For BBC Radio 2 host Richie Anderson, taking part in Celebrity MasterChef was “100% more terrifying” than his appearance on Strictly Come Dancing.
Then again, he credits judges Gregg Wallace and John Torode for “putting some spark” back into his relationship by making him a better cook.
Celebrity MasterChef returns for its 18th series this summer with a host of lively celebs battling it out in the kitchen to tingle the tastebuds of the judges.
The first five celebrities hoping to out-sauce their way to the top are Love Island star Dani Dyer, Inbetweeners actor James Buckley, radio presenter Anderson, comedian Marcus Brigstocke and Gogglebox star Mica Ven. Who’s got it in them to chop and spice their way to the trophy?
Kicking things off is a mystery challenge: each contestant is given a cloche, the silver-lidded platter concealing an unknown ingredient. With just an hour to create a mouth-tingling sensation, the heat is on.
The final culinary contest will see each celebrity preparing dinner party dishes – a main and a pudding – that they would whip up to impress their favourite guests.
We sat down with Anderson, 35, Dyer, 26, and Buckley, 35, to find out the highs and lows of the culinary extravaganza and what led them to join.
WHY DID YOU WANT TO TAKE PART IN CELEBRITY MASTERCHEF?
DD: I’ve always been a massive fan of the show. I’ve loved watching it as a viewer and I’m a 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.
JB: 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.
RA: When I got the call for MasterChef, I was like ‘Do you know what? I want to do this.’ And I told Dean (Eagles, his partner) and he was like ‘Hmm I’m not sure you’ve got to that level’. Kind of like the red rag to the bull and I thought I’m going to do this because you have to do things outside of your comfort zone, and I’ve not really cooked for anyone other than Dean. So I wanted to push the boundaries and take my unconventional style of cooking to Greg and John and onto national TV, because why not?
WHAT WAS IT LIKE WALKING INTO THE MASTERCHEF KITCHEN?
JB: Really daunting. Really, really daunting and nerve-racking. 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.
DD: I was shaking walking into the kitchen! We were 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. I think I just took loads of deep breaths and thought, right, this is 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.
RA: Celebrity MasterChef is 10 times more terrifying than Strictly Come Dancing. Honestly, I could walk into that ballroom on Strictly 10 times before I walked into that kitchen once on MasterChef. On Strictly, you’ve got a partner there who is an expert, who will hold your hand, who is there to use a bit of smoke and mirrors to make up for my deficiencies. On MasterChef there is no hiding place, everything’s exposed. It’s just you.
That moment when they take a bite of your food and there’s a two-minute break where they’re tasting and making their sort of Les Dawson lips and facials as they’re tasting your food (as if it) is the most terrible thing ever. Honestly, I can’t put it into words – it was 100% more terrifying that Strictly Come Dancing… The moment I walked into that kitchen for the first time, I was shaking like a leaf.
WHAT WAS THE BEST PART OF THE EXPERIENCE?
RA: It’s an amazing experience. I’m so glad that I got the opportunity to do it. And it’s given me so much more confidence at home in the kitchen. I am trying so many more things, eating foods that I wouldn’t have even thought about eating before going on MasterChef, chucking spices and herbs in there that I wouldn’t. It was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever done.
WHAT DO YOUR FAMILY THINK OF YOUR COOKING?
RA: I am the best cook in my house. However, only two of us live in the house. If you ask Dean, I’m the cook in the relationship. And I just love being in the kitchen, I find it really therapeutic… He’s been really impressed. We had a lamb roast yesterday and he just said ‘You’re getting better all the time’. The big winner here is my other half Dean really. He’s basically living with a Michelin-starred chef now.
JB: I don’t cook a lot at home. My wife cooks for me and the kids because she makes sure they’re fed and don’t get food poisoning and stuff like that. So I leave it up to her.
DD: My family do love my cooking. My mum doesn’t like my biscuit making so I’ve never made biscuits but 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!
Celebrity MasterChef starts on BBC One on Wednesday, August 2.
