MasterChef The Professionals 2023: Award-winning Leeds chef wows judges to book quarter-final spot on BBC series

Halton-born entrepreneur Molly Payne is starring in the BBC One show, which hunts for the next superstar chef. Molly is the founder of fine-dining private chef service byMölly, which she runs with her partner Charlotte Drew.

She wowed the judges with her take on ‘sous vide lamb loin, wrapped in wild garlic and parma ham’ with celebrity chef Marcus Wareing describing the lamb as “beautifully cooked and perfectly pink.”

After booking her spot in the quarter-finals, Molly said: “I don’t think it’s sunk in. I can’t stop my voice from going. I’m over the moon, I’m chuffed and I’m happy.”

Molly's culinary journey began at French restaurant Kendell's Bistro, where she soon worked her way up to head chef and was the first woman to win Chef of the Year at the Oliver Awards in 2017.

The series is judged by Monica Galetti, Marcus Wareing and Gregg Wallace.