Masterchef: The Professionals – In second place is the food and cooking

Masterchef: The Professionals and Celebrity Masterchef are great television and I always become addicted to them both, but for different reasons. The Celebrity version of the show is always dominated – as I guess most celebrity shows are, by some element of favouritism that takes place from my sofa. I inevitably pick a favourite.

The Professionals show is therefore already in a better position. I’m less inclined to pick a favourite for no apparent reason. So it should be more about the food, but is it?

The answer is no. The main reason that I prefer the professionals show is due to the presenters. I think that Gregg Wallace, Monica Galetti and Michel Roux Jr are brilliant and very entertaining to watch. I know that Gregg also does the other Masterchef shows, but in truth I find him slightly less entertaining when paired with John Torade.

Monica’s oversight and decision making in the early rounds is value entertainment. I sit at home not having the slightest idea how to properly prepare whatever it is that she has presented to the professional chefs, and then I take some element of joy (I know I shouldn’t) in watching them panic, under-perform  and the whole time shake as Monica grimaces in the background.

Gregg exudes a passion for food and this series has started to use greggisms that have made me laugh. On Thursday he introduced; “a greggy plate” of food – brilliant! It is also great to have him taste, observe, comment and criticise next to Monica and Michel as he really does give the honest “punters” opinion. For example, I was delighted when he stood up for Perry’s desert on Monday’s show that was made of up of a variety of strawberries and cream and edible paper bag!

Michel Roux Jr is also excellent. Not only does he come across as immensely likeable – unlike many other chefs on cooking competitions, but I also get amused when he’s milling around the chef’s looking in the pots and pans, smelling things, and then asking them if they’re sure things are going to set or be ready on time. It has to be extremely off putting for the chef, but maybe that’s why he does it – yet another test for how the chef performs when under pressure.

For me, a large part of why I watch the show week in week out is to watch Monica, Gregg and Michel. If I didn’t like them, then I probably wouldn't tune in. The food alone, while clearly at a very high standard would not have the sufficient draw. Let’s face it there are a lot of other cooking programmes out there to choose from.

On a final note I don’t know if it’s just me, but if you were going to cook for Michel and Gregg would you not choose a classic main, potentially lamb that’s only just stopped breathing as you serve it to Michel Roux Jr (some of the food he has eaten on Masterchef has at times looked like it could still be moving if put back in a field), and for desert a kind of diabetic’s nightmare –  chocolate, with additional chocolate and with a side of chocolate to appease Gregg’s sweet tooth? A note of caution in the desert though, it can’t be too rich!