Aldo Ortado

The amateur cooks have one hour to recreate their signature dishes for the judges' first auditions, as the judges and nine past winners offer their support.

The top 24 try to stand the heat in the kitchen, with 90 minutes and an open pantry to cook their dishes and impress the judges, focusing on hospitality.

Nigella's pressure test for the chefs is a chocolate feast, with 75 minutes to recreate four of her chocolate desserts, including a ruby chocolate cheesecake.

Chefs are teamed-up to cook at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, creating nutritious three-course meals for guests. But there are stumbles and struggles along the way.

The contestants split into two teams of 10 to take over two cafés and face off in a battle of brunches, where they race to serve real customers.

Guest judge Darren Purchese oversees the day's pressure test, where contestants are asked to recreate Darren's peach melba.