Interview with Cheryl Hole on taking part in Celebrity MasterChef 2023

What made you want to do Celebrity MasterChef?

I always want to challenge myself. I think in life, when you become complacent things don’t really go anywhere. You’ve always got to try new things, new environments, new settings, and cooking has never been a forté of mine, so I want the challenge.

What was it like walking into the MasterChef kitchen?

Going into the workroom on Drag Race and walking into MasterChef was a very similar experience. You’re transported to that thing that you watch on TV and suddenly I'm in there. It’s a very surreal experience but you have to snap back to reality and remind yourself you’ve got a task to do.

How have you prepared to take on the challenge?

I have been cooking my little Essex bum off! Trying new things, trying different things that I never actually thought I would like – who would have thought that I like coriander? But here I am! I will throw my heart into anything that I do, and I just hope that it all pays off. I want to keep going through each milestone and push myself to the limit.

Has Kitty given you any advice?

Kitty didn’t know that I was doing this so Lord knows what’s going to happen when we come face-to-face, and she finds out that we’re both cheffies.

What do your family think of your cooking?

The only person that has truly experienced my cooking is my husband and he is definitely the cook of the family. Maybe him being the chef for us all has been a hindrance to me because I haven’t had too many opportunities. But now I'm proving I can do this as well!

What’s your desert island dish?

If I was on a desert island I would either have a lovely rich lasagne or a beef ragu. Or, it would be something really, really sweet, like a triple chocolate cake. I’m 50/50 sweet or savoury.

What are the three things you always have in your fridge and why?

We’ve always got mushrooms, cheese and – don’t laugh – that already chopped garlic, because I detest peeling and chopping garlic, so I just scoop it and throw it in!

Favourite dish to cook at home?

I’ve made it before and I was really blown away – I really enjoyed making this gumbo, it was a New Orleans gumbo with prawns and cod, and it had Cajun seasoning. We did it with rice and it was gorgeous.