Celebrity MasterChef 2021 contestants: Line up in full from Joe Swash to Katie Price
CELEBRITY Masterchef is well underway on BBC One with one of its strongest line-up.
Twenty familiar faces, from Katie Price to Stacey Solomon's fiancé Joe Swash, have accepted to take on the weekly heats.
Who is competing in Celebrity Masterchef 2021?
MasterChef is already dramatic - but throw in a hefty dose of Pricey into the mix and you're sure to have a recipe for mayhem.
As usual, Gregg Wallace and John Torode are in charge, while guest chefs including This Morning's Nisha Katona are judging their talents.
The full Masterchef line-up includes a healthy dose of media personalities such as the Sewing Bee judge Patrick Grant and media star Penny Lancaster, as well as comedians, actors, and famous hosts.
Scroll to know more about this year's contestants as well as who is still in the race.
Who has been eliminated from Celebrity Masterchef 2021?
With the sixteenth instalment of Masterchef kicking off on Monday, August 9, 2021, a number of contestants have already been booted out of the competition.
But who couldn't handle the heat in the kitchen?
Duncan James - ELIMINATED
The Blue singer, 43, took part in the Week 1 heat, on August 9, 2021.
But while fans were hoping to see him do better than bandmate Lee Ryan, who stormed off Hell's Kitchen after an argument with Marco Pierre White, Duncan was eliminated at the start of the competition.
Nabil Abdulrashid - ELIMINATED
He got to the final of Britain's Got Talent last year - on a wave of Ofcom complaints - thanks to his edgy routines.
Said to be a "pretty decent cook" by multiple insiders, the pressure was too hot to handle for the funnyman and he left the Masterchef kitchen after Week 2's heat.
Munya Chawawa - ELIMINATED
Comedian Munya Chawawa is known on social media for his sketches where he plays characters like posh drill rapper Unknown P.
He also brings the laughter as a star of Michael Dapaah's hit show Belly Must Go, starring Wes Nelson and Maya Jama.
The 28-year-old brought his skills to the Masterchef kitchen during Week 1's challenge. He was unfortunately eliminated.
Rita Simons - ELIMINATED
Famously killed off as EastEnders Roxy Mitchell in 2017, Rita Simons did not survive long in the kitchen.
The actress was one of the first contestants to be eliminated from the sixteenth instalment of Masterchef, after the Week 1 heat.
Penny Lancaster - ELIMINATED
Former Loose Women star (and Mrs Rod Stewart) Penny Lancaster was expected to bring a touch of "glamour" to Celebrity Masterchef.
The 50-year-old is certainly no stranger to fine-dining, getting dinner at London celeb hotspot The Ned with her husband almost the moment lockdown was lifted this month.
She was eliminated following the Week 2 challenge.
Patrick Grant - ELIMINATED
He's one of the kings of Savile Row, but the Great British Sewing Bee judge and tailoring mastermind has traded in his sharp suit for a stained apron.
The 48-year-old Scot turned his talents to cooking - and instead of marking other people's work he had Gregg and John to contend with.
Much like Penny and Nabil, he joined the eliminated contestants list following the latest Masterchef on August 18, 2021.
Will Kirk - ELIMINATED
The Repair Shop's Will Kirk has hours to restore antique furniture on the sleepy BBC nostalgia hit.
It was something of a change of gear on Masterchef, where Gregg Wallace likes to stomp around shouting while people are trying to cook.
Will was eliminated on Monday, August 23, 2021.
Melissa Johns - ELIMINATED
Actress Melissa is best known for playing Hannah Taylor in BBC drama life and Coronation Street's Imogen Pascoe.
The 31-year-old, who was born without a right forearm and hand, threw herself into Masterchef 2021. She didn't have the best of luck, however, as she was also recently eliminated.
The following contestants are on their way to next cooking challenges in the hopes of becoming the best celebrity chef.
Katie Price - ELIMINATED
She's most used to cooking up media storms in her rollercoaster life as a reality star and mum of five.
