Celebrity Masterchef’s John Torode and Gregg Wallace deliver their verdicts on final three
CELEBRITY MasterChef Judges Gregg Wallace and John Torode serve up their verdicts on the three celebrity contestants ahead of Friday's final.
Former Towie star Megan McKenna, actor and presenter Joe Swash and Olympic athlete Kadeena Cox will battle it out for the title of Celebrity MasterChef 2021.
Megan McKenna: Nerves? It's not unusual
MEGAN McKENNA was less fazed singing with Tom Jones than cooking in MasterChef, according to John.
Megan has been supporting the Welsh superstar on his recent tour and hasn’t shown any sign of the nerves she displayed in the famous kitchen.
John says: “She’s standing in front of huge amounts of people proudly singing her heart out next to Tom Jones and looks far less nervous doing that compared to when she was making a beef Wellington.
“That always astounds me.”
Megan starred in Ex On The Beach, Celebrity Big Brother and Towie, before winning X Factor: Celebrity in 2019. And as a singer she’s even topped the country music chart.
John says he’s glad Megan made the final as her relationship with Joe and Kadeena is fun to watch.
He adds: “It’s a great line-up for the final. They all like to gyp each other and give each other a hard time.
“Because they have a similar sense of humour they are able to take a prod here and there.”
Judges' verdict
PROS: Good all-around skill, methodical, does a lot of cooking at home.
CONS: She could do with being a little bit more organised.
Joe Swash: Joe's the Artful Dodger of the kitchen
GREGG says it’s incredible how former EastEnders star Joe Swash has got away with so much dodgy dealing on his way to the final.
Gregg says: “That man will try and squeeze out any bit of info he can get. He’s like the Artful Dodger of cookery.
“Whenever me and John passed him, he’d go, ‘’Ere, does that look all right? Does that taste all right? Is that enough salt?’. We’re like, ‘Joe, shut up! You’re on your own, son’.” However, Gregg credits him for being on the cusp of winning an unprecedented TV talent show treble – Celebrity MasterChef, I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! in 2008 and Dancing On Ice last year. He adds: “He’s a ferocious competitor behind this cheeky-chappie-I-don’t-know-what-I’m-doing persona. The amount of energy and drive that guy has got is unbelievable.”
Judges' verdict
PROS: Natural flair, great talent. He’s got a big heart and he really cares.
CONS: Chaotic – he cooks like he talks. Joe’s just so messy.
Kadeena Cox: Athletes feed on success
CELEBRITY MasterChef has been a happy hunting ground for sports stars over the years and Kadeena Cox is continuing the tradition.
The Paralympian, who won two cycling golds at last month’s Tokyo games, hopes to repeat the success of England rugby internationals Matt Dawson and Phil Vickery, plus long jumper Greg Rutherford, by taking home the coveted trophy.
Asked why sports personalities have a knack of reaching the finals, Gregg says: “They’re competitive by nature, but they’re also very clever.
“They’re not always brilliant starters, but they work it out very quickly.
“The other thing which is hugely impressive is they put in their homework, they cook like crazy at home.”
Rugby fan Gregg says he’s often approached by sports stars wanting to appear on the series.
But he tells them: “If the MasterChef management discovers we know each other there is no way you’re going on there.”
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Judges' verdict
PROS: Unbelievable cook, made some of the best dishes so far.
CONS: Too ambitious – almost cost her place in competition.
