MasterChef viewers disgusted as they issue major complaint over scene on BBC show

Viewers were left unimpressed after spotting an "unhygienic" moment on MasterChef. The BBC culinary contest returned earlier this month and the latest episode saw five contestants compete for a spot in this week’s quarter-final.

The episode, which aired last night, began with the Basic to Brilliant challenge. Explaining the task to the hopefuls, host John Torode, who, like his co-host Gregg Wallace, has left MasterChef since filming the new series, said: "Taking an ingredient from the everyday and the ordinary and making it brilliant."

Among the contestants in the heat was Gabi from London. She aimed to impress with her mushroom and ricotta-filled tortelli dish, which was accompanied by a mushroom consommé and mushroom tuile.

However, as the camera panned to the 30-year-old preparing her dish, viewers noticed that Gabi's sleeves were low. The contestant's sleeves were seen dragging through the flour of her pasta dish on the worktop in the show's kitchen.

Fans of MasterChef were quick to take to X with their complaints. One fan said: "Good grief, get rid of those flappy sleeves. Unhygienic." Another wrote: "Why does hygiene get thrown out of the window? That woman's sleeves in the pasta."

A third viewer questioned on the platform: "Why are you wearing baggy long sleeves while cooking?" While a fourth chimed in: "Totally agree, thought the same." Another viewer exclaimed: "Filthy sleeves in the mix! Yuck."

The judges of the show were much kinder to Gabi. John and Gregg showered her with praise as she explained how the dish was inspired by her Lithuanian uprbringing. John said: "I take my hat off to you, the talent here, pasta, filling, tuile. The tuile looks amazing, there nothing else but mushroom here?"

Gregg complimented Gabi's "very well-made pasta" and remarked "you've managed to get mushrooms through that as well." He added: "Your filling is creamy, but perhaps an inclusion of a herb like tarragon may have given it another dimension."

Giving his concluding statements, John said: "Your consommé is lovely and clear. There's a smoky mushroom flavour going through the whole thing, and then you've got a woody mushroom through your tuile with the saltiness from feta cheese. You got a huge amount done. It's good."

Gabi was unable to bag an apron for this dish though. She however found her footing in the second round of the competition and went on to secure her place in the quarter finals of the show with a pan-fried poussin breast which she served with a pomme puree, honey-roasted carrots, and a creamy white wine sauce.

MasterChef viewers have also pointed out a series of noticeable editing inconsistencies. The BBC has appeared to try to reduce Gregg's appearance through the series.

MasterChef continues on BBC One and BBC iPlayer tonight from 8.30pm.

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