Celebrity MasterChef is back on BBC One for its 18th series and this summer is set to get even hotter, as the who’s who of music, comedy, drama and showbusiness battle it out to become the Celebrity MasterChef 2023 Champion.

Across six weeks, judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace will be putting their own taste buds through a sensory assault course, as they discover which celebrities have the palate and skill to chop, slice and sizzle their way to lifting the iconic Celebrity MasterChef trophy.

It’s the start of the Celebrity MasterChef Heats, and this week the first five celebrities up for the culinary challenge are broadcaster and reality star Dani Dyer, actor James Buckley, comedian and actor Marcus Brigstocke, TV personality Mica Ven and TV and Radio personality Richie Anderson.

The first challenge for the five hopefuls is Under The Cloche. In front of each celebrity is a cloche, each concealing a different ingredient. With access to a larder, the celebrities must create one plate of food showcasing their ingredient to demonstrate to the judges they have potential. With nerves running high and just over an hour to create their dish from scratch, the contestants must think on their feet to impress the judges.

Then in the final test of culinary creativity, the celebrities are asked to prepare their Dinner Party Dishes – a main course and a dessert that they would cook to impress someone who was coming round to eat – in just one hour and fifteen minutes. The celebrities work furiously in a final attempt to prove themselves to John and Gregg because at the end of this test, one of them will be going home.

Dani Dyer

Reality Star

Dani Dyer

What made you want to do Celebrity MasterChef?

I've always been a massive fan of the show. I've loved watching it as a viewer and I am fan of John and Gregg. I think when I got asked it was quite an honour. It was something fun and different to do and definitely something out of my comfort zone.

What was it like meeting John and Gregg for the first time?

I was scared of meeting them but they're so lovely, they were so warm. I walked in and my heart was pounding out my chest but they’re really friendly, so it puts you at ease a little bit.

What was it like walking into the MasterChef kitchen?

I was shaking walking into that kitchen! We were all standing there going ‘who’s going in first, who’s going in first?’ No one wanted to walk in first but that moment of walking in was just... oh my god it was so scary.

How have you prepared to take on the challenge?

I think I just took loads of deep breaths and thought right, this if what I've got to work with. You can't take it too seriously, can you? You’ve just got to laugh. If in doubt, laugh.

What do your family think of your cooking?

My family do love my cooking. My mum doesn't like my biscuit making, so I’ve never made biscuits again! They’ve got a lot of faith in me and they say that they love my food. I have to believe my mum, if she doesn’t like something, she lets you know. There are no fake responses. My mum is scarier than John and Gregg!

What would be your desert island dish?

I really, really love a takeaway meal. You cannot go wrong. Prawn crackers with rice, chips and curry sauce – an absolute dream.

What are the three things you always have in your fridge and why? 

Milk, eggs and butter. They’re the three essentials, right?

Favourite dish to cook at home?

I do love chili con carne. I love to cook that, and I love a curry.

James Buckley

Actor

James Buckley

What made you want to do Celebrity MasterChef?

I’ve got to do something haven’t I? I haven’t been in a TV show for about five years, and it's nice for the missus, get me out of the house for a little while.

What was it like walking into the MasterChef kitchen?

Really daunting. It's really, really daunting and nerve wracking. I'm not good at competitions, I don’t really like them, but I’ve actually really enjoyed myself, which I'm quite shocked about, to be honest.

How have you prepared to take on the challenge?

Very little preparation. I don't cook much. I did a little practice, and the practice just confirmed that I’m rubbish at cooking!

What do your family think of your cooking?

I don't cook a lot at home. My wife cooks for me and the kids because she makes sure they're fed properly and don't get food poisoning and stuff like that. So, I leave it up to her.

What would be your desert island dish?

Chicken tikka vindaloo, chips, garlic naan.

What are the three things you always have in your fridge and why? 

Three things I always have in my fridge. Milk, beer and butter. They are definitely three things that are always in my fridge at any one time.

Favourite dish to cook at home?

Cereal. I love cooking cereal, but even then, I get that wrong. The kids say I put too much milk in it.

Marcus Brigstocke

Comedian and Actor

Marcus Brigstocke

What made you want to do Celebrity MasterChef?

I’m a foodie - borderline obsessed with it and there’s also at nothing I don’t like. So that played a big part. But also a good friend of mine won Celebrity MasterChef a few years ago, and I'm absolutely done with him holding that victory over me. Alexis Conran - he's a really great mate and a brilliant chef.

What was it like walking into the MasterChef kitchen?

It is genuinely daunting. I’ve seen it on telly for so many years so to walk in and take part is surreal and intimidating. John and Gregg were so nice, very friendly and welcoming. But you’re still cooking for people who really know their stuff and also working in a kitchen where you don't quite know where everything is or how it works. In your own kitchen, there's a rhythm to how you cook and that all goes away on MasterChef. You’re like, ‘oh, what's this? I've run out of that. How do you turn these on?!’ That said I’m enjoying it.

