a three course dinner for 150 people

at Cambridge University.

As well as providing a great cooking challenge for the celebs,

taking them outside the MasterChef kitchen also offers viewers

a sneak peek behind the closed doors of some of the country's most iconic institutions.

Welcome to the beautiful

and historic Gonville & Caius College, here in Cambridge.

There were some big personalities in the kitchen that year.

Actors Ade Edmondson and Brian Capron, comedian Les Dennis,

rapper Speech Debelle, singer Shane Lynch from Boyzone, and of course,

the biggest personality of them all, broadcaster Janet Street-Porter.

The stunning location spoke volumes about quality of the food expected.

And a high-end dinner for 150 was one of the most ambitious

semifinal challenges we've ever set the celebrities.

We are fortunate in Gonville & Caius.

We're used to quite a high standard of cooking.

Our fellows and our guests this evening will be expecting

a fine dining experience.

Welcome, everybody, to Caius Kitchen. We're very, very busy.

We've got four hours to get it ready, so let's go.

Boyband singer Shane and comedian Les were the unlikely double act

responsible for a wood-pigeon starter.

You've got to be very careful.

There's a lot of very tiny bones here. They're very, very sharp.

Put your thumb through it and the wishbone will come clean out.

OK.I would say to both of you, initially, get these going. Yeah.

So this is out of the way and then we can concentrate on the salad.

Right, Chef. OK. Thank you, Chef. Right, Les, let's crack on.

You should aim to be about one a minute. OK.I know it seems fast, get it all out.

OK. I grew up doing a bit of hunting with my father.

I've gutted an animal or two.

I've done a fair few pheasant and rabbit in my day.

Never went hunting, not in working-class Liverpool.

There was nowhere to go hunting.

As long as every piece of that wishbone is out,

we don't want any customers to get a sharp piece in the mouth.

First course at 7.15. I'd start panicking now if I was them!

Speech and Ade had a complex main, centred around lamb rumps...

All that?!

..which all need to be individually butchered,

removing the fat membrane.

I think this is going to annoy the life out of me!

It's absolutely excruciatingly dull. Come on!

I bet it's hit home now,

now they've seen the amount of food they've got to prepare.

150 lamb rumps - that's tough.

Oh, look at that one!

In one piece! One piece!

I've got to prep the vegetables for the dish.

Right now, doing the aubergine.

Then I've got to do courgettes, tomatoes, sweet peppers as well.

I find chopping vegetables quite therapeutic, so...

..it's all right. I've usually got a bit of music playing, but, hey...

Once it's char-grilled, it's going to sit in that ring.

These are way too big.OK.

Getting through all the prep for 150 portions is a tall order,

and the team who were thrown most by their course were Janet and Brian,

who had to make a tuile basket, filled with a passion fruit mousse,

topped with a sugar cage.

Does this mean anything? Doesn't mean anything.

I thought it was a secret symbol or something.No, no secret symbol.

Like the symbol of the college. No, no.

We're going to start with the paste for the tuile biscuit.

We've definitely been given the hardest course.

We have, by miles!

The dessert is complicated, it's complex, it's fussy.

I've never, ever cooked anything even approximating that,

because that represents everything I hate in culinary terms.

How are you feeling, Brian? I'm hopeless at desserts,

I really don't do desserts at all,

so I've never done a...tuile? Tuile.A tuile.

I've never done one of those. I've eaten one,

but I've never cooked one.Yes.

Now, we don't make it easy for our celebs.

And Janet and Brian had to make 150 perfect tuile baskets from scratch.

There's the paste. So, that's what you need to do.

That's what we're trying to achieve. OK? Do you want to come and try?

All right, I'll have a go. Here's some more.

So, I've put it on the top... Put it on the top,

put a dob and then turn the palette over.

Take it over to the oven. They will go very quickly.

You won't believe how fast it'll go.

And you have to work really, really quickly. This is the hardest part.

The biscuits.God, you're getting me anxious!

All right, all right.

NERVOUS LAUGHTER

OK, bring it over.

Hands around it, on the side. But it's hot!

That's all right. Go! Clasp it!

Clasp it?! It's boiling!

OK, it just sticks in the mould. Just put your hand in the mould.

Pop it out.Well... OK, four.

We're under way.Four.

That's only 146 to go.

I think we've been punished by being put in there.

Yeah. We could be here for some time.

