Stars will be put to test in MasterChef kitchen

THE NEW series of Celebrity MasterChef will see stars including former S Club 7 star Rachel Stevens, Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington and comedian Vic Reeves put to the test in the kitchen.

The 12th series of the BBC One cookery competition begins tonight, with 20 budding celebrity cooks battling it out in a bid to impress judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace. Joining Stevens, Adlington and Reeves are TV presenters Angellica Bell and Ulrika Jonsson, snooker champion Stephen Hendry and singers Patti Boulaye, Lesley Garrett and Union J’s Jaymi Hensley.

French tennis ace Henri Leconte is another of the hopefuls, along with Paul Daniels’ widow Debbie McGee, Outnumbered’s Tyger Drew-Honey, film actor Brian Bovell and Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels star Nick

Moran. Completing the line-up is Gogglebox’s Reverend Kate Bottley, presenter Julia Somerville, comedian Abdullah Afzal, Radio 1’s Dev Griffin, children’s TV presenter Barney Harwood and Scottish broadcaster Aasmah Mir.

The series’ debut episode will show Reeves – who is competing under his real name Jim Moir – go up against Bell, Henry, Leconte and Somerville for the first heat.

They will first tackle the Mystery Box challenge, during which they will prove they can serve up a dish based on surprise ingredients. Celebrity MasterChef airs at 8pm tonight on BBC One.