On to the main course, the chefs both had something to prove. Richard hoped to impress judges with his “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” dish, using a traditional technique of steaming guinea fowl breast inside a beef bladder, dyed to look like a giant comedy red egg. The effect work: laughs from the judges and compliments on the cooking, too. ”This is such a good balance of flavours, and you can taste them all,” said Prue. ”Often you see food which is challenging but with this you just feel happy eating it,” said Oliver. And all the judges agreed that the idea of popping a giant beef bladder egg inside Royal Albert Hall is uproariously funny.

Daniel’s “Tongue in cheek” - ox tongue with horseradish and potato puree, onion rings, spinach, red wine and port sauce and bulls head mushroom tart - saw some contention amongst the judges. ”That is a beautiful piece of cheek - this is what I’d call chic cheek,” said Matthew. But Prue wasn’t as impressed: ”I’d be happy to eat this for Sunday lunch, but not at a Comic Relief banquet.”

For dessert, Richard took a less comic approach with his “Time to reflect” dish paying tribute to Comic Relief’s support of Fairtrade. The dish - creme fraiche sorbet, pulled pink sugar, coffee jelly, popping chocolate, and other various elements using Fairtrade ingredients - inspired “wows” at the presentation, but the plaudits dwindled as they ate the course. ”It tastes good, but why is it called ‘time to reflect’?” asked Jim, “it sounds like something you’d get served at a hospice.” ”The whole thing’s a mess,” said Oliver. ”There’s an amazing variety of flavours and textures,” said Prue, “some are truly horrible, and some are delicious.”

Daniel’s “Going out with a bang” pineapple and coconut dish included pineapple done five ways and a balloon filled with pineapple essence. The balloon popping certainly saw a few smiles, but the dish itself wasn’t a massive hit. ”There’s stuff everywhere,” said Oliver, who did not approve of the “deconstructed cheesecake concept”: ”Deconstructing should go the way of smearage - it should never be seen again.”

With tension high and their friendship on the line, it was with great relief when the judges announced Daniel the winner… again…making that three years in a row that Daniel’s been through to the finals. We’re thrilled for Daniel, but you can’t help feel a tug on the ol’ heartstrings for poor Richard, who shed a few tears back in the kitchen when all was said and done. But from the judges talk, he may have been doomed from the beginning with his starter: “That banana split was frightening,” said Jim. Better luck next year, Richard.