CELEBRITY MASTERCHEF REVEALS FIRST SET OF FAMOUS FACES ENTERING THE FAMOUS KITCHEN FOR NEW SERIES THIS SUMMER

The red carpet rolls into the MasterChef kitchen for a glittering line-up of celebrities from the worlds of music, drama, comedy, sport and showbiz. This 21st series warmly welcomes singers and sports stars, actors and authors, to comedians, entertainers and presenters, all with the aim of cooking their way to becoming Celebrity MasterChef 2026 Champion.

Five weeks of extraordinary challenges await in a competition that will push the celebrities beyond the comfort of their showbiz jobs. Acting the part won’t cut the mustard and singing for your supper will not equal success. The only thing guaranteed is that just one of them will be left standing at the end, where their sparkling career will lead them to the shiny prize - the iconic Celebrity MasterChef trophy.

The BBC has announced the line-up for the first heat of the competition: Olympic medallist Emily Campbell; broadcaster Jason Mohammad; singer Jay McGuiness; comedian Joe Pasquale and reality star Shakira Khan.

Emily Campbell said: “I’ve always been a massive fan of the show and always wanted to be on it! I love cooking and love food and really want to challenge myself in the culinary space. I’m confident in the kitchen, but there’s a lot I want to know. My good friend Kadeena Cox won the show, and it inspired me to give it a go - we are bonded by food! Life’s too short not to challenge yourself!”

Jason Mohammed said: “I love food and I’m passionate about feeding people. Some of my greatest memories in my life have been surrounded by food, especially after Ramadan. Tables full of food at Eid and feeding and eating with my fellow Muslims at my mosque during Eid celebrations. But also, very special Christmases and birthdays have been memorable because of the food we had. I take a lot of pride in feeding people. I love to see the joy in their faces once I have fed them. I also enjoy being fed.”

Jay McGuiness said: “My bandmates Tom and Max had a great time on the show, and I was so impressed watching them! I like challenges and learning new things. What’s the worst that could happen?”

Joe Pasquale said: “I love a good challenge. I don’t like to be in shallow water; I love the deep end… and I love the adrenaline that goes with pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. I’m a huge fan of the show and have watched it for many years. I really hope to learn something as I’ve always fancied myself as a bit of a chef as I love to experiment but never had the confidence to pursue it”

Shakira Khan said: “I’m always up for a challenge and I love cooking, but I’m a simple cook. I’m good but I want to go out of my comfort zone and learn ‘sick recipes’, it will be fun. I want to make my family proud and show the flavours I grew up with. I also want to prove to myself that I can improve and surprise people.”

Celebrity MasterChef is a Shine TV (part of Banijay UK) production for BBC One and iPlayer.