But now we get to see Pricey - who says she's honed her skills cooking for her "fussy" children - whipping up dishes.
A source told The Sun: “Katie’s really excited for people to see a different side to her - she’s actually a really good cook, and wants to show off her kitchen skills."
Su Pollard - SEMI-FINALIST
MasterChef bosses have described actress Su - quite rightly as a "national treasure".
The 71-year-old star became a household name in 1980 after she was cast as chalet maid Peggy Ollerenshaw in Hi-de-Hi!
She was one of the first contestants to secure her place in the semi-final, following the Week 1 challenge.
Melanie Sykes - SEMI-FINALIST
Glamour girl Mel has literally hosted cooking shows including Humble Pie, with chef Marco Pierre White, and Let’s Do Lunch with Gino D’Acampo.
The 50-year-old presenter has reached the semi-final during Week 2 of the competition, on August 18, 2021.
Megan McKenna - SEMI-FINALIST
We know her McDonald's order ("extra gherkins, no bun") thanks to her sweary social media posts, but viewers were interested to see what Megan makes of fine dining.
Given her track record in smashing reality TV - X Factor: Celebrity, Towie and co - we wouldn't bet against the 28-year-old triumphing once again.
And she appears to be well on her way: Megan is one of Masterchef's semi-finalist.
Dion Dublin
Ex-footballer Dion Dublin is best known these days not just for his sporting prowess but for hosting Homes Under The Hammer.
Can the 51-year-old add cookery and 'Masterchef champion' alongside goal-scoring and property on his ever-growing CV?
Johannes Radebe
Johannes - one of the few stars to make an effort with an elegant pose in their Celebrity MasterChef kitchen - is sure to be hilarious.
The Strictly Come Dancing favourite made history as one half of the show's first same-sex dance in 2019? Will 2021 be a year to remember too?
Gavin Esler
Heavyweight newsman Gavin quit the BBC in 2017 after a career on Newsnight and various bulletins.
Now the 68-year-old is back with a frying man in one hand and a potato peeler in the other. Will the headline be 'Estler wins Masterchef'? Time will tell.
Kadeena Cox
Paralympian Kadeena Cox is a gold-winning paralympian but also an absolute veteran of celebrity reality shows.
She has appeared on Celebrity Bake Off, Celebrity Mastermind (specialist subject: Arsenal) and even Celebrity Robot Wars, with a killing machine named after herself that destroyed allcomers.
Will she manage to do the same -metaphorically - on Masterchef?
Kem Cetinay
Love Island isn't famed for its cuisine, unless you count the efforts of sandwich man Joe Garratt, but Kem is on a mission to change all that.
The 24-year-old reality star has made a fortune from the show and all the jobs it has brought him and now literally owns a restaurant.
A source explained: "Kem is so passionate about food he opened his own restaurant and he wants to take any new tips and tricks over to his new venture.”
Joe Swash
Joe Swash - who is engaged to Loose Women panellist Stacey Solomon - is riding high after winning the 2020 series of Dancing On Ice.
But now the 39-year-old is looking to do for cuisine what he did for making gliding around a rink look easy.
An insider told us: "Joe's really good in the kitchen and thinks he stands a good chance on the show - even if Stacey might disagree!"
Michelle Collins
Her character Cindy Beale had the EastEnders caff named after her, but is Michelle any good at cooking herself?
We're about to find out as the soap legend, 59, tries to impress Gregg and John. Giving her Beale heritage, surely fish and chips is a must.
Bez
We know he can shake a maraca, but can Happy Mondays legend Bez pull of a meringue?
The 56-year-old star - whose real name is Mark Berry - is certain to bring comedy, and perhaps a few surprises, to the hit show.
An insider said: "He has the guts to push himself a little bit further than maybe others would dare in the competition. Plus he’s an absolute legend to have around the set."
When is Celebrity Masterchef 2021 on TV and how can I watch it?
Celebrity Masterchef airs every Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays at 9pm on BBC One.