You may already know that Celebrity MasterChef‘s host Grace Dent will be joined by chef and restaurateur Giorgio Locatelli in the BBC show’s coming season.
But the actual cooks in the new series have remained a mystery – until now.
“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,” the BBC said while announcing their first round of stars.
Here’s who we’ll see cooking in the first week:
Which celebs are in Celebrity MasterChef 2026?
For week one, the stars are:
1) Emily Campbell
Bronze medalist Emily Campbell via Associated Press
The Olympic bronze medallist told the BBC she’s “always been a massive fan of the show and always wanted to be on it!”.
Emily, who said she often cooks for her fellow athletes, said her favourite thing to cook is “Mexican food, but with my Caribbean heritage I like to put a spin on it”.
She also loves Japanese food and often makes herself chicken laksa, poke bowls, spaghetti bolognese, and salmon, rice and grilled veg.
2) Jason Mohammad
Jason Mohammad BBC/Shine TV
TV and radio presenter Jason said he’s “passionate about feeding people… Some of my greatest memories in my life have been surrounded by food, especially after Ramadan”.
He has a bit of a chuck-it-together-and-see-what-works approach to cooking, Jason added (a triumph includes “‘JMo’s Magnificent Mackerel’ which was made of leftover basmati rice, a tin of mackerel, kale, green chillies and soy sauce”).
The presenter said he loves to cook Sunday roasts and Christmas dinner as well as weeknight curries – and he adores Italian food.
3) Jay McGuinness
Jay’s The Wanted bandmates, Tom Parker and Max George, have previously appeared on the show, which the vegetarian actor and author said inspired him to take part.
His cooking is “100 iterations of rice or potatoes and vegetables, fried tofu or mock meats,” Jay explained (and he doesn’t seem to pride himself on presentation).
The musician added he loves “hearty” food and hates aubergine.
4) Joe Pasquale
Joe Pasquale BBC/Shine TV
A former I’m A Celebrity… Star, the comedian and actor said he loves a challenge.
“I’ve always fancied myself as a bit of a chef as I love to experiment but never had the confidence to pursue it,” he stated, sharing that he cooks “experimental” meals for himself about four times a week.
Though he says he doesn’t have a favourite cuisine, Joe does have a culinary enemy: sweetcorn.
5) Shakira Khan
Shakira Khan BBC/Shine TV
Ex-Love Islander Shakira described herself as a “simple cook,” adding, “I learnt about Pakistani heritage from my dad. We ended up fusing cuisines and creating dishes like Keema Spaghetti Bolognese or curried beans on toast”.
Baking and desserts are her strongest suit, though. She said: “On Sundays I’m the queen of cakes whipping up a ‘Manchester tart’ for my siblings.” (A Manchester tart is a baked jam and custard dessert, usually topped with coconut).
This, Shakira said, would be her dessert if she had to pick a death row meal.
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