I've zoned out. I'm in tuile world.

Yes, we're in tuile world.

We're not doing badly, it'll probably get a little bit stressed

as time goes on.There's no point getting stressed. No.

It's not a United Nations peace negotiation, is it?

Exactly. It's just food... Just making a dessert.

..and we'll remain calm and focused.

The only thing you've done is the tuiles.

What do you mean, "the only"? Don't belittle what I've done so far!

I'm not belittling it, I'm just stating a fact.

You couldn't do this any quicker!

We've got cages to make, we've got mousse to make,

pick off the mint...Good luck.

I've got another one with a hole in it, Brian.

Sounds like Janet's having a nice time!

SHE YELLS

With the wheels beginning to fall off in the pastry kitchen,

the other teams were also buckling under the sheer volume of prep

required to cater for such a big dinner.

We now just have to get on with the salad.

A lot of chopping to do.

Once you see this amount of butternut squash,

are you suddenly realising the scale?

The scale, and I think this is probably,

the toughest vegetable to prepare.

It's a kind of kick to think that you might be feeding somebody,

who goes on to win the Nobel Prize for Literature,

and that one day they might come up to you and say,

"I tasted your wood pigeon salad and went on

"to be the greatest novelist in the world."

If me and Les are late, then the whole dinner's late

and we really don't want that to happen.

So, time to crack on. I think we're doing OK.

Nobody's come up and screamed at us to say we should be further on.

How much more do you have to do? Erm... All of those.

Yeah.Have you started the beetroot yet?

No.No.What?

You haven't started the beetroot yet? No.

Do we need to think... one of us think about beetroot,

or should we just both carry on with this?

I would think just move your tushy-tush. OK.

Getting your head around the sheer scale of cooking for 150

would be a tall order for most of us,

and, while the head chef was there to oversee our celebs...

It's just taking a long time. It's going to be hot for me.

..they really were left to do all the hard graft themselves.

It's just really hot.

It's just all of this area, all round here,

is just...even when you get your hand near it, it's hot.

Are you still lambing? I still am, yes.

Have you stopped at all or have you done something else?

No, I haven't done anything else. So, how many of you got? How many have you done, do you think?

I think I've done 90...something.

I'm nearly up to 100.

So, you've been doing that for about two hours?

Might be on the rare side. And how's Speech getting on?

I've no idea.No idea?

I haven't lifted my head.

This is the Ade and Speech method of working, is it? Speech?

You cooking everything else? I don't think so,

I'm just doing the aubergine.

Are you still cooking the aubergines you cut up ages ago?Yes,

but I also cut up courgettes and red peppers...

Oh, OK...and started the sauce. OK.

So, we're doing all right? Are we?

Well, you are, except there's still potatoes to be done.

Oh, yeah. I think it was that exact moment

that the chef realised he had six celebs responsible for the dinner,

and he really started to worry about the food being ready.

I'm going to have to move you on to get the potatoes done.

If not, we're going to be really well behind. Right, OK.OK?

One of my lads will have to just take over on this.

150 potatoes.

You've come off the lamb?

I have, I'm a bit annoyed to have come off the lamb.

I wanted to finish the task, you know?

I felt like I'd let my lamb down.

Are you going to get this out on time?

I literally have no idea.

Speech and Ade aren't the best team.

The left hand doesn't really know what the right hand's doing.

We've just got to hope it comes together and I mean, hope.

Now, I can vividly remember thinking, at this stage,

there was not a hope in hell of them serving this meal on time,

which, amazingly, hardly ever happens.

How many have you got left to go? I don't know. I've lost the plot.

We've still got sugar cages to make, still got the mousse to make.

A lot of work to do, still.

We have an hour and five minutes to service.

OK, any second, I'm going to have to take one of you off these tuiles and start on the mousse

because we really do need to get this mousse under way.

I'll start you on the mousse, Brian. Yeah.Oh, no! I like doing mousse!

And I'll leave Janet on the tuiles. Oh, no!

What have I done to upset you, Tone?

You've not done anything to upset me. We're just not working fast enough.

Now, fold that in carefully.

I am worried because time is ticking away.

Into the fridge now.

You've got 15 to go.

15?

How many more do I need to do? Do three more trays to make sure.

That's it, that's the last one.

I feel like I'm in an operating theatre.

By this point, even though she'd finished the tuiles,

Janet had all but given up on the desserts.

