Published: 11 November 2025
Celebrity MasterChef returns to BBC One and BBC iPlayer this autumn for its 20th series, recorded earlier in the year with new 2025 judge Grace Dent and John Torode.
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 20th 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 2025 Champion.
Five weeks of extraordinary challenges await, where the judges will oversee culinary this competition that will push the 15 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 celebrities aiming to follow professional dancer and choreographer Vito Coppola – last year’s winner – to victory are: national singing treasure Alfie Boe OBE; rugby legend Alun Wyn Jones OBE; pop star and actor Antony Costa; TV star Ashley Cain; TV personality Chris Hughes; author and broadcaster Dawn O’Porter; Paralympian and actor Gaz Choudhry MBE; drag artist Ginger Johnson; soul legend Jaki Graham; actor Jamie Lomas; Gladiator Jodie Ounsley; actor Katie McGlynn; pop star Michelle Heaton; comedian Noreen Khan and TV personality Uma Jammeh.
Celebrity MasterChef features three Heat weeks aimed at testing the celebrities’ abilities – with the cream of crop making it past the Quarter Finals at the end of the week, ready for the Semi Final stages, edging closer to Finals Week and in with a serious chance of claiming the gleaming 2025 trophy.
LP/CQ
Meet the Celebrities
Antony Costa
Pop star & Actor
What made you want to do Celebrity MasterChef?
I wanted to do Celebrity MasterChef because I like to challenge myself. I’m always in the kitchen and I’ve always tried my best, but I want to improve.
What was it walking into the MasterChef kitchen for the first time?
I was literally so nervous walking in for the first time, I’ve never been that nervous in my life! I’ve done thousands of shows with the boys to thousands of people. I’ve performed in front of royalty, in front of big stars, but to walk into the Celebrity MasterChef kitchen for the first time in front of Grace and John was another experience!
How does your cooking go down with friends and family?
My family are really supportive, no matter where I get to in the competition they’ve said “We’re proud of you go in there and learn.” So the main thing for me is to come away from Celebrity MasterChef having learnt. I can tell you that even from the get go, I’ve already managed to properly chop an onion. I thought I could chop an onion before, but now I can really chop an onion!
What is your favourite dish to cook vs. your favourite to eat?
I’m just basic so my favourite dish to cook, is steak and salad. I like steak and veg and I love red meat. One of my favourites to eat would have to be Greek Cypriot food, it just reminds me of being in Cyprus as a kid with my nan cooking – it brings me back to my childhood.
What is your ultimate comfort food and why?
For people who don’t know me, I grew up in the UK until I was about seven years old, and then I moved to Cyprus from the age of seven to 10, and it opened my eyes to Greek Cypriot food. Being half Cypriot, you look at the way they cook – the meat, the kebabs, the freshness, the salads, the onions, tomatoes, and you can really feel they love their food. I’m so proud of my heritage and when I smell that type of food it reminds me of home.
Gaz Choudhry MBE
Paralympian & Actor
What made you want to do Celebrity MasterChef?
Celebrity MasterChef looked like a lot of fun. I’ve always been amazed at the dishes that people make on these shows, on the all the various MasterChef Series, so when the chance came up to be on here, I was really excited!
What was it like walking into the MasterChef kitchen for the first time?
Walking into the Celebrity MasterChef kitchen for the first time is stressful. You’re a little bit of a deer in the headlights, and when you see John and Grace up at the front it doesn’t help either, but it’s exciting.
What is your favourite dish to cook vs. your favourite to eat?
I love to cook a lot of different stuff. It depends on the time of year and how I’m feeling. I love to cook Paella. I like making pasta and Indian food. There’s so much I like to cook. My favourite thing to eat right now is probably a plant-based burger and chips.
What is your ultimate comfort food and why?
My ultimate comfort food is porridge and because it just takes me back to my childhood. It makes me feel warm and cosy.
How does your cooking go down with friends and family?
My wife loves my cooking, I think! I tend to do most of the cooking in the house, so I’m lucky that she’s not a fussy eater!
Ginger Johnson
Drag Artist
What made you want to do Celebrity MasterChef?
