An Aylesford chef got a grilling in the MasterChef kitchen when he made his debut in the popular BBC show last night.

Petrus Madutlela - who lives in Aylesford with wife Shirley and two young children - worked at The Hengist in Aylesford High Street at the time of filming.

The fine dining restaurant has been closed since the sudden death of owner Paul Smith in September and has been put up for auction.

Mr Madutlela, 31, is now a chef at The Vine in Pound Lane, Sevenoaks.

Originally from South Africa, he explained how winning the competition would inspire people in Africa.

He said: "It was hard to grow up in a township, but I got a job as a commis chef and I am happy here.

"Winning MasterChef would change my life forever and would inspire nations, especially my country.

"My philosophy is to wake up every morning with a smile on my face because you never know who you will meet. I want to charm the judges with my smile."

But he left the chef's table with a frown after Monica Galetti queried why he had inexplicably made two dishes for judging.

The cheerful chef created a watercress soup with a poached egg - but his chocolate panna cotta with chilli pickled strawberries was rejected by the judges, who had only asked for one dish.

They praised the seasoning of the soup, but suggested he focused his efforts on one more complex plate of food.

In the next six weeks, the 32 professional chefs will be pushed to the edge of their gastronomic limits in the hunt for the next culinary superstar.

Whitstable judge Gregg Wallace said he was excited about the sixth series of the show, which airs on BBC Two.

He said: "Every professional MasterChef competition throws up some amazing chefs. My mind boggles at the delights that I might get to taste!"