Fern Britton hosts this competitive cooking show, held in what creator Gordon Ramsay dubbed a "Thunderdome-style arena", where nine amateur chefs must sharpen their knives, tie their aprons, and battle it out alongside a rotating roster of famous chefs who demonstrate the week's challenges. The competitors test their nerves and abilities in three challenges, with three of the weakest being sent home after every round. The first battle is a five-minute knife test, where they are judged for their speed, consistency and quantity. The second battle tests preparation and precision involving a specially-chosen ingredient, and the three survivors must perform a cook-off using the ingredient they just successfully prepped in the previous battle, all in hope of winning a cash prize and the title of `Culinary Genius'.