On a knife edge...
CELEBRITY MASTERCHEF
BBC1, 8.30pm
WE’VE had beef and spinach mousse, raw lamb, a dish of Jacob’s crackers and a couple of sliced fingers.
It’s a wonder that judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace haven’t collapsed with food poisoning before now.
But having stood bravely at the frontline of celebrity cooking, they’ve reached the final, where Jimmy Osmond, Alexis Conran and Louise Minchin promise to reward them with some tasty (hopefully cooked) grub.
Poor old Sid Owen fell at the final hurdle last night after facing the terrifying restaurant critics’ stage. And now only two tough challenges stand between the last three standing and the title.
It’s probably among the most coveted of reality-show trophies – second perhaps to the Strictly glitterball, but definitely better than King of the Jungle or the Flockstars Shield (remember it?). If they win, they join the likes of Nadia Sawalha, Lisa Faulkner and last year’s winner Kimberly Wyatt in the MasterChef hall of fame.
And it’s a fast track to a cookery segment on telly or even a book, if they’re so inclined.
So there is everything to cook for as they take on the Chef ’s Table – hosted by Michelin star chef Atul Kochhar, from posh London Indian-British fusion restaurant Benares.
They will have to master new techniques and use some unfamiliar ingredients in Atul’s dishes. Plus, it’s a tough crowd with some of the best chefs in the country awaiting exceptional food. Will they hold their nerve? Then it’s back to the kitchen for the last time, where they have to cook a perfect three-course meal for John and Gregg.
John will be chasing that “lovely, lovely thing”, while a pudding is bound to impress Gregg. And there’s a suitably nail-biting end to another glorious series.