A contestant from north Herts appearing on BBC hit show MasterChef:The Professionals caused a stir on Tuesday night after winning through to the next round of the competition watched by millions.

Philli Armitage-Mattin wowed the judges with her blend of sophisticated cooking and flavours to ease into the next stage of the hit-rated show.

The 28-year-old who grew up in Welwyn Garden City and studied at St. Francis' College in Letchworth, near Hitchin, is already in the process of becoming a household name as she progresses during the six week run of the 13th season of the renowned BBC programme.

The show features acclaimed restaurant owner and formidable chef Monica Galletti and chef, author and restauranteur Marcus Wareing run the rule over contestants aiming to lift the coveted title.

Set a series of culinary skills tests under the watchful eye of presenter Greg Wallace, Philly excelled in a pressure cooker environment.

Tweeting afterwards, Philli, who had the words, 'taste, no waste, smile' written on her arm in biro when working in the kitchen during the show, said: "Never been so happy in all my life. That feeling was unreal!"

She also added: "Hearing Marcus Wareing say: 'You've got technique, you've got skill', was absolutely incredible. Thanks chef."

Chart Philli's progress by following her on Instagram account @CheffPhilli where today, Wednesday, she will be showing people how to make a dish that she cooked on the BBC show in a 'Cook-Along Live'.