Judge Giorgio Locatelli reportedly identified the immediate problem with admirable precision: “That’s a Japanese knife. It’s a very sharp one.”
Fortunately, the injury was not serious enough to end Cleaver’s appearance. After receiving treatment from the production’s medical team, she returned to the challenge and carried on competing. Her result remains unknown because the episode is scheduled to air on September 1, 2026, on BBC One.
The early mishap creates a sharp contrast with Cleaver’s experience at home. In BBC publicity for the series, she described herself as the main cook in her household. Her preferred meal is a Sunday roast, while her “guilty pleasure” is thick white bread with butter and anchovies. Studio kitchens, regrettably, do not grade contestants on sandwich confidence.
Who is competing in Sue Cleaver’s heat?
Cleaver is one of five celebrities entering the week-three heat. Her fellow contestants are:
- Paralympic triathlete Lauren Steadman
- YouTuber Max Fosh
- Presenter Melvin Odoom
- Singer Una Healy
Four of the five will advance to the quarter-final. The wider 21st series features 15 celebrities across five weeks, with the semi-finals beginning in week four.
Cleaver told the BBC that taking part would push her boundaries and help prove to herself that she can cook. Healy, meanwhile, said she rarely follows recipes but believes she performs well under pressure. The programme will now test both propositions with cameras, deadlines and judges watching every saucepan.
Cleaver is best known for playing Eileen Grimshaw in Coronation Street from 2000 until 2025. She has since joined the panel of Loose Women. Her arrival also prompted an enthusiastic welcome from food critic Grace Dent, who reportedly told her: “I’m a massive Corrie fan. This is like meeting The Queen!”
How are the new judges changing the competition?
This series places Cleaver and the other contestants in front of a new judging partnership. Michelin-starred restaurateur Giorgio Locatelli joined Dent for the 2026 run after serving as a judge on MasterChef Italia since 2018.
BBC publicity confirms Dent and Locatelli as the judging team, despite an earlier Media Mole report that named Anna Haugh alongside Dent. Subsequent programme material makes the final arrangement clear.
Locatelli has already assigned himself a familiar role. Speaking on the Table Manners podcast, he described himself as the panel’s “bad cop”, with a particular focus on cleanliness and organisation. He also said sportspeople generally managed deadlines better than contestants from entertainment, who were more likely to struggle with the clock.
Dent previously called Locatelli a “fabulous addition” and said she had admired his work for years. When his appointment was announced, he said hosting alongside her was “a real honour” and promised that the celebrities’ culinary skills would be properly tested.
Cleaver’s heat will therefore offer an early look at how the new partnership works under pressure. Dent brings enthusiasm, Locatelli brings exacting standards, and Cleaver has already, according to reports, brought medical paperwork.
What happens next on Celebrity MasterChef?
The injury account will remain unverified until the BBC broadcasts the episode or comments publicly. No later report has revealed Cleaver’s result, and the scheduled September 1 transmission means viewers have yet to see either the accident or her recovery.
This year’s contestants are trying to succeed Ginger Johnson, the RuPaul’s Drag Race UK winner who claimed the Celebrity MasterChef title in series 20. Before anyone reaches that stage, they must survive heats, quarter-finals and semi-finals, while producing food that satisfies two judges with very different approaches.
For Cleaver, the first challenge appears to have been more basic: complete day one with all fingers accounted for. Reports suggest she managed that, then returned to the stove.
