Celebrity MasterChef | Series 21 Preview (BBC One)

Celebrity MasterChef returns to BBC One and BBC iPlayer for its 21st series.

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. 

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It’s the first of the heats, and this week, the five celebrities up for the culinary challenge are legendary entertainer Joe Pasquale, TV and radio broadcaster Jason Mohammod, Olympic weightlifter Emily Campbell, reality star Shakira Khan and singer, actor and author Jay McGuiness.

The first challenge for the five hopefuls is the signature dish round. The contestants have only 90 minutes to prepare a dish that tells Grace and Giorgio exactly who they are as a cook. Who will stand out, and who will prove they have got more to learn?

Next, it’s time for their taste buds to be tested as the celebrities take on a palate test like no other. Each of them must identify condiments by taste. Ketchup, soy sauce, vinegar, mustard – will our five know their dijon from their wholegrain? Get the answer wrong, and they will be eliminated from the challenge, losing their chance to win a significant advantage in the next round.

Everyone will be hoping to out-taste their opponents, but whether they are up to the task remains to be seen. Finally, it’s a test of their culinary abilities in a brand new challenge for this year's competition – the MasterChef cook-along. Giorgio will don his chef whites and cook one of his own signature dishes: gnocchi with a goat’s cheese sauce. All the celebrities have to do is follow along and keep up with him.

The winner of the challenge will be the celebrity whose dish looks and tastes the closest to Giorgio's. The celebrities work furiously, all keen to prove themselves to the judges and win a MasterChef pin, which will afford the winner a ten-minute advantage in the next round.

All five will live to fight another day, but performance in every challenge counts, as there is only space for the best four in this week’s quarter-final.

Celebrity MasterChef returns Tuesday 18th August on BBC One.