Get ready for all manner of slicing, dicing, whisking, and blitzing as a crop of brand-new celebrities get their aprons on and head into TV’s most famous kitchen for Celebrity MasterChef 2023.

In this week’s first heat, Inbetweeners actor James Buckley is joined by Love Island winner Dani Dyer, ex-Gogglebox star Mica Ven, comedian Marcus Brigstocke, and TV and radio personality Richie Anderson, as they take on a string of culinary challenges under the watchful eyes of resident judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace.

Over the next six weeks, all our famous faces will be hoping to showcase enough skill to follow in the footsteps of last year’s winner, presenter Lisa Snowdon, to become Celebrity MasterChef champion 2023. Here Gregg, 58, gives us the lowdown… 

What do you most look forward to about judging Celebrity MasterChef?

Gregg Wallace: "It's really good fun. Because these people are used to the camera, for most of them, the TV studio isn't a scary place, so they're fairly chilled out but some cannot cook at all. So we get lots of undercooked dishes, strange concoctions… and lots of disasters!"

At the heats begin, the celebrities’ first challenge is Under The Cloche, where each star has to create a delicious dish based around one mystery ingredient…

"The absolute terror on the celebrities' faces when they realise that they're actually expected to cook. They come into the kitchen and go: “Oh, it's real?” And John and I are like: 'Yes, we want you to cook, so off you go!'"

There are two new challenges this series, namely Celebrity Food Truck and Hunter Gather Cook...

"You need to keep changing the format, so the contestants can’t predict what’s going to happen. For the hunter gatherer challenge we had the celebs out in a field, cooking on these massive barbecues and roasting things in clay pits. Proper rugged cookery, I love that!"

Are there any recurring ingredient trends or dishes this series?

"I like the move to more veg-based dishes and also the fusion of European cookery styles with Asian flavours. But I hate water baths! You usually just end up with undercooked meat without any colouring on the outside — but it's that caramelisation that gives meat its flavour. When I see someone use one, I quake in terror because they hardly ever get it right!"

What does it take for a celebrity to stand out? And what dish is guaranteed to win you over? 

"You've got to hit every challenge and not just get through it but impress us doing it. I’m always appreciative of effort and old-fashioned cookery skill, rather than just the prettiness of a dish. I love either roast lamb or a lamb cutlet that’s brown on the outside, and pink and juicy in the middle. With mint sauce. Give me that and I’ll hand you the Celebrity MasterChef title there and then!"

There have been 17 celebrity winners — do you have a favourite?

"England rugby captain Phil Vickery, who won in 2011, because he was a hero of mine. Just seeing the dexterity in making such delicate foods in those great, big rugby hands, was just phenomenal. I shouldn't have been surprised because he was such a ferocious competitor."

Do you have a wish list of celebs that you'd like to see on MasterChef in future?

"Martin Johnson, who captained England to victory in the 2003 Rugby World Cup. I would also like to have seen Terry Wogan do MasterChef. Obviously he's no longer with us, sadly, but he was a legend of broadcasting, a big fan of the show and really into his food."

After the heats, the best celebrity cooks must then battle it out in the quarter and semi-finals. Are you surprised by how much they become emotionally invested in the competition?

"The MasterChef kitchen is actually a really comfortable place to be with me and John. We don’t try to make fun of the celebrities or criticise them; we critique, encourage, offer advice and guidance and gently push them in the right direction to get better, so that everybody — regardless of where they get in the competition — comes away learning something. And we want everybody to enjoy it. We’re not just judges, we're the hosts, the celebrities are the guests and that’s how we want them to feel."

Celebrity MasterChef returns on Wednesday, August 2 at 9 pm on BBC1.

Gregg Wallace has confirmed he'll be stepping down from BBC series Inside the Factory, so that he can focus on family commitments.

The presenter has worked on Inside the Factory for seven years but has decided to leave that job to focus on his son, Sid, who has autism. Sid is non-verbal and needs additional support with education, and Gregg said that he is a "lovely, lovely little boy" with a "wonderful mother" but "it's not easy".

Speaking to Gaby Roslin on BBC Radio London, he added: "So I’ve made a decision that I’m actually not going to do Inside the Factory anymore.

"It’s a good time to stop doing it because there are actually 12 episodes in the can… so I wouldn’t have been filming for a while anyway, so it just seemed like a good idea to stop it."

Reflecting on his decision to support his wife Anna, Gregg Wallace said: "Imagine a child that you can't threaten or bribe and that's basically what you've got.

