You may already know that Celebrity MasterChef’s host Grace Dent will be joined by chef and restaurateur Giorgio Locatelli in the BBC show’s coming season.

But the actual cooks in the new series have remained a mystery – until now.

“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,” the BBC said while announcing their first round of stars.

Here’s who we’ll see cooking in the first and second weeks:

Which celebs are in Celebrity MasterChef 2026? 

Week one

1) Emily Campbell 

The Olympic bronze medallist told the BBC she’s “always been a massive fan of the show and always wanted to be on it!”.

Emily, who said she often cooks for her fellow athletes, said her favourite thing to cook is “Mexican food, but with my Caribbean heritage I like to put a spin on it”. 

She also loves Japanese food and often makes herself chicken laksa, poke bowls, spaghetti bolognese, and salmon, rice and grilled veg.

2) Jason Mohammad 

TV and radio presenter Jason said he’s “passionate about feeding people… Some of my greatest memories in my life have been surrounded by food, especially after Ramadan”.

He has a bit of a chuck-it-together-and-see-what-works approach to cooking, Jason added (a triumph includes “‘JMo’s Magnificent Mackerel’ which was made of leftover basmati rice, a tin of mackerel, kale, green chillies and soy sauce”). 

The presenter said he loves to cook Sunday roasts and Christmas dinner as well as weeknight curries – and he adores Italian food. 

3) Jay McGuinness

Jay’s The Wanted bandmates, Tom Parker and Max George, have previously appeared on the show, which the vegetarian actor and author said inspired him to take part.

His cooking is “100 iterations of rice or potatoes and vegetables, fried tofu or mock meats,” Jay explained (and he doesn’t seem to pride himself on presentation). 

The musician added he loves “hearty” food and hates aubergine.

4) Joe Pasquale

A former I’m A Celebrity… Star, the comedian and actor said he loves a challenge. 

“I’ve always fancied myself as a bit of a chef as I love to experiment but never had the confidence to pursue it,” he stated, sharing that he cooks “experimental” meals for himself about four times a week.

Though he says he doesn’t have a favourite cuisine, Joe does have a culinary enemy: sweetcorn. 

5) Shakira Khan

Ex-Love Islander Shakira described herself as a “simple cook,” adding, “I learnt about Pakistani heritage from my dad. We ended up fusing cuisines and creating dishes like Keema Spaghetti Bolognese or curried beans on toast”. 

Baking and desserts are her strongest suit, though. She said: “On Sundays I’m the queen of cakes whipping up a ‘Manchester tart’ for my siblings.” (A Manchester tart is a baked jam and custard dessert, usually topped with coconut).

This, Shakira said, would be her dessert if she had to pick a death row meal.

Week 2

1) Donna Preston

You might recognise the actor, comedian and writer from titles like The Hitman’s Bodyguard and Fully Blown. Donna said appearing on MasterChef is a “dream”, explaining that she loves cooking (specialities include toad in the hole, salmon en croûte, beef wellington, salmon with potato wedges, and “light desserts”). 

The star also likes Japanese and Vietnamese cuisine. 

2) Emily Steel (“Dynamite”) 

The Gladiators performer usually goes by “Dynamite” on the show. But she’s hoping to throw down in the MasterChef kitchen, too, giving her cooking skills a decent 8/10. 

“I reckon I’ve got a very creative mind, and I like to make a meal out of anything I can find… in Thailand my mum used to catch cockroaches and make salsa! I also like to season my food well,” she said. 

She’s not a fan of celery, white wine, or parsely, and says her time in Spain has helped to influence her cooking. 

3) Eric Underwood

Eric, who was a soloist for the Royal Ballet and has presented, modelled, and acted, said he and his husband “grow our own veg and have cows, chickens, sheep, bees, we make our own honey”.

Describing himself as the “main cook” for his family, he said he makes a mean mac ‘n’ cheese and a brilliant roux, and can fillet a fish in no time.

If he wanted to impress his mates, Eric said, “I might even add a lobster” to his famous pasta dish. 

4) Nitin Ganatra 

Author Nitin said he’s joining the show thanks to his mum, who he said “was the best cook in the world… The first question she always asked was, ‘what do you want to eat?’”

The vegetarian is pre-diabetic, which he says has affected his cooking. Still, he said his food, which he doesn’t think always looks the best, “tastes incredible”.

Nitin, who grew up in a sweet shop, describes himself as a “cheese freak” and said he likes to “cook Indian food without the oil and use dates instead of sugar”.

5) Tom Simons (TommyInnit)

You might know Tom from his 15-million-subscriber-strong YouTube account, TommyInnit. The stand-up comedian said, “I’m not a great cook but I will try really hard. It’s my first time on a proper TV show!”

Though he called his presentation “average” and doesn’t consider his cooking very experimental, he cooks two to three times a week. Regular items on the menu include spaghetti, steak, and curry. 

Tom, who learned to cook via family video calls, said his favourite ingredient is garlic.