‘Don't forget it's food!'

John Torode and Gregg Wallace tell us why their taste buds alone will determine the 2020 champion…

- ELAINE REILLY

After seven gruelling weeks of tricky tasks and gastronomic gaffes, it’s crunch time! Over three consecutive evenings this week, the four remaining MasterChef hopefuls will be battling it out in the coveted Finals week, all hoping to become the 2020 champion.

For starters, on Wednesday, the quartet will head to the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius where, in pairs, they’ll be tasked with cooking two traditional street-food dishes for local fishermen. After that, they must prove their mettle at a top hotel during a busy lunch service, before creating a dinner for their Mauritian mentors.

Here, in an exclusive interview with TV Times, judges John Torode, 54, and Gregg Wallace, 55, spill the beans on what we can expect…

Tell us about the challenges in the final three episodes?

JOHN: Going to Mauritius is fantastic. It’s a big introduction to a cuisine and ingredients that contestants have never seen before. We start with street food and it’s a good challenge because the dishes look simple, but are difficult to get right. The locals will say if they’re rubbish!