A golf pro from Bearsted has gone through to the next round of BBC's MasterChef.

Father-of-two James, 38, impressed judges Greg Wallace and John Torode with his home-cooking.

The audition dish saw him open up with "dainty yet skilful" dish of roasted bay leaf scallop with shallot puree, crispy shallot rings, black pudding croquettes and apple caramel.

The judges described the meal as a classic, though Greg criticised the scallops for not having enough colour.

James did not get selected to go though in first round of qualifiers, which saw three contestants through to the next round of the contest.

It meant the golfer had to return and make another dish to secure his place or risk going home.

With six contestants left, the pressure was on as James whisked up a sticky toffee pudding in a last bid effort to impress the judges.

The judges loved his dessert, with a Somerset apple cider brandy sauce and vanilla ice cream.

John said: "Your toffee sauce I love, it's dark, it's rich," while Greg praised its warmth and texture.

James later explained he was tired, emotional and drained after the experience, but that he owed his cool head to playing in golf tournaments over the years.

Now he and five others will battle it out for a place in the quarter finals.

The show, which has been on our screens for more than 15 years, uncovers Britain's best food talents.

Some 45 home cooks from across the UK will showcase their skills in a bid to impress judges, Gregg and John.

For the first time since 2005, the chefs will not be watched as they make their signature dish.

Gregg and John will pick their three favourite dishes tasted blind, giving those cooks a MasterChef apron and a breather from cooking in the next round.

The remaining six contestants will get another chance to impress the judges by cooking another offering.

This time, John and Gregg will be in the kitchen witnessing their every move.

The semi-finalists will go on to cook for 20 returning MasterChef contestants.

The final three will get to take on a chef’s table challenge at the Michelin starred Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in London.

You can catch all the action on BBC One and iPlayer.