Episode 19

It's semi-finals time, and with just eight contestants remaining, the heat is rising. Everyone has their sights set on reaching finals week, but to get there, they will need a steady hand, as they face some of their biggest culinary adventures yet.

Glorious Chawton House in Hampshire is the setting for the challenge in this episode. Once owned by Jane Austen's brother, this stunning abode is the location for a special lunch to celebrate the literary giant's birth 250 years ago. Working in two teams of four, the contestants must cook up a lunchtime feast that both suits the occasion and is worthy of a guest list that includes house staff and volunteers, members of the Jane Austen Society and Jane Austen's fifth great-niece! This illustrious crowd, of no less than 80, are hoping for a lunch to remember. Catering for such huge numbers is tough in itself, but the importance of the event just piles on the pressure.

The teams need to devise and cook their own three-course menu whilst also getting used to the unfamiliar al fresco kitchens located in the Chawton House gardens. Working together is the only option for success, as any weak links could send lunch service into free fall.

If that's not enough, the eight amateurs then head back to the MasterChef kitchen for one more challenge. Working alone this time, they need to cook a plate of food that incorporates layers or swirls, adding texture, colour, beauty and opulence. This should be a feast for the eyes as well as the palate. They have one hour and 45 minutes to deliver a dish that shows progress as well as wondrous levels of creativity.

The two cooks who are outperformed on the day must head home, leaving the strongest six still in with a shot at becoming MasterChef Champion 2025.