"You've got a little boy who's cuddly and happy and naughty like any little boy would be, but he can't speak, he can't talk to you, so he gets frustrated because he finds it difficult to tell you what exactly it is he needs.

"Right now, we need to find education for him and I can't just leave that to Anna — that's a big, big decision."

Although he is stepping down from Inside the Factory, Gregg is believed to still be working on MasterChef and spin-off MasterChef: The Professionals, which he has hosted alongside John Torode, Marcus Wareing, Monica Galetti and Anna Haugh over the years.

Meanwhile, the BBC said a new Inside the Factory presenter will be announced "in due course," so we will have to wait patiently to see who'll be taking on the role.

Jack Bootle, the BBC's head of specialist factual, said Gregg Wallace has been "integral to the success" of the series and has brought "humor, intelligence and genuine curiosity to one of the BBC's biggest returning factual brands".

He added: "I'd like to thank him for all his hard work and commitment to the program."

While we don't know who will take over for Inside the Factory, a new series presented by Gregg Wallace, Cherry Healey and Ruth Goodman, will launch on BBC Two in April.

Celebrity chef Gregg Wallace has become a household name after joining weekend cooking show, Saturday Kitchen, in 2002. Since then Gregg has found fame talking about all things food-related, and has presented shows like Eat Well for Less and Inside the Factory.

But it is his role on MasterChef and Celebrity MasterChef, which he co-presents with fellow chef, John Torode, that Gregg is probably best known for.

Most fans of the chef will know that:

• He also presents historical TV shows for the BBC.
• He's written for Good Food and Olive magazine.
• He loves a good pudding!
• He presents other shows for Channel 5, including Gregg Wallace’s Magical Christmas Markets at the end of 2021.

Gregg Wallace: little known facts about the celebrity chef...

1. He started his career as a greengrocer 

Gregg kick-started his career by selling vegetables at a stall in Covert Garden, but it didn't take long for him to set up his business, George Allan's Greengrocers, which was hugely successful. He was then invited to present Radio 4 show Veg Talk... which aired for a staggering 7 years.

2. Gregg Wallace met his wife on Twitter 

In 2013 Gregg met Anna-Marie Sterpini on Twitter when she contracted him to ask if rhubarb really went with duck after watching him cook a recipe on TV. He told Hello Magazine: "I just looked at Anna's photo and thought, 'Wow, she's pretty!'" The pair then started swapping messages on social media before organising a dinner date in London.

3. John Torode was best man at his wedding

Three years after meeting on social media, Gregg and Anna tied the knot at Heaver Castle in Kent. Gregg asked his MasterChef co-host John to be his best man, insisting there was no one better for the job. He told Hello: "There is no part of my life John isn't aware of. He's seen me though the good, the bad and the ugly and has always been there for me, so it was a very easy choice to make."

More: Things you didn't know about Rowan Atkinson 

4. He's launched his own fitness brand 

After being told by doctors that his cholesterol levels were dangerously high, Gregg took on a weight-loss programme and dropped an amazing four stone. Since then Gregg has launched his own fitness website called ShowMe.Fit, and his wife, Anna, is also involved. For £7 a month, fans can join up and revive workouts, nutritional information and motivation, all devised by Gregg himself and personal trainer Danny Rai.

5. He loves taking part in reality TV shows

Gregg appeared in BBC singing contest Just the Two of Us in 2007, where he was paid with professional singer Carol Decker, the lead singer for 1980s band, T'Pau. The pair were sadly the first to be eliminated. In 2014 Gregg took part in Strictly Come Dancing and was partnered with professional dancer Aliona Vilani. The pair were voted out by the public in the second week.

6. He's best friends with his wife's mum

Gregg has admitted that he gets on brilliantly with Anna's mum, Rena, because they are around the same age. The TV chef revealed that the pair of them will chat about TV shows and 1970s chart hits, but his wife who is 22 years his junior, has no idea what they're talking about. He told The Sun: "I love Rena - we have such a giggle. We remember the same TV shows and songs... this morning we were singing Boney M at breakfast and Anna has no idea!"

7. He's a huge rugby fan

After growing up playing rugby at school, Gregg is a huge follower of the sport and he spends his downtime watching his beloved Rugby Football Club, Wasps. His nephew was even in the Wasps academy.

Gregg Wallace's Fact File 

Answers to the most frequently asked questions about the celebrity chef....

