Former Masterchef finalist, Matt Healy, faces the heat of the kitchens again for a new TV series

Matt Healy was reunited with the show’s expert judge Marcus Wareing as he visited his restaurant, Matt Healy x The Foundry, in Holbeck to film a one-off special, MasterChef: The Professionals Rematch, which will air on Thursday on BBC2 at 8pm.

Mr Healy said: “It was so surreal to see Marcus walk through the doors. I have so much respect for him and I was really nervous to have him come all the way to Leeds to visit me at the restaurant.

“We had a good catch up and talked about my performance on the programme in 2016 and what I’ve been doing since.

“It wasn’t that long ago I was working in sales for a commercial kitchen company. Fast-forward a few years and I’ve been in the finals of MasterChef: The Professionals, launched MH x The Foundry, Gron café in Roundhay and now Marcus has come to visit me in my own restaurant.

“It’s been an incredible journey and a bit of a whirlwind. I’m so grateful for all the support I’ve had from friends, family, and fans of the show, not to mention the people of Leeds.”

MasterChef: The Professionals Rematch sees judges revisit finalists from previous years, and invite them back to the kitchen to prove how their food and skills have evolved.

Healy said: “Being back in the MasterChef kitchen for the second time was just as nerve-wracking as it was the first time.

“I’ve got even more to prove and I really wanted to show them how I’ve continued to progress. You’ll have to watch to see what happens.”

Over the past decade MasterChef: The Professionals has become one of most important culinary competitions in the country with hundreds of ambitious chefs putting their careers on the line to battle for the coveted title.

Along the way they have unearthed some special talent and in this one-off special they catch up with five finalists for whom taking part in MasterChef: The Professionals has had a career-changing impact.