Celebrity MasterChef 2022: Who is Chris Eubank, how to watch and full line-up

He’s tasted, in his words, “bitter beatings” but will London native Chris Eubank serve bitter cuisine, as the boxer joins the 2022 cast of BBC Celebrity Masterchef.

The popular BBC competitive cooking reality show returns to our screens this evening (August 9) and will see the former WBO middleweight and super middleweight champion duking it out with the likes of Lesley Joseph and Richard Blackwood.

Masterchef judges Gregg Wallace and John Torode also return, putting the cooking talents of this year’s celebrity chefs under scrutiny across six weeks.

The winner of Celebrity Masterchef 2022 will once again walk away with the near iconic “M” trophy and the title of “Celebrity Masterchef” - with a number of celebrities having gone on to pen their own cookbooks in the past including Joe Swash.

Who is Chris Eubank?

Boxing fans will no doubt be familiar with Chris Eubank - known for his strong chin and eloquent interviews, the soft-spoken Orthodox boxer competed between 1985 to 1998, winning the WBO middleweight and WBO super-middleweight titles during his peak in the early nineties.

His battles against Nigel Benn and Michael Watson became British classics, cementing boxing’s popularity in the UK and hung up his gloves in 1998 with a record of 45 wins, 5 losses and 2 draws.

23 of those wins came by knockout.

Outside of the ring, Eubank’s eccentric personality made him a media favourite. Voted the second most eccentric person behind Bjork in a BBC News poll in 2006, his upper-class voice, sharp suits and trademark monocle landed him top of the “Best Dressed Male” list in the 1991 and 1993 curated by the Menswear Association of Great Britain.

But many may remember Eubank’s stint on the first series of Celebrity Big Brother and the often repeated clip of asking an exasperated Vannessa Feltz for a cup of tea - while sat down doing nothing.

Not surprisingly, he was the first celebrity to be evicted.

His eldest child, Chris Eubank Jr., has become a world-renowned professional boxer himself, winning the  WBA interim middleweight title twice between 2015 and 2021, the IBO super-middleweight title twice between 2017 and 2019 and the British middleweight title in 2016.

Who else is appearing on Celebrity Masterchef 2022?

London is heavily represented in this year’s Celebrity Masterchef, with Adam Pearson, Cliff Parisi, Kitty Scott Claus, Lesley Joseph, Melanie Blatt, Richard Blackwood, Jimmy Bullard, Tony Adams and Gareth Malone all confirmed this season.

The full list of Celebrity Masterchef 2022 contestants:

• Adam Pearson (TV presenter and actor)
• Faye Winter (Love Island star)
• Katya Jones (Strictly Come Dancing professional)
• Clarke Peters (actor)
• Cliff Parisi (actor)
• Danny Jones (McFly member and TV judge)
• Gareth Malone (TV presenter and musician)
• Jimmy Bullard (former professional footballer)
• Kae Kurd (comedian)
• Kirsty Gallacher (TV presenter)
• Kitty Scott-Claus (drag performer)
• Lesley Joseph (actor)
• Chris Eubank (former world boxing champion)
• Lisa Snowdon (TV presenter)
• Mel Blatt (All Saints member)
• Nancy Dell’Olio (media personality)
• Paul Chuckle (actor and comedian)
• Mojo (reality star)
• Richard Blackwood (actor and comedian)
• Ryan Thomas (actor)

How can I watch Celebrity Masterchef 2022?

Celebrity Masterchef 2022 will screen Wednesdays at 8 pm on BBC One, with 18 programmes screening on the channel for the next six weeks.

Catch-up episodes will also be available through BBC iPlayer shortly after it’s initial broadcast.