Celebrity MasterChef 2026 – Meet the celebrities cooking in week two

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.

Meet the week two celebrities

Donna Preston

Actress and comedian

What made you want to take part in Celebrity MasterChef?

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.

How would you describe your cooking style?

I love cooking but it can feel like a chore without company. I love cooking up a weekend feast for friends, making things like salmon en croûte or beef wellington paired with fresh sides and light desserts.

I’m very experimental, I don’t tend to follow a plan and I’m pretty good at throwing things together at the last minute.

I love interesting and colourful food, and I reckon my presentation skills are good.

When did you begin cooking? Any early cooking memories? 

My dad was the cook of the house, he would always just throw everything in a pot and hope for the best. My mum made a cracking quiche and the best Yorkshire puddings. 

An early memory is growing my own vegetables on an allotment!

What are your favourite things to cook?

I love a proper Yorkshire feast, Toad in the Hole is my signature dish, it’s like a big hug.

Anything you avoid?

I love trying lots of things, but I will NEVER eat shark, fermented or not!

What are your go-to dishes/foods?

I don’t eat out loads, but I tend to go for Japanese or Vietnamese!

What are you cooking to impress your friends?

I reckon my most popular dish with my friends is crusted garlic and herb salmon on a bed of truffle potato wedges, served with garlic soy sauce and sesame seed broccoli.

Emily Steel 

TV Gladiator aka ‘Dynamite’

How would you describe your cooking style?

While training intensely, I try to fuel myself with a nutritious, performance-focused diet. I love finding different foods to eat.

I rate my cooking skills at eight out of ten, when everything is organised, I really try!

When did you begin cooking? Any early cooking memories? 

My dad was the main cook growing up, he is great with timings and presentation, although my mum cooks the best Thai dishes. 

I reckon I’ve got a very creative mind, and I like to make a meal out of anything I can find… in Thailand my mum used to catch cockroaches and make salsa! I also like to season my food well. 

What are your favourite things to cook?

My favourite thing to cook is steak and chunky chips, steak tacos with guacamole and sour cream, or Seafood Paella.

Anything you avoid?

I don’t like celery, parsley or red wine… but Sangria is fine!

What are your go-to dishes/foods?

A cold pink lady apple out of the fridge! Although my most random one is snacking on liver pate!  

What are you cooking to impress your friends? 

I spent a lot of time in Spain for work, so I love tapas, patatas bravas, prawns, steak with chimichurri, croquettes, Manchego Cheese. I’d love to cook some tapas!

What’s your death row meal? 

I’ve put a lot of thought into this… my starter would be pate with crostini’s and red onion chutney, my main would be rare fillet steak, triple cooked chips, mac and cheese, creamy cauliflower, broccoli, garlic butter and peppercorn sauce. My dessert would be warm cookie dough with Madagascan vanilla ice cream and an amaretto sour.

What made you want to take part in Celebrity MasterChef?

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

Presenter and former Royal Ballet Dancer

What made you want to take part in Celebrity MasterChef?

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.

How would you describe your cooking style? 

I had a moment about 10 years ago when I found my love for cooking but I’m still no expert! Although, I am 100% the main cook for our family.

When did you begin cooking? Any early cooking memories?

I learnt by watching my mum cook, food at home was definitely ‘soul food’. The first meal I made for my family was fried chicken, collard greens and mac and cheese.

I grew up in a low-income housing community, so food was a way of bringing everyone together, we’d share dishes at cookouts.

I also remember getting the ‘honour grade’ at school which was a certificate that meant I could eat as much pizza as I wanted from Shakey’s pizza restaurant.

What are your favourite things to cook?

I excel at mac and cheese! I can also fillet a fish and know how to make a roux.

Anything you avoid?

I used to hate broccoli, when I was younger, I would hide it in a napkin and then bin it.

What are your go-to dishes/foods? 

My favourite growing up was meat loaf and mashed potatoes drenched in tomato sauce.  

Also, my palate has massively changed since moving to the UK IN 2007, I ate a lot more sugar in the US. Our food is much fresher now we live on a farm; we grow our own veg and raise lambs and cows, chickens and we have bees for honey. 

What are you cooking to impress your friends?

My famous mac and cheese, I might even add a lobster!

Nitin Ganatra

Actor

What made you want to take part in Celebrity MasterChef?

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.

How would you describe your cooking style?

Improvised, creative, not very attractive but it tastes incredible!

My mum and sister taught me to blend spices, so I’m very influenced by Indian Cuisine.

When did you begin cooking? Any early cooking memories? 

My favourite secret family recipe is my mum’s garlic pickle, it’s unique and I’ve never found the same taste anywhere else. You only need a small amount but my goodness it packs a punch. 

I was born in Kenya so we had a lot of cassava and yam growing up, my siblings would also pick mangoes from the trees. 

The first thing I learnt to cook at age of seven was poppadoms. 

Anything you avoid?

I’ve never been a fan of desserts because I grew up in a sweet shop, I had 18 fillings by age 18!

I’ve tried to eat ‘clean’ in the last few years, I’m obsessed with gut health. I try to cook Indian food without the oil and use dates instead of sugar.

What are your go-to dishes/foods?

I’m a cheese freak. I put raw garlic on cheese, I swear it’s life changing. 

I also learnt to curry a tin of Heinz beans when I was younger, it’s still my comfort food. 

If we opened your fridge, what would we find?

Anything veggie, I’ve been a lifelong vegetarian, I wouldn’t know what to do with a fish if you slapped me in the face with it.

What’s your guilty pleasure food?

My weakness is Walker’s cheese and onion crisps.

Tom Simons aka TommyInnit

YouTuber and stand-up comedian

What made you want to take part in Celebrity MasterChef?

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!

How would you describe your cooking style?

I’m not particularly experimental but I enjoy playing with different seasonings. I think my presentation is average, but I do think I perform well under pressure. 

When did you begin cooking? Any early cooking memories?

A dish that reminds me of my childhood is pasta, broccoli, bacon and cheese! My mum once let me have it for Christmas dinner. 

Most of my recipes are family recipes, I don’t tend to use cookbooks or websites. 

I learnt to cook at 17 from my parents, we would cook over facetime together from my flat in Brighton.  

What are your favourite things to cook?

I often cook spaghetti, steak or curry. My favourite cuisines are Indian and Japanese. I tend to cook two to three times a week. 

Anything you avoid?

Raw tomatoes and most cheese, except for cheddar and parmesan. 

What are your go-to dishes/foods?

My favourite ingredient is garlic, and my go to’s include peppers, broccoli and diced canned tomatoes.

What are you cooking to impress your friends?

As a starter, oven-roasted crispy broccoli with sriracha and seasoning, then Paprika-marinated Sirloin Steak with chunky chips and asparagus. My pudding would be cream eggs with googly eyes. 

If we opened your fridge, what would we find? 

Milk, butter and Granny Smith apples.

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