MasterChef: The Professionals is making the move from BBC Two to BBC One.
The long-running show – which features Gregg Wallace, Marcus Wareing and Monica Galetti as judges – will debut on the channel with its 13th series this autumn.
It will join the original MasterChef show, which features amateur chefs, and its celebrity spin-off on the flagship TV channel.
The Professionals has been BBC Two’s highest-rating cookery series for the past three years.
Some 3.55 million viewers tuned in to see Stu Deeley raise the coveted trophy in the series 12 finale last December.
Charlotte Moore, director of BBC Content, suggested the move had been partly prompted by the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on the TV industry.
She said: “MasterChef is one of the channel’s biggest brands and following the impact of Covid on the production of original programming it feels like the time is right to move The Professionals to BBC One and find an even wider audience.”
BBC commissioning editor Carla-Maria Lawson said: “MasterChef: The Professionals has uncovered and nurtured some incredible culinary talent over the years whilst also reflecting changes in the way we eat out.
“It’s never been a more challenging time for these talented professionals and it’s exciting that they’ll be able to showcase their skills to the BBC One audience.”
The new series of The Professionals, featuring 18 hour-long episodes, is produced by Shine TV.
Shine TV’s executive producer for MasterChef, David Ambler, said: “This year’s MasterChef: The Professionals is a fantastic competition.
“Although it has been filmed in very difficult times for the hospitality industry, the series has uncovered some really exciting culinary talent which the MasterChef judges are delighted to share with the BBC One audience.”
