Review

by Jane Rackham

You have to wonder why some of the five celebrities decided to take part in a cookery competition when they serve up a “bowl of flavoursome grout” or think that boiling an expensive cut of lamb loin would give a tasty result. But it does make for entertaining viewing, especially when they’re sent off to work in a professional kitchen.



The pressure gets to them all. “This is the nearest thing to warfare… it’s madness!” says Jim Moir, aka Vic Reeves. “My brain cells are about to explode,” squeals Angellica Bell (who has a lot to prove because her husband Michael Underwood made the MC finals in 2012), while the normally calm and collected Julia Somerville feels strangely pumped-up and dangerous after the experience.



The MasterChef recipe is as comfortingly familiar as your mum’s shepherd’s pie. As always, there’s the mystery box round, skills test and mass catering challenge, plus disasters and triumphs galore, while John Torode looks permanently sceptical and Gregg Wallace says “mate” a lot.

