Published: 26 August 2024
It’s time for the third Heat week, which will see five brand new, but very familiar, faces enter the MasterChef arena.
The familiar faces taking on this momentous challenge this week are TV personality Jake Quickenden, model and TV personality Christine McGuinness, actor Tamer Hassan, comedian Jamie MacDonald and model Emma Thynn.
There’s little time for chit-chat, as they dive straight into their first task – Under The Cloche! Each celebrity will pick a silver dome, under which lies a secret ingredient. They then have just 60 minutes to create a dish that celebrates their chosen treasure. Amongst the ingredients tonight are duck, pear and chicken livers. First impressions are everything, as John and Gregg will be hoping for five plates of total deliciousness.
Next, all five will then have one more chance to keep their place in the competition, as they cook up their Dinner Party Dishes. This time, the pressure is on to deliver two divine plates of food that would satisfy the most demanding guests. Nobody will want to be first out, so let’s just hope they don’t bite off more than they can chew.
Mairi@plankpr.com
Meet the Celebrities
Christine McGuinness
Model & TV Personality
What made you want to do Celebrity MasterChef?
“I really wanted to push myself and become more comfortable around food, being autistic I do have sensory issues around food. I can find the smell, the taste and textures quite overwhelming. I am a mummy to three incredible children, also autistic, and I want them to explore foods more confidently. Doing Celebrity MasterChef is definitely the most daunting thing I have ever done!”
What was it walking into the MasterChef kitchen for the first time?
“Walking into the MasterChef kitchen for the first time was petrifying I have never been so nervous! I remember thinking, when I had to memorise a dance routine for ‘The Full Monty’ and learn Olympic sports on ‘The Games’… the MasterChef kitchen was scarier!”
How does your cooking go down with friends and family?
“I don’t cook at all for anyone other than myself and my children. We eat very basic food, everything is dry, beige, sensory safe for us. Bread, plain pasta, chicken…things like that we enjoy. But I don’t think many of our friends or family would like to come for a dinner party!”
What is your favourite dish to cook vs. your favourite to eat?
“My favourite thing to cook is a ‘scouse’ which is a Liverpool hotpot. I love doing this because it is a recipe that has been passed down from my nan. “My favourite thing to eat is quite simple – toast!”
Emma Thynn
Model & TV Personality
What made you want to do Celebrity MasterChef?
“I have always been a huge fan of the show and it was such an honour to be asked to participate. I love food and am a keen cook and have never worked in a professional kitchen, so this was a challenge I was delighted to accept.”
What was it like walking into the Celebrity MasterChef kitchen for the first time?
“I was so nervous, walking into the MasterChef kitchen is totally surreal and utterly terrifying but amazing at the same time. A whole mix of emotions took over when I saw the ‘M’ logo on the wall.”
How does your cooking go down with friends and family?
“I cook for my husband and children all the time. I spend most of my day into evening in the kitchen. I love to experiment with ideas I’ve seen from dishes at restaurants, or on holidays, but usually we have pretty classic things on repeat like roast chicken, salads or pastas – healthy family favourites.”
Favourite dish to cook vs. favourite dish to eat?
“I love eating spicy food and have a few family recipes I’ve made since I was little like a Nigerian-inspired chicken with a hot tomato sauce. My mum loves baking bread and making meringues with my two sons. We cook a lot together, it’s such a bonding thing to do at home.”
Jamie MacDonald
Comedian
What made you want to do Celebrity MasterChef?
“When I started watching MasterChef I could still bloody see! That’s how long I’ve loved the show. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to take part. Could I handle the pressure? Thankfully I’m not deluded. I know I’m not good enough to be in the pro show nor the non-pro show. Bring in the celeb show! A slightly different standard. I’m not saying I became a comedian just so I could ultimately do Celeb MasterChef but you can’t deny it’s a bit of a coincidence!”
What was it walking into the MasterChef kitchen for the first time?
“Like a first date. Nerves, anticipation, excitement and a silent prayer that I wouldn’t spill loads of food down myself.”
How does your cooking go down with friends and family?
