Saturday Kitchen star Matt Tebbutt joins Marcus Wareing and Monica Galetti as new judge on MasterChef The Professionals series 18
MasterChef has made its comeback with a fresh series of spin-off The Professionals, and audiences have shared their thoughts on the latest judge.
The much-loved culinary contest kicked off its 18th season this evening (Tuesday 10 February) with a recognisable BBC personality taking charge.
Saturday Kitchen host Matt Tebbutt has teamed up with cooking icon Marcus Wareing and celebrated chef Monica Galetti in the kitchen, much to fans’ delight.
Matt has taken over following John Torode and Gregg Wallace’s departures from the programme after a BBC controversy last year.
MasterChef faced turmoil following accusations against Wallace, who was dismissed after 45 of 83 complaints were substantiated against him, whilst Torode has also been axed by the BBC after he was alleged to have used “an extremely offensive racist term”, reports Wales Online.
In a public statement, Torode said he had “no recollection” of the allegation, and that the most recent series of Celebrity MasterChef would be his final appearance, as it was pre-recorded alongside Grace Dent, who is amongst the new presenters of the civilian version of MasterChef.
Launching tonight’s programme, Marcus announced: “Good to see you both, new competition, new kitchen and we have a new judge, welcome Matt!”
The Saturday Kitchen presenter responded: “Thank you very much, great to be here, great to be a part of the MasterChef family.”
He continued: “I’d like to see myself as the nice guy of the outfit, I’ve run kitchens before, run my own, I know the pressure that these guys are under.”
Marcus cautioned: “Strap yourself in Matt, this is going to be a journey.”
Viewers have already expressed their approval of his judging debut, with one commenting: “I think Matt Tebbutt will fit in nicely, he’s popular with viewers and he knows his craft.”
“Like Matt tbf think he’ll be good for this show,” another chimed in.
“Matt Tebbutt is a great addition to the kitchen,” praised another fan.
Another enthused: “Professional Masterchef is back and Matt is off and running! Excellent!”
The return of the show was also celebrated, with one viewer exclaiming: “It’s finally back!” while another echoed: “Masterchef The Professionals is back! Great telly.”
Ahead of the premiere, Matt shared his excitement: “I’m walking through the MasterChef doors for the first time myself and I cannot wait to see the cooking talent this year’s chefs are bringing into the kitchen.
“I want to be wowed from the off, but it will take some serious work to get through the competition that awaits them.”
When quizzed about his experience filming the series, he revealed: “It’s been a joy. I’ve loved every minute and these two next to me have been so supportive. I’ve become so invested in the chefs and their progress and how they’ve changed throughout the series.”
When asked what he would take away from the series, he continued: “”The thing that stood out for me was just how invested these chefs are and how much work goes into it for them outside of filming.
“The chefs have got their family life, they’ve got their restaurant, or whatever their business is, so they’re dealing with that as well throughout.
“They’ve got to go away and practice their dishes and their skills on top of everything else. And then they have to come back and, you know, produce the goods in front of the three of us, or the critics and then some, once they progress.
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“Their commitment was clear and it was also clear to see how much they changed from week one to week seven – the progression was enormous. Their commitment was clear and it was also clear to see how much they changed from week one to week seven – the progression was, was enormous.
“You could easily think of MasterChef that, yes, it’s just a TV show. But for these chefs, it’s so much more than that. There’s a lot at stake. And they take it very, very seriously. And it’s really good to see!”
MasterChef: The Professionals continues on Wednesday at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer.