Coronation Street star Sue Cleaver required medical attention after suffering a gruesome knife accident just minutes into her Celebrity MasterChef debut. The 62-year-old, best known for playing Eileen Grimshaw on the ITV soap, sliced her index finger while preparing a salad with a Japanese knife her son had given her for the occasion, about half an hour after stepping onto the set.
A Painful Start in the Kitchen
In scenes set to air next week, Cleaver reportedly told the camera that she had “cut herself,” quipping that it “didn’t take long.” She added, “I nearly cut my finger off and it’s only day one. I’m panicking a bit.”
Michelin-starred chef Giorgio Locatelli, who judges the series alongside Grace Dent, is thought to have warned her: “That’s a Japanese knife … It’s a very sharp one.”
Competition Heats Up
Cleaver is among the celebrities competing in the BBC series, alongside Una Healey, Melvin Odoom, Lauren Steadman, and Max Fosh. The competition has already seen TV presenter Jason Mohammad and The Wanted singer Jay McGuinness become the first to leave after failing to impress the judges with their dishes.
The current episode features five new celebrities entering the kitchen for the second week of heats: Gladiator ‘Dynamite’ Emily Steel, EastEnders’ Nitin Ganatra, comedian Tom Simons, actress Donna Preston, and retired Royal Ballet dancer Eric Underwood.
Blindfold Challenge Tests Palates
In a preview of the episode, available on iPlayer, the stars’ sense of taste and touch are put to the test in a task reminiscent of I’m A Celebrity. Blindfolded, they must identify mystery cubes of meat, fish, vegetables, or fruit. “Since this challenge is about the palate and the palate only, you will be doing this blindfolded,” Giorgio warns before the group tackles pineapples, beetroot, cucumber, and more.
Celebrity MasterChef continues tonight at 9pm on BBC One.