I entered Celebrity MasterChef because I love a challenge and this is so far out of my comfort zone. It’s not what I do at all in my everyday life or my working life, and I want to see what I’m made of.
What was it like walking into the MasterChef kitchen for the first time?
It felt very scary walking into the MasterChef kitchen for the first time. It’s a stage that I’ve never performed on before, but I think I’ll get used to it!
What is your favourite dish to cook vs. your favourite to eat?
My favourite dish to cook is steak (medium rare!) and chips, with loads of butter and garlic and rosemary. Luckily, that’s also my favourite thing to eat, so those two things work together quite well.
What is your ultimate comfort food and why?
My ultimate comfort food is fish pie, because it reminds me of Sunday afternoons after I played rugby when I was a kid. I would come home covered in mud, sopping wet and freezing cold, and then we’d often have fish pie for lunch. So now I associate it with that.
How does your cooking go down with friends and family?
I didn’t know what my friends and family thought about my cooking until I told them I was going on MasterChef, and I don’t think they have any confidence in me whatsoever. So let’s see who’s right, me or them!
Katie McGlynn
Actor
What made you want to do Celebrity MasterChef?
I decided to do Celebrity MasterChef because I genuinely want to learn more about cooking. I do enjoy being in the kitchen and I love my food at home, so it’s a brilliant opportunity to learn some real skills from some real experts. Plus, I love a good challenge. I might not be the best, but I’m going to try my best, so we’ll see what happens!
What was it like walking into the MasterChef kitchen for the first time?
I was unbelievably nervous. I’ve done a lot of recorded and live TV work and performed in theatre productions – but have never been quite as nervous in my life than in the MasterChef kitchen. It’s just a completely different vibe, fully outside of my comfort zone.
What is your favourite dish to cook vs. your favourite to eat?
That’s a hard one! My favourite dish to cook is probably spaghetti bolognese with garlic ciabatta – it’s a classic and I love throwing in different things each time. I also really enjoy making honey soy chicken thighs, they’re easy and taste amazing. I’ve got a bit of a sweet tooth and love making cakes too, just not often because I end up eating it all. When it comes to eating, I’d have to say pizza, it’s unbeatable. I’m also a big fan of sushi or a good steak. I try to stay pretty healthy during the week, but when I go out, I love trying a bit of everything really. Food’s such a great way to explore, even if you’re not much of a cook!
What is your ultimate comfort food and why?
My ultimate comfort food would be pizza, no question. There’s just nothing like it. You know what you’re getting, it’s just that instant cheese hit. I love it, it’s very comforting and I’m all about the toppings and overloading on carbs for a little indulgence.
How does your cooking go down with friends and family?
Well, they’re still here to tell the tale at least! No, in all seriousness my family always seem to compliment my cooking, on the rare occasions that I do cook for them that is! When I told them I was doing this, they strangely had faith in me which I didn’t expect. I think it’s because when I put my mind to something, I hyper focus on it, and I always try my best so they’re confident I’ll get through it. I think I’m bonkers for doing this if I’m totally honest, but at least they have faith in me!
Uma Jammeh
TV personality
What made you want to do Celebrity MasterChef?
To test myself and to do something that I’ve never done before. I was excited to get on the show, but I was a bit surprised they wanted to have me!
What was it like walking into the MasterChef kitchen for the first time?
Walking into the kitchen for the first time was quite nerve wracking. It’s a new space and there’s going to be quite a lot happening in the kitchen, but it felt good. I was excited to see everyone and see how it all came together.
What is your favourite dish to cook vs. your favourite to eat?
My favourite dish to cook would probably be like some sort of fish with something starchy like rice or potatoes, and then a vegetable. I just think it’s such an easy meal. And then my favourite thing to eat would be any type of tartare, like tuna, beef or maybe something like mussels in a white wine sauce.
What is your ultimate comfort food and why?
My ultimate comfort food would probably be a peri peri chicken, because it always tastes good and it just makes me feel happy. I always get four chicken thighs and mashed potato and then maybe another side depending on what I fancy.
How does your cooking go down with friends and family?
I think my family and my friends really enjoy my cooking. Anytime I’ve cooked for my family, or they’ve tasted my food, they’re really impressed.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.bbc.co.uk ’
