Celebrity MasterChef 2025 Sees First Star Sent Home

Celebrity MasterChef 2025 has already said goodbye to its first budding chef after Paralympic basketball player Gaz Choudhry was eliminated from the competition. Tonight, judges John Torode and Grace Dent delivered the tough news, ending Gaz’s culinary journey on the show (BBC, 2025).

Gaz and his fellow contestants were tasked with creating restaurant-quality dishes under the watchful eye of top chefs, but unfortunately, his vegan interpretation of a traditional beef stew didn’t impress the judges. The challenge highlighted both the pressure of the competition and the difficulty of adapting classic recipes to plant-based alternatives (The Guardian, 2025).

Gaz Choudhry’s Celebrity MasterChef Challenge

In the second episode, Gaz competed alongside Antony Costa, Ginger Johnson, Katie McGlynn, and Uma Jammeh. The group was introduced to Michelin-starred chef Karan Gokani, who set them the challenge of recreating some of his restaurant-standard dishes.

For his first dish, Gaz served an undercooked roti topped with spiced potatoes. Karan critiqued: “The potatoes for me could definitely have been spicier with a lot more seasoning. The bread for me is a little dry” (Digital Spy, 2025).

Looking dejected, Gaz admitted to the cameras: “I definitely didn’t do Karan proud. Being the only Asian contestant in this heat, I think he had high hopes for me. I definitely think I let him down.”

Plant-Based Nihari Misses the Mark

Gaz’s second two-course challenge proved more decisive. He attempted a traditional Pakistani stew, Nihari, which typically features slow-cooked beef, but chose a vegan twist using soy-protein steak alongside naan breads. While the naan was cooked well, the plant-based “meat” didn’t resonate with the judges.

John Torode commented: “The plant-based meat is interesting because it’s actually an interesting flavour, it’s almost the flavour of salt beef.” Grace Dent was more critical: “Your challenge was always going to be difficult because traditionally it is a slow-cooked stew that takes pieces of beef and stewing it all slowly in the sauce. But you haven’t been able to do that successfully” (BBC, 2025).

Gaz’s Exit from the Competition

At the end of the episode, the remaining contestants – Ginger, Uma, Antony, and Katie – were lined up with Gaz, and John delivered the elimination news: “There are only four quarter-final places. The celebrity leaving us is Gaz.”

Speaking to the press outside the studio, Gaz expressed his disappointment but also reflected positively on his experience: “I’m a little bit disappointed, obviously. I would have liked to have stayed in the competition. But it’s really made me realise what I love about cooking and food, and how it can bring people together” (The Guardian, 2025).

Quarter-Final Line-Up

With Gaz gone, Ginger Johnson, Uma Jammeh, Antony Costa, and Katie McGlynn now progress to this week’s quarter-final. Fans don’t have to wait long to see the next round, which airs Thursday night, November 20, 2025, at 9pm, immediately following Celebrity Race Across the World (Digital Spy, 2025).

Antony, in particular, was delighted to make it through, joking to the cameras: “I’ve never even won pass the parcel, so this feels like a huge victory already!”

The quarter-final promises another intense round as the remaining celebrities aim to impress the judges with inventive dishes, demonstrating skill under pressure, creativity, and the ability to adapt traditional recipes to modern tastes. As always, the stakes are high, and viewers can expect surprises in the upcoming episode (BBC, 2025).