The BBC's Great British Menu has announced a major change for season 20.
It was revealed on Friday (November 8) that the cooking competition will be returning in 2025 with a refreshed judging line-up.
Head judge Tom Kerridge and Taskmaster's Ed Gamble will be joined on the panel by Great British Menu winner and Cail Bruich's chef director Lorna McNee.
McNee will be replacing Nisha Katona, who is confirmed to be departing Great British Menu after three years as a judge.
"I absolutely loved the time I was lucky enough to spend on Great British Menu," Katona said. "It is with the heaviest of hearts that I pass on this most delicious of batons. I will miss my wonderful brother judges and the fantastic crew terribly. I loved every moment I was fortunate enough to spend with them."
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McNee expressed excitement for this new judge role: "Winning Great British Menu back in 2018 made a huge difference to my career as a chef and was partly behind me becoming Chef Director at Cail Bruich, so I know just how much the competition means to Britain’s chefs.
"Being invited to join the judges this year was a total surprise but a delight and I’m loving the chance to help choose this year’s banquet finalists. Tom, Ed and Andi have made me feel very welcome, and I’m also meeting some amazing guest judges every week – each of whom has been invited to help us choose the dishes representing their areas to go with this year’s theme of UK Heroes."
The new season will include Andi Oliver returning as the main presenter for a "UK Heroes"/"Great Britons" theme, where contestants will honour iconic dishes — both ancient and modern — from their distinct regions.
"It is an honour and continues to be a huge privilege to mentor Britain’s top chefs through the process of competing on Great British Menu, and it's incredible to think the series is now in its 20th year," Andi said.
"The competition strives to provide a platform for new chef talent from all over Britain, and we hope to do so for many years to come. In fact, this year, it’s great to see a former winner of our competition, Scotland’s formidable Lorna McNee, join us as a judge. Audiences are in for a treat! The chefs have come up with incredible ideas on this year’s theme. It’s so exciting to see how many of them have come up with unsung local heroes for us to celebrate."
Head judge Tom Kerridge said he is "very pleased" to be welcoming back one of Great British Menu's most iconic contestants in this new position.
"Her experience and wealth of knowledge will bring huge gravitas to judging day, and no doubt give the competing chefs another butterfly in their stomach," Tom added.
Great British Menu returns for its landmark 20th season on BBC Two and the BBC iPlayer in 2025.
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Justin is a freelance entertainment journalist and writer. He first joined Digital Spy as a freelance entertainment reporter in 2010 and also worked as a sub-editor for the brand, serving as Night News Editor from 2016 to 2024. Over more than a decade, Justin has covered numerous major entertainment events from the US and has interviewed a wide-ranging group of public figures, from comedian Steve Coogan to icons from the Star Trek universe, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reality stars from numerous Real Housewives cities and the Below Deck franchise. Justin has also been on the ground to cover major pop culture events like the Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo. He's written for titles across the Hearst network, plus the likes of CBR and Us Weekly.
