Celebrity MasterChef: Christine McGuinness Eliminated for "Simple" Dishes
Celebrity MasterChef has bid farewell to another contestant, as four celebrities battled it out for a place in the semi-finals.
The episode, airing on 27th August, saw Dancing on Ice winner Jake Quickenden, TV personality Christine McGuinness, Game of Thrones star Tamer Hassan, stand-up comedian Jamie MacDonald and Strictly Come Dancing's Emma Thynn take on the challenge.
Despite her best efforts in the kitchen, Christine was sent packing after the judges deemed her dishes "too simple".
The competition kicked off with the Under the Cloche challenge, where contestants had to create a dish using a mystery ingredient. Christine openly discussed how her autism affects her relationship with food, before presenting a breakfast dish that John Torode described as "brilliant".
Emma and Jamie impressed the judges with their understanding of flavours and textures. However, Tamer's lamb dish and Jake's unconventional combination of plums, pecans, and halloumi failed to win over the judges.
"I think you've got some strong contenders," Greg Wallace remarked after the critiques, with John adding, "I think there's some promise in the room, I really do."
The next round saw the contestants preparing a main course and dessert for a dinner party, with a limited time of one hour and 15 minutes.
Emma shone once again with her seafood medley and flourless dark chocolate cake, earning praise for her "eye for presentation". The judges also enjoyed Christine's chicken goujons and chips, as well as her alcohol-free tiramisu.
Jamie, a blind contestant, served pan-fried sea bass and apple crumble, receiving glowing praise from the judges for his remarkable efforts. "This is quite extraordinary," John remarked.
Jake's fillet steak was cooked to perfection, and his chocolate and raspberry cheesecake was a hit. Tamer's fresh ravioli went down well, though his mascarpone cheesecake was deemed a bit of a "splodge".
After the second challenge, Jamie, Jake, and Emma were immediately through to the next round, their dishes proving successful.
Gregg and John then had the tough decision of saving either Christine or Tamer. Ultimately, they chose to send Christine home.
Reflecting on her experience, Christine said, "I'm really proud of myself that I even went into a kitchen that I wasn't familiar with, that I tried to make food that I've never made before. But I was well out of my comfort zone. It was too much of a stretch for me."
"I am going to carry on cooking at home, and I'm happy that I've done it, but I'm relieved that I don't need to keep practising in front of the nation," she added.
Celebrity MasterChef airs on BBC One.
