It's finals week in Celebrity MasterChef...who will reign supreme?
Friday: Celebrity MasterChef (BBC1, 9pm)
Even the biggest Celebrity MasterChef fan would probably admit that in the early stages at least, the show can feature some dishes that would get contestants a polite ‘thanks but no thanks’ if they were applying for the non-celebrity version.
Some of the class of 2024 have even admitted as much, including comedian and MasterChef fan Jamie McDonald. Ahead of his heat, he said: “I’ve always wondered what it would be like to take part. Could I handle the pressure? Thankfully I’m not deluded. I know I’m not good enough to be in the pro show nor the non-pro show. Bring on the celeb show! [It’s a] slightly different standard.”
He added: “I’m not saying I became a comedian just so I could ultimately do Celeb MasterChef but you can’t deny it’s a bit of a coincidence!”
However, just because the standard may not be quite as sky high as on the non-celebrity version, it doesn’t mean the pressure hasn’t been on in the kitchen.
As a judge on Glow Up, make-up artist Dominic Skinner should be used to TV competitions, but he admitted to finding appearing on the show incredibly daunting, saying: “I don’t think I’ve ever been so nervous in all my life. I was physically shaking the whole way through that first day.
“It was terrifying, but John [Torode] and Gregg [Wallace] made me feel so welcome and really encouraged me, and I started to really enjoy it. It ended up being one of the being one of the best experiences of my life.”
It’s about to get even tougher for the three remaining contestants as we have now reached the final – and ‘good for the celebrity version’ will no longer cut it.
These famous faces have already proved their mettle in the heats, as well as this week’s earlier episodes.
Finals week began on Tuesday, when John and Gregg challenged them to whip up a dish inspired by a well-known chef, before asking them to taking charge of lunch service aboard the iconic British Pullman train, which paved the way for luxury travel in the 1920s.
Then on Thursday, they were asked to serve up a dish inspired by someone special, before heading to the five-star Cowarth Park Hotel in Berkshire, home to the Michelin-starred restaurant, Woven, where they worked under the guidance of chef Adam Smith. To add to the pressure, the illustrious guest list of diners was made up of some of the biggest names in British cooking.
Tonight though, it’s just Gregg and John they have to impress with their ultimate dinner party menu.
The finalists need to prepare two courses, a main and dessert, that show off their creativity, technique, and presentation skills and demonstrate just how far they have come since the competition began. And of course, everything should taste great.
But who will follow in the footsteps of opera singer, broadcaster and Strictly Come Dancing 2024 contestant Wynne Evans and be crowned this year’s winner?