The return date for Celebrity MasterChef has been confirmed, and fans don’t have long to wait. The star-studded spin-off, now in its 21st season, sees celebrities pushed to compete in intense culinary challenges across several weeks until one comes out victorious.
After this year’s line-up was confirmed, it has been announced that season 21 of Celebrity MasterChef will return to BBC One and iPlayer on Tuesday, 18 August, at 9pm.
It will then air on Wednesday, 19 August at 9pm, followed by a third episode at 8pm on Friday, 21 August.
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Heat one will see Emily Campbell, Jason Mohammad, Shakira Khan, Joe Pasquale, and Jay McGuinness don their chef whites.
They will be followed by Donna Preston, Emily Steel, Eric Underwood, Nitin Ganatra, and Tom Simons in heat two.
Heat three is made up of Lauren Steadman, Max Fosh, Melvin Odoom, Sue Cleaver, and Una Healy.
The latest celebrity season also features a new judge in Giorgio Locatelli, joining Grace Dent, who made her co-host debut in 2025 on MasterChef alongside Anna Haugh.
Speaking ahead of his show debut, Michelin-star chef Locatelli said: “Hosting Celebrity MasterChef alongside Grace is a real honour. I can’t wait for you to see what our celebrity contestants bring to the kitchen, as we are really putting their culinary skills to the test in this series.”
Dent added in a statement: “Giorgio Locatelli is a fabulous addition to our UK Celebrity MasterChef team. I’m a long-time admirer of his work and was a huge fan of Locanda Locatelli; for many years, it was one of my happy places to eat.
“I couldn’t be happier to combine our shared joy, passion, and expertise for food. I also love an opportunity to serve up a heavy dose of glamour in the MasterChef kitchen, and I have a feeling Giorgio is going to give me a real run for my money.”
Celebrity MasterChef season 21 begins on Tuesday, 18 August at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
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