“I’m not a bad cook but my wife is much better. I know when friends and family come round for dinner and they find out it’s me creating the kitchen magic they’re slightly disappointed. I’m a recipe guy. Deviation terrifies me. My wife can look in the fridge, see a courgette and an egg and suddenly whips up a delicious quiche. Faced with the same ingredients I’ll present a boiled egg with some hot courgette. It will be well seasoned though. I’m from Glasgow – we’re dab hands with the salt.”
What is your favourite dish to cook vs. your favourite to eat?
“My favourite dish to make would be a roast dinner. Probably beef or lamb. It matches my working style: do as little as possible until the very end then fly into a literal blind panic till the job’s done. The roast is the same. You think it’s relatively easy. Bang it in the oven, pour a glass of red, and relax. Fast forward two hours you’ve a sweat on as a dozen separate pans bubble and hiss whilst smoke pours from an oven you forgot was on. Breathless and burnt you tuck in, starving from all the adrenaline.
“I like eating the dishes my wife Caroline and I make. The best was a Biryani we once made from a Rick Stein recipe. It was so flipping complicated and time-consuming. Think it took about two days but the result was unbelievably worth it. Beautifully rich and fragrant flavours. I can now only remember because no chance are we ever making it again!”
Tamer Hassan
Actor
What made you want to do Celebrity MasterChef?
“I’ve enjoyed the show for many years, I’ve always wanted to go on the show to challenge myself and learn about cooking and hopefully learn from some top chefs as I go through the process. My relationship with cooking has always been one of love and fun and I find it really therapeutic, especially cooking for other people and hosting dinner parties.
Anything around cooking has always been a great passion of mine – to the point where I even bought a restaurant! I spoke to friends who’ve been on the show – Razor Ruddock and Jimmy Bullard – and they said they had an amazing time, that it was a fantastic show and a great production, and they did nothing but learn from it. After speaking with them it made me want to do it even more!”
What was it walking into the MasterChef kitchen for the first time?
“Walking into the MasterChef kitchen for the first time was absolutely terrifying because I knew the pressure was on. It was the same every time I walked in there as I just knew the challenges were going to be tough. The competition strong and I only had a certain amount of time to chef up and deliver the best food I could.”
How does your cooking go down with friends and family?
“Cooking goes down really well with my family and friends. Depending on what mood they’re in – hungover, happy, starving, hungry, peckish – they all have a mental menu of what I’ll cook for that situation and they always enjoy the food! I’ve been cooking for many years, since I was a child. I literally do all the cooking at home.
Until Celebrity MasterChef the skills weren’t as vast as they are now, but I’d regularly cook meat, fish, pasta, veggie food, vegan food. Whatever it is, I’m great at opening up the cupboard and making a banquet with a few ingredients. Whilst you can’t beat salt and pepper for seasoning, I like to experiment with different herbs and spices, change things up, cook with love and please those eating!”
What is your favourite dish to cook vs. your favourite to eat?
“My favourite dishes to cook are anything predominantly lamb based, but I love preparing fruits de mer, fresh pasta, even beef wellington! My favourite dish to eat was always seafood cooked by my father, who was a chef in the army. When he used to cook for us it was really special and such a treat. Although mum’s cooking will always be up there too!”
Jake Quickenden
Singer, Actor & Presenter
What made you want to do Celebrity MasterChef?
“I really wanted a new challenge – cooking for me wasn’t something that came super natural and my skills were pretty basic, so for me it was about setting myself a new challenge whilst also learning on the show. I’ve always loved watching MasterChef so I was dying to do it myself.”
What was it walking into the MasterChef kitchen for the first time?
“I was so excited to get straight in there and get stuck in, I was a little nervous but soon felt pretty comfortable as we started, it was actually a lot of fun!”
How does your cooking go down with friends and family?
“My wife Sophie is the better cook, put it that way! I mostly rely on an air fryer, often throwing meals together that I’ve always known so I’m not very adventurous! I love that the show pushes you out of your comfort zone with cooking things you wouldn’t normally!”
What is your favourite dish to cook vs. your favourite to eat?
“I love a beef fillet when I go out for dinner, however I’m not the best at making it! At home I love making a burger or homemade pizzas, a bit like a fakeaway!”
