Two more celebs eliminated as Celebrity MasterChef reaches final six

Gladiators star Emily Steel and former EastEnders actor Nitin Ganatra have been eliminated from this year’s Celebrity MasterChef as Finals Week draws nearer.

For the first challenge, the eight remaining celebs were asked to cook a layered dessert in two hours by acclaimed pastry chef and Junior Bake Off judge Ravneet Gill.

Layered Desserts – Semi-Final 2

Shakira Khan

Tiramisu layered with ladyfinger sponge biscuits, soaked in espresso coffee liqueur and vanilla mascarpone cream, topped with cocoa powder, chocolate shards and fresh strawberries

Joe Pasquale

Six-layered, no-jelly trifle with sherry-soaked chubby sponge fingers, raspberries and caramelised mango, white chocolate cream cheese, raspberry sauce, custard, finished with Chantilly cream

Sue Cleaver

Four layers of pistachio meringue with elderflower cream, lemon curd and toasted pistachios

Emily Steel

Four-layered strawberry jelly cheesecake with a buttered biscuit base, vanilla cream cheese, strawberry cream cheese and a strawberry jelly top

Donna Preston

Coffee cake with four layers of coffee sponge, espresso buttercream and coffee syrup, decorated with a coffee caramel, gold glitter and coffee beans

Emily Campbell

Multi-textured dessert with pistachio biscuit, white chocolate mousse, pistachio sponge and a raspberry jelly, coated in a white chocolate glaze

Nitin Ganatra

Mille-feuille with three layers of light, crispy puff pastry, filled with a blueberry and raspberry compote, fresh blueberries and strawberries, and an orange-infused mascarpone cream

Lauren Steadman

Black Forest gâteau featuring four layers of chocolate sponge cake, sandwiched with whipped cream and cherries soaked in cherry liqueur, garnished with chocolate ganache, fresh cherries and chocolate shards

Emily S’s strawberry jelly cheesecake came in for criticism before it had even been tasted as she had left the base of the cake tin on the dessert – and when it did come time for tasting, her layers proved to be problematic.

“I see that there are different layers,” Giorgio Locatelli told her, “but I can’t taste the difference between them. They’re just very creamy, both of them. And it’s a big problem with that biscuit base because a cake should never be served with a cake tin.”

Nitin Ganatra’s mille-feuille was also criticised for its underwhelming flavour, with Ravneet telling him: “It’s very delicately made. However, whilst I appreciate the technique, I would have liked a bit more effort with the flavour. Most of the sweetness I’m getting is naturally from the fruits, which is good, but it’s just not enough.”

After some deliberation, Grace Dent and Giorgio decided that time was up for Emily S.

“My time is sadly over,” she said afterwards. “It has been very fun and annoying because I feel like I have got more to give. But also, it is the semis, so I can’t really be having my dish melt on a plate.”

Next up, the remaining seven were challenged to make a burger of their choice within 90 minutes to secure their place in the next semi-final.

Burgers – Semi-Final 2

Shakira Khan

Korean-inspired burger featuring a gochujang-glazed beef patty with caramelised onions, pickled cucumber and kimchi mayo, served with double-cooked fries, crispy battered enoki mushrooms, a sesame and rice vinegar Kewpie mayo and a gochujang ketchup

Sue Cleaver

Spanish-themed beef and chorizo burger with a red pepper and walnut romesco sauce and a Manchego cheese melt, served with a side of charred Padrón peppers

Joe Pasquale

Muntjac venison burger with lettuce and melted smoked cheese in a pretzel bun, Prosecco-battered onion rings, baked tomatoes, chive mayo and hot honey sauce

Emily Campbell

Grilled spicy jerk-marinated chicken breasts topped with smoked cheese and a pineapple, corn and chilli salsa, served with mac & cheese and a jerk dipping sauce

Lauren Steadman

Beef, topped with chilli jam, pickled red onion, miso peanut butter and bacon in a brioche bun, with a side of Asian slaw

Donna Preston

Quarter-pounder beef burger topped with caramelised onions and a truffle cheese sauce, beer-battered onion rings, crispy courgette fries and a peppered truffle mayo

Nitin Ganatra

Vegetarian spicy chickpea and kidney bean burger, topped with cheese, pickled onions and an avocado guacamole, and served with oregano and garlic-seasoned Japanese long fries, a black pepper and mustard mayo, his mum’s garlic chilli pickle, and a side salad with blue cheese and toasted seeds

This time Nitin and former Coronation Street star Sue Cleaver were in the firing line – and on this occasion, EastEnders lost the battle of the soaps.

“I’ve had a blast, so thank you,” Nitin said afterwards, adding: “I’m sad because I still had more to give. But the heart of this journey was to pay tribute to my mum and dad. I think I did them proud.”

The top six of Celebrity MasterChef 2026 / © BBC

Six celebrities now remain in the hunt for this year’s Celebrity MasterChef trophy and must not only face a timed cook-off but also cook a meal for food critics in the next round in order to win a place in Finals Week.

The next episode is available on iPlayer now or can be watched on Friday night at 8pm on BBC One.