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Celebrity MasterChef judgeJohn Torode was left holding his head after being forced to intervene following a major error by Ashley Cain.

During Thursday's (December 4) instalment of the BBC programme, Ashley secured his place in the semi-final stage of the contest.

In the third and final heat, the reality television personality went head-to-head with rugby legend Alun Wyn Jones, vocalist Alfie Boe and comedian Noreen Khan as they fought for a spot in the final.

The celebrities faced their first paired challenge, with judges Grace Dent and John Torode assigning each partnership a recipe. They were required to make two matching servings of their designated dish, with only one team member having access to the recipe.

Initially, it looked promising as Ashley, who was partnered with Alun as they impressed the judges with his refined palate and strong collaborative skills, reports Wales Online.

Yet disaster struck for Ashley in the individual round as he committed a significant mistake whilst preparing a two-course menu for guest judges and previous contestants Craig Doyle, Amy Walsh and Kadeena Cox.

His main course consisted of teriyaki salmon accompanied by noodles and pak choi. With time running out, Grace observed: "Ashley you've got four minutes now."

Ashley dashed to the oven only to find he'd placed his fish in the wrong appliance - one that wasn't switched on, leaving it completely raw.

A stunned John rushed over and questioned: "You put it in the wrong one?" Ashley confessed: "I didn't know there was two."

John was forced to intervene, instructing: "OK, I'll tell you what we are going to have to do. Get the wok on and we're going to pan-fry it quickly Ashley."

Frantically moving around the kitchen, he added: "OK, quickly, quickly. We've got to do this. This is going to take you about four minutes. You're going to be about to minutes over."

The pressure became too much for John as he buried his face in his hands, prompting co-host Grace to ask: "What have you done to John?"

A distraught Ashley turned to the judge and apologised: "I'm so sorry John." In an attempt to rally Ashley, John urged: "Come on Ashley, you've done harder things."

Despite the setback, Ashley completed his dish within the time limit and presented it to the judges with care. His determination appeared to impress as he secured his place in the final.

You can catch up on Celebrity MasterChef on BBC iPlayer