Paralympic athlete Lauren Steadman MBE has been named the winner of Celebrity MasterChef 2026. Judges Grace Dent and Giorgio Locatelli chose her as champion after all three finalists served a three-course meal in the BBC finale, which aired on Friday, September 18.
Finalists and the winning menu
The series featured 15 celebrities, with the final three being Olympic medalist Emily Campbell, Love Island star Shakira Khan, and Lauren Steadman. Each prepared a starter, main course, and dessert for the judges.
Lauren's winning meal consisted of pan fried scallops in chilli butter, beef wellington with truffle mash, and sticky toffee pudding with clotted cream ice cream.
Reaction to the win
When her name was called, Lauren said, "I'm shaking." Asked how winning felt, she replied: "Kind of really special. Like literally up there with a Paralympic gold medal."
Holding the trophy, she added: "I cannot believe that I'm stood holding this [the trophy]. There's not been many points in my life where I've been a bit speechless but this is definitely one of them. I feel over the moon and this is going to take pride of place at home amongst my medals. I'm pretty proud right now."
Replacement shows confirmed
With the series over, BBC has confirmed three replacement shows. On Tuesday, September 22, Nick Knowles returns with DIY SOS, heading to Glasgow to help make a disabled girl's home more wheelchair accessible after her mother's death.
On Wednesday, September 23, The Repair Shop: Beyond the Barn will air, where specialists leave their workshop to catch up with previous guests. On Friday, September 25, Dragons' Den will feature football pundit Gary Neville as a special guest, with pitches including an 18-year-old's gift card exchange and a couple's competitive fairground-style experience.
Celebrity MasterChef is available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
