Once again, stars from the worlds of TV, sport and music will be donning their chef hats for the latest series of Celebrity MasterChef, which returns to BBC One for its 21st edition. This year’s line-up so far includes a radio presenter, a TV gladiator, a former Royal Ballet dancer and a musician – but notoriety in other industries won’t guarantee success here. Across five weeks, the 15 celebrities will try their hand at a series of tough culinary challenges, battling it out to impress the judges and land a place in the final. Here’s everything you need to know about the 2026 series.
Celebrity MasterChef 2026: Line-Up, Judges, Release Date
Who Is Starring In Celebrity MasterChef 2026?
The BBC has revealed ten of the celebrities set to star in this year’s series.
Heat One:
- Jason Mohammad, TV and radio presenter
- Joe Pasquale, comedian
- Jay McGuinness, musician and actor
- Emily Campbell, weightlifter and Olympic medalist
- Shakira Khan, former Love Island contestant
Heat Two:
- Donna Preston, actress and comedian
- Emily Steel, TV gladiator
- Eric Underwood, presenter and former Royal Ballet dancer
- Nitin Ganatra, actor
- Tom Simons, YouTuber
The final set of celebrities are yet to be announced.
What Happens In Celebrity MasterChef?
The BBC show sees a number of celebrities taking part in six weeks of culinary challenges, which increase in difficulty week on week. It begins with three Heat weeks of three episodes, which test the contestants’ cooking skills, ahead of the semi-final, where the celebrities compete for a place in the final. In the final week, the remaining contestants must impress well-known celebrity chefs with their cooking, culminating in the ultimate competition, where three finalists must cook a three-course meal for the judges.
The BBC’s synopsis reads: ‘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.’
Who Are The Judges?
This year there’s a new face on the judging panel: Italian chef and restaurateur Giorgio Locatelli – best known for his eponymous restaurant Locanda Locatelli, which opened in 2002 and quickly became one of London’s hottest A-list hangouts. He’ll be replacing former judge John Torode, who was fired from the show last year following allegations of misconduct.
BBC/Shine TV/Kate Hollingsworth
‘I can’t wait for you to see what our celebrity contestants bring to the kitchen, as we are really putting their culinary skills to the test in this series,’ said Locatelli following the announcement.
Locatelli will be joining fellow judge and food critic Grace Dent on the show, who describes herself as a ‘long-time admirer’ of Locatelli’s work. ‘I couldn’t be happier to combine our shared joy, passion, and expertise for food,’ she added. ‘I also love an opportunity to serve up a heavy dose of glamour in the MasterChef kitchen, and I have a feeling Giorgio is going to give me a real run for my money.’
Who Has Won Celebrity MasterChef Before?
Last year, drag artist Ginger Johnson became the 2oth person to claim the coveted trophy, beating fellow finalists, rugby legend Alun Wyn Jones and author and broadcaster Dawn O’Porter at the last hurdle. Johnson’s winning menu began with a Bloody Mary prawn cocktail ahead of her take on a Duck a l’Orange, with a flaming Baked Alaska for dessert.
Ginger Johnson (c) BBC/Shine TV
Other previous winners have included:
- Professional dancer Vito Coppola, 2024
- Broadcaster Wynne Evans, 2023
- Presenter Lisa Snowdon, 2022
- Parasport athlete Kadeena Cox, 2021
- Irish broadcaster Riyadh Khalaf, 2020
- Olympian Greg Rutherford, 2019
- Actor John Partridge, 2018
When Is The Release Date?
We haven’t yet got a release date for Celebrity MasterChef 2026, but last year’s edition aired on 17 November 2025 so it will likely be a similar time.
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