Celebrity MasterChef set to take on ITV rival as return date confirmed – and it’s just days away
CELEBRITY MasterChef is returning to screens for a brand new series – and it’s just days away.
The beloved cooking competition show starring John Torode and Gregg Wallace will hit screens in less than two weeks.
The first episode will premiere on BBC One on Tuesday 12 August at 8pm, with the second instalment following on Thursday at the same time. Another episode will air on Fridays at 9pm, and the series will follow this schedule for six weeks.
Over the course of the series, judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace will be keeping a close eye on the culinary efforts of 20 celebs as they put them through increasingly intense challenges.
Each celebrity will be rolling up their sleeves as they step into the MasterChef kitchen, but only one will come out on top in this battle and earn the title of Celebrity MasterChef Champion 2024.
Teasing what to expect, Commissioning Editor for the BBC Sarah Clay, said: “The standard of this competition gets higher every year, so expect lots of laughs and some fierce rivalry as we’re set for some of the hardest challenges yet.
“These celebs are a brave brunch and are taking us on a brilliant ride – all in the trusty hands of our distinguished judges, John and Gregg.”
The timing of the new series premiere means the latest series of Celebrity MasterChef will rival Cooking With the Stars.
Emma Willis and Tom Allen’s cooking show returned for a fourth series on ITV1 last night (July 30). It features beloved celebs such as Carol Vorderman and Abbey Clancy.
Celebrity MasterChef has an all-star line-up for 2024
Celebrity MasterChef also has a star-studded line-up which includes reality star Charlotte Crosby, model and TV personality Christine McGuinness, Team GB sprinter and Gladiator star Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, Steps pop star Ian ‘H’ Watkins, and former EastEnders actor Danielle Harold.
The full line up for Celebrity MasterChef 2024 is as follows:
- Geordie Shore’s Charlotte Crosby
- Love Island alum Chloe Burrows
- Model and TV personality Christine McGuinness
- This Morning presenter Craig Doyle
Gregg Wallace's career to date
Gregg Wallace has been a familiar face on TV for years now thanks to his role as a judge on MasterChef - but let's take a closer look at his career so far...
- Gregg Wallace left school at 15 and started his career working on a fruit and veg stall in London.
- In 1989, he started George Allan’s Greengrocers, a company that grew to a turnover of £7.5 million.
- Gregg’s experience in the world of fruit and veg lead to him co-hosting Veg Talk on BBC Radio 4 with Charlie Hicks for seven years.
- He then became the first host of Saturday Kitchen in 2002, a role he held for a year before being replaced by Antony Worrall Thompson in 2003.
- At the same time, Gregg presented a number of food-related TV specials, including Veg Out for the Discovery Channel.
- Gregg landed his most notable TV role as a co-presenter and judge on BBC’s competitive cooking show MasterChef in 2005. He stars alongside John Torode.
- In 2010 Gregg pursued another life-long dream of opening a restaurant. He opened the establishment Wallace & Co. in Putney.
- Then, in 2012, he opened Gregg’s Bar & Grill in a joint venture with the Bermondsey Square Hotel.
- Gregg then scored a hosting gig with the BBC, presenting the documentary Supermarket Secrets in August 2013.
- Unfortunately, times were tough for Gregg, and in the same month, it was reported that one of his companies, West Veg Limited, had folded, owing more than £500,000.
- In 2014, both of his restaurants folded, with Wallace & Co owing suppliers £150,000.
- However, his TV career continued to thrive, and in 2015 became the regularly host of the award-winning documentary food series Eat Well for Less? Gregg helmed the show for eight years before stepping away.
- He also competed on Strictly Come Dancing.
- Gregg then made Telly history again when he revived the BBC’s historical game show Time Commanders.
- More recently, the celebrity chef has presented a number of travel programmes such as Big Weekends with Gregg Wallace, South Africa with Gregg Wallace, and the food mockumentary, Gregg Wallace: The British Miracle Meat.
- Former EastEnders star Danielle Harold
- Traitors star Diane Carson
- Glow Up judge Dominic Skinner
- Scottish radio DJ Edith Bowman
- Model and Strictly star Emma Thynn
- Beloved comedian and Sex Education alum Eshaan Akbar
- Team GB Sprinter and Gladiator star Harry Aikines-Aryeetey
- Steps pop star Ian ‘H’ Watkins
- X-Factor and Dancing on Ice star Jake Quickenden
- Have I Got News For You’s Jamie MacDonald
- Sugababes singer Mutya Buena
- BBC Radio 2 presenter, OJ Borg
- Line of Duty’s Rochenda Sandall
- TV presenter and I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! Alum Snoochie Shy
- Football Factory’s Tamer Hassan
- Strictly professional dancer Vito Coppola
Whichever of these celebs can handle the heat in the kitchen for six weeks will follow in the footsteps of previous winners like Wynne Evans, Lisa Snowdon, Kadeena Cox, Riyadh Khalaf, Greg Rutherford, John Partridge, Angellica Bell, Alexis Conran, Kimberly Wyatt, Sophie Thompson, Ade Edmondson, Emma Kennedy, Phil Vickery, Lisa Faulkner, Jayne Middlemiss, Liz McClarnon, Nadia Sawalha and Matt Dawson.