Celebrity MasterChef is back for another season, helmed by Grace Dent and John Torode – with fifteen famous faces ready to take to the kitchen.
The BBC reality competition series has found itself in hot water in recent months after former co-hosts John Torode and Gregg Wallace were removed from their roles following an independent enquiry.
Wallace had 45 out of 83 allegations upheld against him, including an instance of unwanted physical contact, while an accusation of Torode using racial language was also substantiated.
After an edited-down version of the amateur series was released earlier this year (with two contestants asking to be removed), the BBC announced Anna Haugh and Grace Dent as the new official hosts going forward.
Meanwhile, there is still some pre-recorded content featuring Torode, including this upcoming season of Celebrity MasterChef, which will mark one of his last appearances on the show.
So who will be competing for the chef’s hat with the hopes of following in the footsteps of last year’s winner, Strictly pro Vito Coppola?
Alfie Boe OBE
English actor and singer Alfie Boe is ready to bring his cooking chops to the small screen.
Best known for his work on the West End, he is currently starring as Jean Valjean in a national tour of Les Misérables.
Beyond this, he has also released a handful of studio albums, including his latest one, Together At Home with Michael Ball. In 2019, he received an OBE for his services to music and charity.
Alun Wyn Jones OBE
The Welsh former rugby union player Alun Wyn Jones, 40, is swapping the field for a set of stoves.
As the most capped rugby player in history, he knows a thing or two about success and just this summer was appointed honorary colonel of 3rd Battalion, the Royal Welsh, by King Charles III.
Time will tell whether he brings a military-like discipline to the kitchen, however.
Antony Costa
We’re mixing it up with Antony Costa, a former member of the hugely popular boy band Blue.
The 44-year-old singer-songwriter has also tried his hand at acting, starring in stage shows like Mamma Mia! The Party, which he once called ‘the best job I’ve ever had outside of Blue’.
We’ll see if his talents stretch to perfecting a dauphinoise potatoes before long.
Ashley Cain
In another addition from the sports world, we have former footballer turned TV personality Ashley Cain.
After making a name for himself on the football field, he hung up his boots and is now presenting TV shows.
His latest Ashley Cain: Into the Danger Zone, saw him traversing a cartel in Colombia, visiting a prison rife with gangs in the Philippines, and observing illegal poaching in South Africa.
Chris Hughes
After a successful stint on Celebrity Big Brother, Chris Hughes is returning to the reality TV circuit with Celebrity MasterChef.
The Love Island star, 32, may have made a buzz with his unexpected love story with JoJo Siwa, and now it’s time to see if he can stir up just as much shock with a sauce cooked to perfection.
Dawn O’Porter
Scottish writer and presenter Dawn O’Porter is coming in strong next.
The creative, who is married to actor Chris O’Dowd, is known for documentaries like Super Slim Me and My Breasts Could Kill Me.
Despite the success of her career, she recently opened up about how she works ‘pay cheque to pay cheque’ and is ‘always broke’.
Gaz Choudhry MBE
This retired Team GB Paralympian is taking on his biggest challenge yet – the MasterChef kitchen.
A well-known name in the world of wheelchair basketball, both for his playing and international coaching – he landed an MBE in 2022.
In recent years, he has pivoted to the acting industry, starring in Apple TV thriller Extrapolations and guest-starring in a Doctor Who episode.
Ginger Johnson
Drag queen Ginger Johnson already has a reality TV winning streak after being crowned victorious in Drag Race UK season five.
Now she’ll be seeing if she can up it with a brand new challenge.
Outside of her TV appearances, Ginger is an entertainer and is perhaps best known day-to-day asthe in-house loudmouth and onstage emcee at Sink The Pink.
Jaki Graham
Singer Jaki Graham is behind songs like Could It Be I’m Falling in Love, Ain’t Nobody and Absolutely E-Sensual.
But her standout pipes won’t be enough to win her this cooking competition – where she’ll have to showcase her knack for pulling together a top-class meal.
Among her many achievements, she became an official Motown artist, she received a star on Birmingham’s Broad Street and has even broken a Guinness World Record as the first black British female solo artist to have 6 consecutive Top 10/20 hits.
Jamie Lomas
Jamie Lomas has made quite a name for himself in the soap opera world, playing Warren Fox in Hollyoaks and Jake Stone in EastEnders.
About his decision to join the BBC reality series, a source told The Sun: ‘He’s actually quite good in the kitchen and he’s really competitive too. It’s already been filmed, but he’s not telling anyone how far he got.’
Jodie Ounsley
We can’t have a reality show without an appearance from one of the Gladiators – in this case, Jodie Ounsley aka Fury.
Unlike Harry Aikines-Aryeetey (Nitro), who is currently on Strictly Come Dancing, Fury’s battle won’t be on the dancefloor but against the pressure cooker.
Before she was on Gladiators, she was a rugby player.
Katie McGlynn
Joining Jamie from the world of soaps, we have Katie McGlynn, who is better known as Sinead Tinker in Coronation Street and Jodie ‘Scout’ Allen in Waterloo Road.
She is also dabbling in theatre, starring in the onstage thriller, Murder at Midnight, which will travel across the UK in 2026.
Michelle Heaton
Liberty X hitmaker Michelle Heaton is also joining this year’s line-up.
The Brit and Emmy award singer will be hoping to replicate her career success as she climbs the cooking ranks this season.
Over the years, the star has also been praised for her candidness about her alcohol addiction.
‘I didn’t know how to perform without alcohol and it’s a whole different ball game now – I can actually sing and dance better,’ she shared in a recent interview.
Noreen Khan
TV host, stand-up comedian and BBC Asian Network presenter Noreen Khan is up next.
On screen, she has presented shows like Back in Time for Birmingham, Countdown, Celebrity Mastermind, and Celebrity Antiques Road Show.
In a recent interview, when asked about what she would be doing if not this, she joked: ‘Well, I’d be doing what I’m doing now—stand-up comedy, lots of yoga, and travelling the world!!’
Uma Jammeh
Last, but certainly not least, is Uma Jammeh.
The online content creator boasts 420k followers on TikTok, where she shares lifestyle and fashion videos with a personal twist.
She forged a path for herself on reality TV as part of the Season 11 of Love Island which came out in 2024.
Celebrity MasterChef returns to BBC One this autumn.
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