CELEBRITY MASTERCHEF: FAMOUS FACES ENTERING THE KITCHEN FOR NEXT SERIES REVEALED

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.

Taking to the kitchen are: Olympic medallist Emily Campbell; broadcaster Jason Mohammad; singer Jay McGuiness; comedian Joe Pasquale; reality star Shakira Khan; comedian Donna Preston; Gladiator Emily Steel; former ballet dancer Eric Underwood; actor Nitin Ganatra; YouTuber Tom Simons aka ‘TommyInnit’; paralympian Lauren Steadman; YouTuber Max Fosh; Radio DJ Melvin Odoom; actress Sue Cleaver and singer Una Healy. 

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.”

Donna Preston said: “It’s a dream of mine! I want to do MasterChef to learn, to challenge myself, to work under pressure. I would absolutely love that trophy, but I’m really excited about the apron.”

Emily Steel said: “I love experimenting with recipes and ideas I find it so enjoyable cooking for other people - I’m really into presentation, and I always want to pair my food with a mocktail or nice drink”

Eric Underwood said: “Ballet dancers and food do not go naturally together but I want to change that perception. I love cooking and entertaining - well I give it a go, and I’m very willing to learn and put effort into it. I live on a farm with my husband and we’re hoping to get into ‘farm to table’ - we grow our own veg and have cows, chickens, sheep, bees, we make our own honey.”

Nitin Ganatra said: “I’m doing it for my mum who I was extremely close to. She was the best cook in the world. Food is first in our family. The first question she always asked was, “what do you want to eat?”. I’m a vegetarian and pre-diabetic; therefore, I have recently undergone a food revolution where I have explored cooking to utilise it in the healthiest way.”

Tom Simons aka. ‘TommyInnit’ said: “I’m excited because it looks like great fun, and I think I can make some basic but creative meals. I’m not a great cook but I will try really hard. It’s my first time on a proper TV show!”

Lauren Steadman said: “I can compete in sports to a very high level and handle the pressure, I love to challenge myself and constantly learn new things. Being on Celebrity MasterChef would push my boundaries and hopefully give me the confidence that I can cook! It’s very different cooking for loved ones to stepping up and having the food critically analysed. It is also a show I have watched many times and enjoyed seeing how people craft their interpretation of food and flavours – it’s very individual and I like that. Also, quite risky as it could go very wrong!”

Max Fosh said: “I’ve done outrageous food videos for my career, like cooking a steak using lightning bolts, but it’s time I learnt a new skill. Plus, my parents love MasterChef and will be proud of me!”

Melvin Odoom said: “I’ve lived alone for years so I only cook for myself… I want to show off my cooking skills and see if I’m any good. I’d love to improve my skills, and it looks like a fun show. I can cook for one, but it’s hard for two or more, this is a real test. My cooking will be like my DJ’ing - I don’t DJ for myself, I DJ for the crowd.”

Sue Cleaver said: “I really love the show and want to learn! Other people say I’m good, so we’ll see!”

Una Healy said: “To learn as much as I can about food, and I like to challenge myself. It’s a great opportunity as I really like to cook!”

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