About this season
Chef and restaurateur John Torode and food writer and ingredients expert Gregg Wallace search for the country's top celebrity chef.
Episodes (18)
1. Episode 1
Aired 9 August 2021 • 30 min
Su Pollard, Rita Simons, Duncan James, Bez and Munya Chawawa compete in the first heat of the celebrity contest, hosted by John Torode and Gregg Wallace. The first challenge is a new round, Under The Cloche, in which each contestant must prepare a meal showcasing a different mystery ingredient. Afterwards, they must prepare a popular street food dish from Denmark, and come up with something special for a dinner party.
2. Episode 2
Aired 10 August 2021 • 30 min
The four remaining contenders face more culinary challenges as they battle for a place in the quarter-final. In previous years they have been sent to work with a professional chef - but this year the chef is coming to the studio, starting with Nisha Katona, who challenges the celebrities to cook an Indian dish from her restaurant menu. In addition the hopefuls must identify different types of cheese and make a classic pasta carbonara.
3. Episode 3
Aired 13 August 2021 • 30 min
Familiar faces from the world of comedy, drama, sport, showbusiness and music compete to take the 2021 title The contest reaches the quarter-final and the battle for the first two semi-final places. The three remaining celebrities must cook a faultless two course meal that will not only be judged by John Torode and Gregg Wallace, but also three former Celebrity MasterChef champions - last year's winner, broadcaster and internet personality Riyadh Khalaf, former Pussycat Doll Kimberly Wyatt and TV presenter Angellica Bell.
4. Episode 4
Aired 16 August 2021 • 30 min
Penny Lancaster, Megan McKenna, Melanie Sykes, Patrick Grant and Nabil Abdulrashid enter the kitchen for the next round. They face another round of the new Under The Cloche challenge, in which each contestant must prepare a meal showcasing a different mystery ingredient. The next rounds require them to make a popular street food dish from Vietnam and come up with a meal suitable for a dinner party.
5. Episode 5
Aired 17 August 2021 • 30 min
The four remaining contenders face more culinary challenges as they battle for a place in the quarter-final. One of the UK's top fish specialists, Mitch Tonks, is in the studio to challenge each of the four celebrities to cook one of his favourite seafood recipes. But before that, the hopefuls must identify different types of flavourings and make calamari and tartar sauce. For their final challenge, judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace ask the celebrities to serve up one dish inspired by a holiday.
6. Episode 6
Aired 20 August 2021 • 30 min
The quarter-final sees the three remaining celebrities tasked to prepare a faultless two-course meal that will not only be judged by hosts John Torode and Gregg Wallace but also by 2011 series champion Phil Vickery, 2008 finalist Andi Peters and 2020 Christmas champion Craig Revel Horwood. Only the best two can come one step closer to winning the title, so for the one who doesn't cut the mustard, the journey ends here.
7. Episode 7
Aired 23 August 2021 • 30 min
In the third week of heats, the celebrities up for the culinary challenge are TV personality and author Katie Price, ex-England footballer and TV presenter Dion Dublin, actor and presenter Joe Swash, furniture restorer Will Kirk and actor Melissa Johns.
8. Episode 8
Aired 24 August 2021 • 30 min
Chef Sabrina Gidda challenges each of the four remaining celebrities to cook one of her favourite recipes.
9. Episode 9
Aired 27 August 2021 • 30 min
In the third quarter-final, the celebrities cook for three former contestants: Sophie Thompson (2014 champion), John Partridge (2018 champion) and Vicky Pattison (2019 finalist).
10. Episode 10
Aired 1 September 2021 • 30 min
The contestants in the final week of heats are TV presenter Kem Cetinay, Paralympian Kadeena Cox, journalist Gavin Esler, Strictly Come Dancing's Johannes Radebe and actor Michelle Collins.
11. Episode 11
Aired 2 September 2021 • 30 min
2010 MasterChef finalist Alex Rushmer challenges the remaining four contestants to prepare a dish from his menu that includes no meat or fish and instead focuses on vegetables.
12. Episode 12
Aired 3 September 2021 • 30 min
In the last quarter-final, the celebrity cooks must prepare a two-course meal for former finalists Lisa Faulkner, Greg Rutherford and Rylan Clark-Neal.
13. Episode 13
Aired 8 September 2021 • 30 min
In the first semi-final, the celebrities are tested on their teamwork. Split into two teams, they must cook not together but in relay, without telling each other what they have done.
14. Episode 14
Aired 9 September 2021 • 30 min
The remaining seven celebrities must cook for Spanish restaurateur Nieves Barragan and prepare party bites inspired by the film Abigail's Party.
15. Episode 15
Aired 10 September 2021 • 30 min
In the last semi-final, the celebrities must produce one dish of their own design for three of the country’s most feared restaurant critics.
16. Episode 16
Aired 15 September 2021 • 30 min
It's finals week, and the five remaining cooks will be pushed to deliver food on a whole new level as they continue to battle to become champion.
17. Episode 17
Aired 16 September 2021 • 30 min
Finals week continues as the four best cooks face their penultimate challenge.
18. Episode 18
Aired 17 September 2021 • 30 min
Twenty celebrities started the battle to become MasterChef champion, and now only three remain. Tonight, one of them will be crowned champion, and just one challenge stands between them and the title.