I’m the new MasterChef judge and I was utterly surprised to be asked to take over

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I’m thrilled to be hosting the new season of Celebrity MasterChef! I was completely shocked when I was offered the job. I’ve been a dedicated viewer of the show since it started back in 1990, so it’s a real honor to be taking over.

If you ask people in television about their jobs, they usually talk about how excited they are. But I really mean it – I’ve been completely dedicated to this show for a long time, and now I finally have a leading role!

I have vivid memories of my mother making corned beef hash in a pressure cooker when I was growing up. I remember being in our kitchen on Harold Street in Carlisle, England, in 1978, as she served it – a hearty mix of corned beef, carrots, onions, peas, and potatoes – into our bowls. If it wasn’t quite saucy enough, we always added ketchup.

Whenever someone on set uses a pressure cooker while filming with Anna Haugh (who will be co-hosting MasterChef with me next year), I jokingly remind her of my 1970s childhood!

I started cooking when I was young, but the first impressive dish I mastered was an asparagus and champagne risotto with aged Parmesan – it felt really sophisticated back in 1998! I was living in a large house-share in Camden with five driven women working in the media at the time. I’d always make my risotto when I had a date, hoping to impress whoever I was cooking for.

I originally created this dish when I competed on the MasterChef: Battle of the Critics Christmas special in 2023. I’ve always found that a perfectly made risotto is a real crowd-pleaser, and I knew I could pull it off within the show’s time limit. In fact, I’d practiced making it even under pressure – I once made it while getting ready for an event and trying to decide what to wear!

I remember it like it was yesterday – 1996, and I was at Marie Claire. They gave me a chance to run a page called ‘The London Section,’ and that’s where I wrote my very first restaurant review. I went to Mango Room in Camden and tried curried goat and jerk chicken. Honestly, I hadn’t really explored Caribbean food much before then, so it was a total new experience!

Having lived in Carlisle and then Scotland, moving to London felt amazing – like stepping into a vibrant, colorful new world. I quickly discovered how challenging being a food critic could be, though. I’d admired critics like Michael Winner, thinking their job – simply eating and reviewing – seemed ideal. But writing my own review opened my eyes. Visiting a place like Mango Room, a small family-run restaurant, made me realize how much heart and soul the staff poured into their work.

The money you spend pays for people’s children’s food, so you have to take it seriously.

People often ask me what certain dishes taste like, and the answer is usually exactly what you’d expect. As a food critic, I’m frequently presented with unusual cuts of meat – things like spleen or parts of the small intestine – and expected to praise them. It’s common for chefs to ask, “Isn’t this delicious?” while offering something from the animal’s digestive system. While I’m supposed to be open-minded and try everything, I often find myself politely forcing a smile while wondering if they’re being serious.

What really bothers me is how expensive some restaurants are. Whenever I spend £650 for a meal for two, I can’t help but think about how that money could have gone to a good cause, like the Rock Youth Project in Currock.

While we were filming, I was so focused on my work that I didn’t have a moment to think about my personal life – not about home, or my family, or anything else. Then, one of the stars mentioned a venison dish that reminded them of fall, and suddenly I burst into tears.

Everyone was fantastic – they really let their personalities shine. I recall one celebrity contestant who hadn’t done much cooking before participating in the show.

She really didn’t believe in her own abilities. She always made extremely healthy food, avoiding things like butter and sugar. But we encouraged her to cook something indulgent – steak and potatoes with rich sauces and buttery vegetables. Seeing her enjoy it was amazing; she seemed to blossom right before our eyes.

As told to Steve O’Brien.

Celebrity MasterChef will air on Monday 17th November at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer.

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2025-11-11 20:38