Twitter: @GregAWallace

Instagram: @greggawallace

Catch Celebrity MasterChef on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

We work hard to ensure that all information is correct. Facts that change over time, such as age, will be correct, to the best of our knowledge, at the time of the last article update.

Main pic: Getty

Gregg Wallace’s Big Weekend Away season 2 is well underway!

The series sees the beloved Masterchef UK presenter and broadcaster taking weekend trips away to fabulous cities across the whole of Europe. On every trip, he tries to cram in loads of stuff to make the most of his journeys.

From trying traditional dishes to trying on traditional outfits, you’ll see Gregg getting up to all sorts on his jolly holidays! 

Here’s everything you need to know about Gregg Wallace’s Big Weekend Away season 2! 

Gregg Wallace’s Big Weekend Away season 2 release date 

Gregg Wallace’s Big Weekend Away season 2 began on May 12, 2021 on Channel 5, continuing on Fridays at 8pm. If you’ve missed any of Gregg’s adventures so far, you can find them all on My5! 

How many episodes of Gregg Wallace’s Big Weekend Away are there? 

The second season of Gregg Wallace’s Big Weekend Away is six episodes long.

Where has Gregg been so far? 

In Gregg Wallace’s Big Weekend Away, Gregg has already visited plenty of landmarks and tasted lots of lush food! He started out the second series in Athens, Greece, where he learned about the birth of the Olympics and the world of Greek mythology. He even managed to pack in a visit to the Acropolis, too!

Then he spent three days in Istanbul, Turkey, where he sampled street food on a unique food crawl through a whole host of vendors and then had his fortune told using coffee grains! 

His third trip took him to Budapest, the capital of Hungary, where he visited one of the largest castles in Europe, toured the city in a Cold War-era Jeep and watched an impressive display of horsemanship.

Week four saw him travelling to Berlin where he learned about the city’s amazing history, tried some classic German cuisine and then threw himself into the nightlife when he attended a rave!

On Friday, June 11 he’s heading to Amsterdam in the Netherlands for a sightseeing tour of the city’s canals and art galleries, and then his final getaway to Vienna, Austria will be broadcast on June 17!

Is there a trailer?

Channel 5 has teased what Gregg gets up to in a few clips, but to get the best idea of what the show really looks like, watch the clip below!

Mostly, it’s Gregg Wallace trying a whole host of food and getting up to a fair bit of mischief as he tours Europe!

More factual shows to enjoy

• Best BBC documentaries
• Extraordinary Escapes with Sandi Toksvig
• Blitz Spirit with Lucy Worsley
• Bear Grylls Wild Adventure
• Attenborough Life in Colour
• Jamie: Keep Cooking Family Favourites

MasterChef judge reveals the one thing contestants shouldn't do

MasterChef judge Gregg Wallace has revealed the one thing contestants should NEVER do if they want to impress him – LIE to make their dish sound exotic!

"It’s my pet hate," says Gregg, who returns for MasterChef 2021, which starts on Monday March 1 at 9pm on BBC1.

"I’ve learnt over the years that if people prefix their dish with a geographical location it’s usually rubbish! If you make a good fish stew, just call it a fish stew! Don’t give it a geographical position and say it’s a ‘Vietnamese fish stew’ in the hope of making it sound more authentic. Anyone who names their dish after some exotic place they’ve been on holiday makes me suspicious."

"It’s true," grins fellow MasterChef judge John Torode. "One of the biggest lessons – which all contestants should learn actually – is don’t make up some wacky story about their dish when it’s not true! Don’t say it’s a Portuguese family favourite or Mexican staple if you’re not entirely convinced it is, because Gregg will research it and pull you apart if he finds out it’s tosh! He hates people trying to pull the wool over his eyes."

Here, the judging duo reveal what’s in store for the 40 contestants hoping to be crowned this year’s MasterChef champion…

Any new challenges this series?

Gregg: "There’s a new Favourite Ingredient Challenge in the early heats: the idea being that contestants should be able to rustle up something half-decent with food they love – although not always! And later we task them with impressing us with four themes: street food, a classic pudding, a holiday-inspired dish and stone fruit!" John: "Giving a little twist to each series is one of the secrets of our success. It’s important to evolve and keep fresh."

MORE: Casualty star Amanda Mealing takes break after 18 years as Connie

Do you both guess the winner early in the contest?

John: "Oh, we’ve always found our winner in the first two weeks. And by week four they’ve gone!" Gregg: "Over the years I’ve learnt that it’s not the best contestants at the start that win the contest; it’s the ones who listen to advice from John and their fellow contestants who progress the most."

