Celebrity MasterChef is back on BBC One, and despite last summer’s controversies, the show appears to have sailed on undisturbed.
John Torode, who faced criticism and suspension for racially insensitive remarks, returned to the kitchen, presenting the series as if nothing had happened.
He was joined by Grace Dent, making her debut after replacing Gregg Wallace, who had also exited under less-than-ideal circumstances.
Torode and Dent Make a Surprisingly Good Pair
The new duo struck a different tone from Wallace and Torode.
Where Wallace often positioned himself as the star, Dent and Torode focused on the cooking, letting the contestants shine.
Dent’s gentle, witty putdowns kept viewers entertained.
When faced with a plate of “deconstructed hummus”—a dish that left many scratching their heads—she quipped, “This is a strange looking plate of food. It’s all a bit Day Three at Glastonbury.”
Celebrity Line-Up Offers a Mix of Familiar and Obscure
As always, “celebrity” was interpreted loosely.
Among the contestants were paralympic basketball player Gaz Choudhry, Coronation Street’s Katie McGlynn, boy bander Antony Costa, influencer Uma Jammeh, and drag artist Ginger Johnson—who arrived dressed as a Battenberg cake in yellow and pink, her bright orange hair practically ablaze and eyelashes so dramatic they looked like they belonged in a horror movie.
The First Challenge: Creativity Under the Lid
The initial round tasked the contestants with lifting a lid to reveal a mystery ingredient, then crafting a dish around it.
Gaz ceremoniously unveiled chickpeas, prompting a mix of curiosity and groans from the other chefs.
No one went home in the first episode, but it was clear that Gaz and Antony were the early weak links in the competition.
Blindfolded Taste Test Steals the Show
The first episode’s standout was a blindfolded taste challenge.
Gaz compared the tension to “lining up a penalty at Wembley,” and he came out on top, correctly identifying ginger in a sudden-death tiebreaker.
Antony, on the other hand, mistook ham for beef, giving Gaz a valuable ten-minute advantage in the next round to prepare street food.
Ginger Johnson Emerges as the Contestant to Watch
While many struggled, Ginger Johnson—formerly a rugby player for the Newcastle Falcons—stole the spotlight.
Whether it was her eye-catching costume or her confident cooking, Dent declared her “the one to watch.”
And indeed, it’s hard to ignore someone dressed as a Battenberg cake who could also hold her own in a kitchen scrum.
Celebrity MasterChef Proves Anything Can Work on TV
As always, the show reminds viewers that even the oddest mix of celebrities and quirky challenges can make for entertaining television.
Between blindfolded tastings, unusual ingredients, and colorful personalities, Celebrity MasterChef continues to blend humor and tension in a way that keeps fans coming back week after week.
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