Finals Starter

It is finals week and 24 of the nation's finest chefs have been whittled down to just eight. Over the course of four hour-long shows they will battle it out in the kitchen for the chance to get a dish to the Comic Relief Banquet.

The brief called for the chefs to bring out their funny sides. Their food not only had to be gastronomic, but a performance on a plate, witty and fun. Their prize: to get a dish on the menu at a special banquet at the Royal Albert Hall celebrating 25 years of Comic Relief's Red Nose Day.

The charity has raised more than 800 million pounds, changing the lives of people in both Africa and the UK through the power of entertainment.

Actress Patricia Hodge, one of the stars of sitcom Miranda, joins judges Prue Leith, Oliver Peyton and Matthew Fort to taste all eight winning regional starter courses. But before the chefs begin cooking they are called into the judging chamber to hear about a new twist in the competition which may affect which three starters are left in contention for the banquet.