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MasterChef viewers were left distinctly underwhelmed by the latest heat on the BBC programme, with one fan branding it the "worst" ever.

The much-loved television staple has returned for its 22nd series, with acclaimed chef Anna Haugh and restaurant critic Grace Dent stepping in to replace Gregg Wallace and John Torode as judges.

The duo will put 48 of the nation's finest amateur cooks through their paces with a variety of challenges, yet fans were far from impressed by the hopefuls who competed in the heat broadcast on Wednesday, reports the Mirror.

The contestants were set the task of preparing chicken with a creamy mash and green beans. However, one competitor served up raw chicken, while hopeful Luca produced a watery mound of potato, which he himself conceded was an "unforgivable" error.

"I've never seen anybody pour potatoes onto a plate like custard before," Grace told him.

Contestant Amy then left the judges baffled with her peculiar flavour pairings, inlcuding salmon in passion fruit sauce alongside a parsnip purée. Yet another cook neglected to include the biscuit in her dessert.

A number of viewers took to social media to share their thoughts on the episode, with one posting on X: "For the first rounds of MasterChef, I'm now convinced they get a couple of home cooks and a couple of extras from casting."

"All of them could be sent home," another user wrote on the platform, formerly known as Twitter. A third added: "WTF is there a tick box on the application form. I have absolutely no cooking skills whatsoever."

"Has to be the worst heat of MasterChef I have ever seen," said another viewer.

Somebody else remarked: "Don't think any of these contestants will go far in this competition."

"How could they get something so simple so wrong?" asked another baffled viewer, as one fan admitted they were "not sure that I'm enjoying".

"Nahh these cooks today are making me feel I could go on there," quipped one person.

Anna and Grace stepped in as judges following the departure of Gregg and John from the long-running series.

Gregg was dropped from the show last year, after an investigation into alleged misconduct upheld 45 out of 83 accusations against him, with the majority concerning inappropriate language and humour.

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

Torode didn't have his contract renewed with Banijay UK - which makes MasterChef - following an allegation that he used a racist term.

A BBC spokesperson confirmed that Torode denied the allegation, stating: "He has no recollection of the alleged incident and does not believe that it happened. He also says that any racial language is wholly unacceptable in any environment."

MasterChef airs on BBC One.