A TEN-YEAR-OLD with a passion for cooking is to appear in popular, nail-biting television contest to find the nation’s best young cooks.

Amelie Hunter, from East Harlsey, near Northallerton, North Yorkshire, is to appear in Junior MasterChef on CBBC this Monday (November 10).

The series is based on the hugely successful MasterChef series and will feature judge John Torode.

Amelie beat thousands of applicants to win one of 24 places in the show and on Monday will be competing against three other young chefs to win a place in the semi-final.

The Ingleby Arncliffe CE Primary School student began helping her parents in their kitchen at home from the age of six and often makes dinner for her family.

She said her first test in the contest involved making a burger and burger bun from different trays of ingredients. The contestants were then asked to make two of their own favourite dishes.

“I made two different types of ravioli and then chocolate fondant. I like making ravioli, that’s one of my favourite dishes,” said Amelie.

“The most nerve-wracking thing was waiting in the holding room, but I wasn’t that nervous when we started cooking.”

Her father, Richard Hunter, added: “She’s always enjoyed cooking. It gives her a chance to get in the kitchen and do something creative and it’s always a treat for us as well when she cooks.”

Junior MasterChef starts Monday at 4.30pm on CBBC.