A Gladiators star and a former EastEnders actor have joined the line-up for Celebrity MasterChef 2026. The BBC officially announced the show's 21st series on Monday morning (July 27). It will air on BBC One and iPlayer as usual.
Last year's edition was won by drag artist Ginger Johnson, real name Donald Marshall, who triumphed over fellow finalists Alun Wyn Jones and Dawn O'Porter.
What to Expect from the New Season
A BBC spokesperson teased: “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.”
Week One Line-Up
On Monday (July 27), the BBC revealed that the first episode will feature The Wanted’s Jay McGuinness, weightlifter and Olympic medallist Emily Campbell, Final Score presenter Jason Mohammad, Love Island’s Shakira Khan, and comedian Joe Pasquale.
Week Two Contestants
The line-up for week two was unveiled on Tuesday morning (July 28). The second batch includes Emily Steel, known as Dynamite on Gladiators. The Manchester native is a former swimmer who competed at a national level until age 15. She later became a full-time elite CrossFit athlete and broke the under-20s 64kg snatch record at the British age group weightlifting championships.
Emily said: “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.”
Other week-two contestants are actress and comedian Donna Preston, former Royal Ballet dancer Eric Underwood, YouTuber Tom Simons (TommyInnit) with 15 million subscribers, and actor Nitin Ganatra.
Nitin is best known for playing Masood Ahmed on EastEnders. Fans last saw the character in February 2019, when he left Walford for Australia. Masood is remembered for his turbulent marriage to Zainab Masood. When last mentioned, he was in a relationship with Jane Beale.
Nitin said: “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.”
