THE televised search is on for a new chef to take the helm at a luxury Lake District hotel - with the added help of a celebrity expert.

Alex Polizzi, better known to some as The Hotel Inspector of Channel 5 fame, is back on our screens, this time putting would-be chefs on trial in an attempt to find the perfect person to better the restaurant at a Windermere hotel.

The BBC Two series has so far this week put the nine hopefuls through their paces in a rigorous interview process to become executive head chef at Gilpin Hotel and Lake House.

After a summer relying on agency chefs, the hotel was in desperate need of filling the vacancy.

And with only one show to go until the successful candidate is announced, the pressure is on for the three finalists to step up to the mark.

Alex Polizzi said: “The Gilpin Hotel and Lake House is an exclusive country house hotel in the glorious surroundings of the Lake District.

"It is a close knit family affair, built up by John and Christine Cunliffe over a quarter of a century, and has won many an award for its excellent rooms and food.

"Son and managing director Barney Cunliffe needs an executive head chef without an ego, who can elevate the fine dining at the restaurant and help it to gain a Michelin Star.”

In the heats on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, the Gilpin team put the interviewees to the test with a technical skills challenge, a gruelling one to one with the family and a close inspection of their chosen signature dish.

Speaking about their TV experience, the Cunliffe family said: "Working alongside Alex Polizzi was an absolute pleasure and we were extremely proud to be approached to take part in this series.

"Finding the right blend of culinary talent and business acumen for our restaurant has been a delicate balancing act and Alex’s expertise has helped add a special dimension to what has been a unique - and very exciting - interview process."

The last episode of Alex Polizzi: Chefs on Trial in the Gilpin round concludes tonight at 8pm on BBC Two.