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Saturday Kitchen's Matt Tebbutt has said filming has been "a joy" since he joined the judging panel on MasterChef: The Professionals.

The star has teamed up with culinary icon Marcus Wareing and chef Monica Galetti for the upcoming series of the BBC cooking competition, which commences on Tuesday (February 10).

He is replacing Gregg Wallace, who left the show last year, according to the Mirror.

When asked about his filming experience thus far, Matt said: "It's been a joy. I've loved every minute, and these two next to me have been so supportive. I've become so invested in the chefs and their progress and how they've changed throughout the series."

On the topic of the unexpected aspects of judging, Matt confessed: "There were elements I found very emotional, which I was quite surprised at."

He continued: "Again, it goes along the same lines of becoming invested in these chefs, and then hearing their stories and how much they've got riding on it.

"That was the most surprising thing for me and really resonated beyond just delivering a dish. There's so much more to it."

"It feels like a new era in a way," said Marcus, noting that it was a new studio, as the show has moved from London to Birmingham, as well as a new judge.

Over the next seven weeks, the series will see 32 of the country's most aspiring chefs vying to be crowned the next champion of the show.

This year, the chefs are confronted with a new challenge at the start of the heats, as the notorious skills test is set by former MasterChef: The Professionals champions and finalists. The trio of judges will be accompanied in the tests by 2016 winner Gary Maclean, 2020 finalist and cookbook author Philli Armitage-Mattin, Nikita Pathakji, who claimed the trophy in 2022, and 2018 finalist and cookbook author Matthew Ryle.

In the quarter finals, esteemed food critics, writers, and restaurateurs return to sample two courses from each of the four professionals. Challenges throughout the series will include creating a No Waste Dish - a meal that utilises every part of the chef's selected ingredient - and some Thai cooking.

Last year, an investigation into alleged misconduct upheld 45 out of 83 accusations against Wallace, with the majority concerning inappropriate language and humour.

Wallace issued an apology at the time, saying he was "deeply sorry for any distress caused" and had "never set out to harm or humiliate".

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MasterChef: The Professionals is set to return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer for its 18th series on February 10.