Junior Masterchef

Image: Guest judge chef Michel Roux Jr, Jenna Tinson and host Loyd Grossman. Jenna Tinson went on to win the overall title of Junior Masterchef 1995.

Junior Masterchef debuted on 14 August 1994. The cooking contest was a spin-off from grown up Masterchef, aiming to find the best cook in the country aged between 10 and 15. Both shows were presented by drawling New Englander Loyd Grossman, aided by a different chef and celebrity each week. In the first programme Gary Rhodes and Ulrika Jonsson were on hand to help with the judging. After 13 weeks of regional heats and semi-finals, the outright winner of the first series was Camilla Askaroff.

The 2010 season of Junior Masterchef brought a revamp that aimed it more squarely at younger viewers, moving from Sunday to Monday afternoons and airing on CBBC. John Torode and Nadia Sawalha were introduced as presenters, though Donal Skehan replaced Sawalha the following year. Torode and Skehan got more involved demonstrating the dishes. Junior Masterchef carved a place for itself among the many cookery programmes on television, being of especial interest to children.

The Junior Masterchef format has had wide success around the world, although the CBBC programme finished in 2014. The U.S. version in particular – fronted by Gordon Ramsay – is an enduring success. The original Masterchef continues to thrive on the BBC, with Celebrity and Professional variations adding to its variety.