And outside,

the guests were starting to arrive for the end of term formal dinner.

Tonight's quite a special occasion.

Our students have brought their parents with them.

It would be great if it could be a special, exciting meal,

something people will be talking about in weeks and months to come.

I have got high expectations of what the food's going to be like, yes.

Normally, on formal occasions,

the food is of a really high standard, so we'll see tonight.

I can never remember in this college that dinner was served late

and I certainly hope it won't happen tonight.

We're 50 minutes away from service. We're confident we're

going as fast as we can, without a shadow of a doubt.

Shane and Les had their heads down all night, but time was

against them and they still hadn't cooked their main ingredients.

HE COUNTS

Got a lot to do still. We might not... We're trying not to panic.

Last bit. We're going to get the pigeon in.

They're going to put the lettuce and the beetroot

and the pumpkin on the plates, that can go upstairs.

And then, when it's done, the roast pigeon will go upstairs as well

and the whole thing will be finished up top. So that's 33.

You've got to do that five times. Right.

When you're cooking for 150...

OK, Shane, we need to start doing the pigeon. Leave Les on the salad.

..organisation and timing is absolutely key.

We need to seal it off, six minutes in the oven.

We really need to move now, so we're running them.

Ah, there's a few birds in here.

I'm used to a few birds, you know what I mean?

I think this is 35 here. So, er...

It's not even a third of the way through.

We're up against it.

Right to the bottom. Right to the bottom. No, no, no.

On the things. Yeah, go on. On the things, they sit.

One. Only 149 to go!

Two. 148.

Three. 147.

They just couldn't work fast enough and at this point,

we were really worried the food was going to be very late.

I've got to pour it.

But if we were concerned about the starters,

the desserts were in chaos!

And Janet and Brian didn't quite get the sense of urgency.

Argh! Don't worry. Don't worry. That's all right, Tone.

That could be all right. No, it's no good.Why? Don't break it.

No good.What...?! No good.

Try again.

Tone?

How do you get it off? How did you do it?

I can't do this!

It's too impossible. Can I swap? I'd better carry on with this.

It's taking me a bit of time to get the hang of this.Brian won't swap.

I've been to art school. I've studied architecture.

This is what I do.

I don't want to do the sugar. I've got no sugar aptitude.

I'm so wanting to take over, but I've decided to be his handmaiden.

BRIAN LAUGHS

Because anything rather than do the sugar!

It's not an option. We have to have sugar baskets.

It's on the menu and we promised them, so it has to be ready.

BANGS GONG

The chefs that allow us

into their kitchens often have to contend with strong

personalities from our celebrities, who come from very different worlds.

But they have to stay firm, as they have their own standards

and reputations to preserve.

Is that the last pigeon?Yes, sir. Last pigeon, Chef.

These have got to go in. Top oven? Top one.

OK.Right, there we go. Right, let's go. Keep on going.

They're behind, but they're not that far behind. Ten minutes.

Bring them in in ten minutes and we're ready.

We're just carving the pigeon.

Shane, how long? They're a little bit under.A little bit under?

Little bit under.

Right, put them in this oven. What's happened?

Pigeon are still a bit under.

The what?The pigeon's still a bit under.How much longer? Five minutes.

We're over 100 now. 100 plates surveyed.

With the guests seated, we all had to help out.

At this point, the starters were due in the Great Hall,

but the salads weren't plated, the pigeons weren't carved,

so the chef had no choice but to delay service.

Ready? No, no. Ten minutes. Ten minutes?

For the...? Just give them ten minutes.Ten minutes.

I've delayed the dinner for ten minutes.

The first time we've been late.

Under pressure now.

Les, as soon as these are done... Yeah.

..upstairs, you need to get them into the lift.

Close the door.

Hey, guys, we're going to have to delay

the dinner for 15 minutes cos you're way behind.

Come on, mate! Let's go! Five minutes.Five minutes.

OK, so five minutes from now, yeah?

Go up and start serving.Go, Shane.

Up this way, let's go. So we can start to serve the wine? Give wine.OK.

Give extra wine, if you have to. Finally, 20 minutes late,

Shane and Les had all the elements in the service area.

All they had to do now was perfectly present all 150 plates.

One of you will put the pigeon on and one will dress the salad, yeah? OK.

OK, let's go.

Over the top, the...

We're moving!

