Celebrity MasterChef: Episode 10

The semi-finals are here, and the best nine celebrity cooks in this year’s competition are waiting in the wings, ready to show they have more culinary tricks up their showbiz sleeves. First, the celebs head back to medieval England for their first task, before returning to the MasterChef kitchen for a truly tasty cook-off.

To start, the intrepid stars head to rural Warwickshire, home to Coombe Abbey. Now a hotel, this former monastery is a 12th-century masterpiece that has housed its fair share of medieval banquets, and it just so happens that today they will be preparing one for 80 hungry guests – all medieval enthusiasts who will be expecting a feast of epic proportions.

Working in teams, the celebs will have three hours to prepare a sumptuous meal that includes a meat, fish and veg main, along with a dessert. Amongst the produce on offer are some medieval staples, including pork, venison, cod, dark ales, trout, root veg, pearl barley, as well as a selection of fruit that should lend itself to some comforting creations.

Judges Grace Dent and John Torode will be sampling the dishes on offer, and John will also be stepping in to ensure the kitchen runs like clockwork. Let’s hope the merry men and women in attendance today leave with smiles on their faces.

It’s then back to the MasterChef kitchen for a second task, which would no doubt have also delighted medieval folk. This time, the judges would like each contestant to make a pie – a pastry case filled with something truly delicious, served with garnish and a sauce. Will they go sweet or savoury, and how will their pie stand out from the crowd?

The two celebrities who fail to pack a punch with their pie will lose their place in the competition, leaving the lucky seven remaining to forge on in the semi-finals.