How tricky was it filming during the pandemic?

Gregg: "Luckily, cooking doesn’t have to be a group activity so we could film the series, although things were quite different. I liked that contestants had to make two separate plates for us, so there was no elbowing each other for the best bits! It was the physical side I missed most – not being able to hug John or the crew! John: "I was careful to social distance, follow the rules and stay safe to protect myself and others."

Have you spotted any new cookery trends this series?

John: "We’re served a lot of lamb and unfortunately it’s the worst-cooked dish! Why people think a thick lamb rack cooks in 15 minutes I don’t know." Gregg: "Lamb sashimi anyone? For crying out loud! We’ve got some experimental cooks this year: look out for squid cooked five ways, that’s an interesting invention!

Anything you can tell us about the final?"

John: "That there’s a fight to the end. I love that!" Gregg: "You can tell people have practised cooking more in lockdown as the standard’s higher than ever. We’ve got a brilliant contest and champion for you."

Article written by Rebecca Fletcher.

MasterChef judge Gregg Wallace is swapping the kitchen for sunny travels in his new series Gregg Wallace: Big Weekends Away. Even though we can't travel ourselves right now, we can escape to some picturesque locations from the comfort of our own homes. In this series, Gregg starts his journey in Barcelona before heading to Rome, where he'll explore everything these cities have to offer.

Speaking to The Express, Gregg said of the episodes: "They’re light-hearted, happy affairs these shows, and hopefully it will give people reminders of how we used to be and what is coming up. We can’t be in this situation forever.”

Here's everything you need to know about the new series...

When is Gregg Wallace: Big Weekends Away on Channel 5?

The first episode of Gregg Wallace: Big Weekends Away airs on Friday February 12 on Channel 5 at 9pm. Following episodes will air weekly at the same time.

Where does Gregg visit in Gregg Wallace: Big Weekends Away?

Gregg Wallace: Big Weekends Away sees the presenter visiting Barcelona, where he'll uncover the city's artistic side in the incredible architecture of Antoni Gaudi. He'll also attempt a self-portrait in the style of Pablo Picasso. Of course there's plenty of great food too, as he enjoys the city's Tapas restaurants. 

The second episode is set in Rome, where he sees the sights on the back of a scooter and even goes inside the famous Trevi Fountain. After that, he'll discover that some of the best food in the city is often the cheapest, as he samples local ice-cream, gelato, and classic Roman breakfast sweet treats.

Is there a trailer for Gregg Wallace: Big Weekends Away?

Yes, and it sees Gregg look aghast in Barcelona as a massive human tower is built involving 10 levels of people. “Is that safe?” asks a worried looking Gregg. The reply comes: “Well, there’s always a risk but less than 3 per cent of all the towers that we build actually fall.” Hmmm...

John Torode and Gregg Wallace on MasterChef 2020, and why the stakes are higher than ever…

MasterChef studios in East London are one of our favourite places to visit.

The established cooking series is now sixteen years old and hasn’t lost any of its flavour. Judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace haven’t lost any of their enthusiasm for the format either.

"I’m regularly amazed to the point where I want to have contestants backgrounds checked to see that they’re not professional chefs!" says Gregg, 55. "That people are cooking like this in their own homes... I find it incredible!"

They’re in fine form when we sit down to talk about the new series, where fresh batches of contestants will be tested by two new cooking tasks, The Signature Dish and Three Ingredients Challenge. Competitors must also vie to impress an array of guest judges made up of previous MasterChef finalists and winners – including last year’s champion Irini Tzortzoglou!

“For me MasterChef is the most exciting time of the year,” says John, 54. “It’s not scripted and when you have people cooking their signature dish anything can happen. It’s the toughest cooking competition bar none. This year’s series is ace!”

With the standards constantly rising, Gregg and John have some advice for contestants...

“Contestants are better off not cooking dishes that we like in case they mess them up!” says Gregg, who also admits he’s fed up of weak explanations when things go wrong. “It’s not the dishes, it’s the excuses. If it’s undercooked you’ll regularly hear ‘I didn’t want to overcook it.’ I think, well no, but are they our only two options?”

“Contestants who cook the food they love often go a lot further than those who try to cook what they think we like,” agrees John, who adds: “I’m so bored of raw scallops! They’re molluscs that grow in different places, at different times of the year in different temperatures.

“Every single scallop you cook is completely different. You can’t put ten in one pan and think they’re going to cook the same!”

MasterChef returns to BBC1 on Monday 24th February at 9pm