How have you prepared to take on the challenge?

I have done a fair bit of practice cooking. I've been up to see Alexis a couple of times. I walked in and demanded, ‘come on, man, give me the tips, give me the juice, give me the inside stuff’. I’m trying so hard. I want to do well.

What do your family think of your cooking?

They like it, generally. I made something recently for my son that he would not eat and he wasn't wrong, it wasn't good. But that was partly me practicing something brand new for MasterChef, so that's okay. It was gross and it all stuck together and felt grainy and weird in your mouth. But I do the cooking much of the time and I really enjoy it, and they are mostly pretty complimentary.

What would be your desert island dish?

Probably Paella. It’s perfect for a desert island. Lots of wonderful fish fresh from the sea. I’d just need to grow rice, onions, tomatoes and saffron… Mmmm paella!

What are the three things you always have in your fridge and why? 

Cheese. Other cheeses and cheese. I'm a level one cheese master and an international cheese judge. Seriously.

Favourite dish to cook at home?

For the last year or so it's been biryani. A proper biryani is really something. I always thought it was just rice with the meat mixed in, but if you do it properly it's exceptionally good. There's something about breaking the pastry lid on a biryani and those aromas coming out that I hugely enjoy.

Mica Ven

TV Personality

Mica Ven

What made you want to do Celebrity MasterChef?

You know what, I feel like that title of being a MasterChef is very sexy. There's just something about it. I really wanted to do this and show off the culinary skills that I have. I'm an amateur, but, you know, I can cook!

What was it like walking into the MasterChef kitchen?

Walking into the kitchen for the first time was definitely nerve-wracking because John and Gregg are there. Getting to know them from that first challenge kind of eases the nerves a little bit.

How have you prepared to take on the challenge?

I prepared by cooking to a timer because that's something I've never done at all. So I've prepared by sticking my timer on, seeing how long I take and measuring - I never cook with measurements. I normally just fling everything in. So that’s how I've been preparing.

What do your family think of your cooking?

My family think I'm really good cook. They do. They like my food and I know they're not lying because they would tell me if my food isn’t nice. They genuinely kind of gas me up and make me think that I'm a good chef. So, hopefully they're not liars!

What would be your desert island dish?

If I was trapped on a desert island. Oh, God. One thing? That's mean! Maybe a really nice burger with cheese oozing out the sides with some caramelized onions. That’ll do.

What are the three things you always have in your fridge and why? 

I've always got garlic, chicken slices and eggs. Because if all else fails, you just make a sandwich! And there’s always bread!

Favourite dish to cook at home?

Anything West Indian. I like cooking Jamaican food. Anything with colour. I like my brown stews, so chicken, fish.

Richie Anderson

TV and Radio Personality

Richie Anderson

What made you want to do Celebrity MasterChef?

I wanted to do Celebrity MasterChef because I want to get more confident in the kitchen. I work on the breakfast show on BBC Radio 2. I’m up early and I get home tired, so I'm quite lazy in the kitchen. That's my excuse anyway! I just throw things in the oven, bung things in the microwave, but I wanted to come here to learn. My aim is to come on here and get good enough to throw a summer garden party where I've cooked everything for all my friends and family.

What was it like walking into the MasterChef kitchen?

Oh my goodness me! Walking into that kitchen for the first time was terrifying. It's like an Aladdin's cave but full of food and kitchenware. I didn't know where to turn, I was a bit like a bull in a china shop. And of course, I'm stood there in front of John and Gregg. I mean, that's enough to get anybody's heart racing.

How have you prepared to take on the challenge?

I don't cook a lot but for the past week we have had home cooked meals every single night for dinner. So, spare a thought for my poor other half who has had to eat them, bless him. I've be making everything from scratch and following recipe books, just hoping things sink in and stick. I feel like it’s improved my palette a bit, but I'm here to learn.

What do your family think of your cooking?

Dean would give me a 10 out of 10, so if he could be one of the judges with John and Gregg, I would much appreciate that.

What’s your desert island dish?

This might be a bit of a left field one, but I remember in school you used to get those strawberry cornflake cakes? It was like a tart on the bottom, strawberry jam, and then corn flakes on top. It just reminds me of the school hall, and they were delicious. So, if I was on a desert island, I would take that with me.

What are the three things you always have in your fridge and why? 

Ah! Booze, cheese and… what else is in our fridge? Orange juice.

Favourite dish to cook at home?

My favourite dish to cook at home is a stir fry. I like a good stir fry with prawns and pineapple in it. I love putting fruit in my food. Even if I do chicken, rice and peas I put fruit in the sauce, I mix in a bit of apple, a bit of orange, a bit of pineapple. I'm not a big fan of spice, so I always use fruit to sweeten everything up.

Do you like pineapple on pizza?

Yeah, I'm obsessed. Actually, I'm changing my desert island dish. Cheese, ham and pineapple pizza.