Today's TV: County Durham man joins MasterChef line up

IN recent years, the number of Brits renting out their spare space has almost doubled. Research shows that the quirkier and more outdoorsy the better; Brits are tired of budget chain inns and dated B&B’s, and are now looking for an experience for their next weekend away. In this new series, carpenter and master tree-house designer Simon Parfett and his team help families, couples and retirees cash in on their untapped, income-generating potential by creating their own unique B&B. They begin by heading to the picturesque Wye Valley to help George and Al transform their battered old family camper van.

Unforgotten ITV

Unforgotten (ITV, 9pm)

Without the rest of the victim’s body, Cassie, Sunny and the team are unable to establish cause of death, while Andrews isn’t convinced that the police probationers were involved. Boulting has tracked down Walsh’s next of kin – his estranged son Jerome, and Cassie pays him a visit. However, the lad claims he has never met his father and the only contact he has is with his Uncle Clive. Meanwhile, Sunny gets a breakthrough when he identifies the names of the four passengers in the car, Dean Barton makes a mysterious trip to France, and Liz Baildon is up for a promotion to the top job in the East Anglian police force, just as she finalises the purchase of her new therapy clinic. Finally, Ram faces an allegation of inappropriate behaviour at work.

John Torode and Gregg Wallace are back for MasterChef

MasterChef (BBC1, 9pm)

Judging by the BBC schedules, the public can’t get enough of MasterChef. The cookery series currently appears in four versions: this main series, as well as Celebrity MasterChef, MasterChef: The Professionals and Junior MasterChef. And it’s the original, which John Torode and Gregg Wallace have been fronting for 17 seasons, that is returning this week. Thomas Frake won last year’s show, and he returns as a guest judge tonight, alongside 2014 champion Ping Coombes, as five chefs compete for the four aprons that represent a chance of a quarter-final place. Two of those aprons will be granted after each chef has cooked their signature dishes, and the three who miss out then vie to avoid elimination in a new ‘favourite ingredient’ challenge.

Eddie Izzard

Eddie Izzard: Force Majeure (BBC2, regions vary)

In 2013, comedian Eddie Izzard returned to stage with the biggest stand-up comedy world tour ever – and what many see as his best live performance yet. Force Majeure takes fans on a hilarious journey, offering a rare and often bizarre glimpse into the mind of the master of surrealism, a man who has inspired several generations of comics and is recognised as one of the world’s greatest-ever stand-ups. The topics he discusses vary from ancient civilisations and mythical creatures to Olympic dressage and creating a musical about a trouserless spider.

Max Clifford

Max Clifford: The Fall of a Tabloid King (C4, 9pm)

For many years, he was the man to call if you had a story to sell – preferably one involving sex, politics and a hefty tabloid payout. Then PR man Max Clifford became the story. This documentary looks at the life of the master media manipulator who would plant or prevent stories that could end the careers of politicians, sportsmen and celebrities. We hear from the survivors of Clifford’s crimes – he was sentenced to eight years in prison after being found guilty of eight counts of indecent assault in 2014. He died in jail three years later.

Cats and Dogs at War

Cats and Dogs at War (5STAR, 9pm)

This series follows families whose fighting pets have turned their homes into a daily battlefield. With no end to hostilities in sight, distraught owners call on animal behaviour experts Chirag Patel and Nanci Creedon to help them secure a truce. In tonight’s programme, terrier-cross pup Teddy is seen tormenting his feline housemates Ernie and Molly. The cats may have been there first, but Teddy is no respecter of seniority. Faced with his constant chasing and aggressive play behaviour, the cats are now fighting back. Owners Julie and Ben are at their wits’ end and call in Chirag and Nanci to stop the family being torn apart.