Oldham-born MasterChef winner returned to the show this week.
Simon Wood won the BBC cooking competition back in 2015 and has since appeared on the show as a guest judge.
This time around, he was judging in the final week of heats alongside fellow former contestants, 2018 semi-finalist Nisha Parmar and 2015 finalist Tony Rodd.
In the episode, which is available to stream now, six new contestants were whittled down to four, who were then tasked with cooking two courses for the three guest judges and the show’s hosts, critic Grace Dent and chef Anna Haugh.
Wood shared the news of his guest appearance on his social media pages. He said: “MasterChef is back and so am I, with these two lovely guest judges!
“What a day we had, watching Anna Haugh and Grace Dent expertly overseeing the heat of the kitchen!
“It’s going to be a great watch… see you on BBC1 and BBC iPlayer.”
Ahead of tasting the dishes, Wood spoke of the high expectations he had of the contestants.
He said: “This is a big round. Anyone who gets through this round has a really good chance of progressing
“My expectations – they’re up there, and theirs should be as well because they’ve got to deliver today.”
The first three contestants failed to fully impress Wood and the other judges.
Describing one contestant’s smoked haddock risotto, he said: “It’s ok, I won’t remember it tomorrow.”
He said that the same contestant’s pea puree “hadn’t seen a salt and pepper pot” and another contestant’s disastrous deep-fried egg yolk was “blinded by vision”.
However, there was one stand-out dish from the final contestant, a roasted butternut squash pappardelle, which he said was “absolutely outstanding”.
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Wood has made a name for himself in the culinary world since appearing on the popular cooking series in 2015.
After his victory, he went on to become executive chef at Oldham Athletic’s Boundary Park before opening his own Manchester restaurant WOOD in 2017 to popular and critical success.
Wood announced the restaurant’s unexpected closure in 2024, citing rising running costs and has spoken openly about the challenges facing the hospitality industry.
Since the closure of WOOD, the acclaimed restaurateur has been offering his services for private events, masterclasses and dining experiences.
More information can be found on Simon Wood’s Facebook page.
MasterChef is currently showing on BBC One and iPlayer.
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