Delicious!

Beautifully served.

Wood pigeon was very tender. A little bit pink for me.

The wood pigeon was lovely.

The meat was very tender, very soft, generally very tasty, very good job.

Can you do one right-handed, one left-handed, Les?

Er... Can you do one in each hand, like a gunslinger?

Go, Les! Go on, son! Go on!

I enjoyed my pigeon, so much that I actually stole the remaining

pigeon from my neighbour's plate. It was absolutely delicious.

Hey, mate. Give us a hug!

Well done, mate. And you.Good job, mate. Good job.

Plating 150 starters was tough,

but plating all the mains was incredibly demanding.

Speech will be here...Yeah. ..and you will be here.Oh, I see.

Ade and Speech had five different elements. Are you ready to go?

Roast rump of lamb, a chargrilled vegetable stack with spinach,

roast potatoes and red wine sauce. That's a lot!

Looking really good! All that hard work! Great food! Great food!

I'd be happy if I was out there.

I thought the lamb was delicious. I really enjoyed it.

Flavour combination worked well. Very enjoyable.

Those plates are hot, aren't they? Ow! Ow!

Almost there. Almost there. Well done!

What happened then? Mm?What happened then? I don't know.

I don't know, it's just mad. I kind of blacked out, it just happened.

Janet, Brian, the mains have gone.

Right. So, we're looking at 20 minutes now.

Despite all her moaning, when it came to plating, Janet got stuck in.

Start on the coulis now. Yeah. Take one off, finish it, back on.

10, 12, 14, 16, 18... Guys, you're doing really well.

That's looking really nice.

34, 35, 36...

150 tuile baskets, 150 sugar baskets, a mousse,

all the words that Janet would never normally use in her vocabulary,

unless there was swearing at me!

And very unlikely to reappear in my vocabulary again.

82, 84, 86, 88...

I'm struggling to retain my sanity.

OK, come on, we're on the home run now. 50, 150.

That's the last lot.

We can start to clear, yeah? Yes, please.

OK, thank you. Janet, Brian, go upstairs, start serving.

And you've got all the baskets to go up.

And you've got all the mint to go up.

I must have walked 500 miles today. Right, here we go.

We're waiting for the mint. We can't start without the mint.

Is it on there? Where's the mint?

Run it up the stairs, if necessary, just the mint, bring it up.

Why can't we just start without the mint?

So a few people don't have mint... No, no. No way.

We don't even know what... We've got 80-odd of these down there.

Just shut up.

Here we go. We're going.

One does the cage, one does the mint.

Come on, we've got to go, we've got to go quicker. Let's get them out.

This is fancy and I came to Cambridge to be fancy!

Wow!

I thought the dessert was awesome. It was absolutely delicious.

It was a crime to eat this, it's so pretty, but I can't stop myself.

The pudding was really good.

I especially liked the sugar on the top.

I'd love to know how the chefs did it.

Let's go.

The pudding was particularly delicious.

I liked the spun sugar on the top, the tuile basket, that was lovely.

Next one.

We're very close now.

Excellent, Brian. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Thank you, Janet.Thank you.

Excellent.The final course was a splendid end to the meal.

I am very impressed with what the chefs have achieved tonight.

I think this has been a great end to the evening. It really impressed me.

It looked fantastic. Really good. What did they say?

Well, they said it's the best part of the evening, the best meal.

The best bit of the meal? Yeah. Really? Yeah.

It was the best one, I think. So, it was best...Part of the meal? It was the best part of the meal?

Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Thank you.

Well, there you have it, John. The good, the bad... Oh! Oh!

..and the downright thrilling escapades of our celebrities

in the world of the professional kitchen.

All in the name of inspiring them on their journey...

..to cookery excellence.

Next time... Oh, my God! I'm falafeling! ..there's no I in team.

Just do as you're told. Or is there?

This isn't normal!

We take a look at 15 years of unlikely pairings...

It's a Pussycat Doll and an X Factor reject, hello!

..squabbling couples... I'm bowing to her superior knowledge.

Just cos I've been cooking curries all my life doesn't make me an expert.

..and complete breakdowns. It's just a bowl of slush!

And we go back in time, quite literally...

Ladies and gentlemen, lunch is at one.

..to one of the most entertaining team challenges

from the last 15 years. Let's do this, chaps!

Oh, my God! My custard! Could start crying!

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