Trowbridge chef John Simpson-Clements is out of MasterChef: The Professionals. He was sent home last night – but not before the judges told him 'keep doing what you’re doing, you’re going to be a great chef'.

Although judge Gregg Wallace raved about John’s dish of mushrooms with chicken flavours, other judges at the last of the semi-finals did not agree.

“With the chicken flavours throughout the dish, I thought it was wonderful,” said Wallace.

But Marcus Wareing disagreed.

“I don’t think he hit the nail on the head,” he said, “I thought he needed more of a chicken sauce to bind the whole thing together. And at the pop-up restaurant his dish was the weakest one.”

After John heard his name added to the dreaded phrase “and the chef leaving the competition is….” he was sent on his way with encouragement from superchef Wareing.

He said: “John, we have thoroughly enjoyed your development, do not stop studying that lovely style that you are finding, you are going to be great.”

John, who works at The Elder Restaurant in Bath, was disappointed to be out of the running but vowed to cook on.

He said: “I’m really proud of what I’ve achieved, but I’m upset not to be going forward. It’s been an amazing experience, I’ve learnt so much. I’ve come on in leaps and bounds as a cook, I’m really going to keep pushing in the direction I’m going in, this has really cemented that.”