The problem with Celebrity Masterchef (UK)…
… is the celebrities.
This is the only explanation I can come up with for the fact that I have the latest series building up on my IQ but, having seen two episodes, I’m not motivated to watch it. The format is the same as the normal show, which I love. The judges are the same; they are as shouty as in the non-celeb version and make the same annoyingly stereotypical assumptions (She’s a mum! She’ll cook good puddings! She owns a farm! She’ll understand food! She has a big personality! She must throw amazing dinner parties! She’s from the North! She’ll cook gutsy food!) that are often disappointingly proved accurate. The challenges are consistent and designed to test a range of skills. So why can’t I be bothered watching it?
The celebrities are quite possibly household names in the UK, but their low international star wattage1 proves that the key to the success of Masterchef is that the contestants are passionate and (generally) knowledgeable about food. Perhaps all the foodie celebs are holding out for a slot on “I’m a celebrity, get me out of here” where they can demonstrate their skills preparing kangaroo penis.
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1. I suspect that their fame might even be limited in their home country. Half of the contestants I saw over two episodes were described thus: a former newsreader, a former newspaper editor and a former TV host.
Related posts:
- Masterchef the book – coming to a remainder table near you
- Masterchef – The Professionals
- Checking in on the TV schedule
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I was watching a UK MasterChef marathon at my mum’s place over Christmas (I don’t have Foxtel) and it took me about three episodes to figure out it was the celebrity version. And I love my trashy celebrities…
I’m so glad it wasn’t just me being out of the loop with the current crop of UK celebs! I watch as much Graham Norton as the next guy (or more, if the next guy doesn’t watch the GN show on ABC, Comedy and UKTV) so I was a bit surprised at how anonymous these people were.
Having said that I’ll delete it from the recorder, I am currently watching the semi final…!
So how does one define a celebrity, and how are they graded? a person who wanks off is pretending therefore the term wanker. how many celebs fit that category? What about lottery winners? What about media whores? As much as i like TV etc i still think they are all overpaid underworked clowns and as much as i love watching sport i include them as well!
As I am a legend in my own mind does that make me at least a Z minus celeb?
Don’t sell yourself short, Sourkraut – I think you’d be well above the Z list!
You’re right, though, about celebs. I guess I’m still in the mindset of linking that word “celebrity” to the related one, “celebrated”, and so I tend to look for the reason that they’re celebrated. I’m clearly very judgemental, since I don’t think being purty or having a clever record producer are achievements worthy of the tag.
Sportspeople are a bit more problematic for me, as they have a level of skill that I can’t imagine approaching (most of them, anyway. I still love Sue-Ann Post’s discussion of how hammer throwers are really just those who keep having a crack at it).
I suppose i should change my alias to sourgrapes!
Certainly sports people have an extremely high level of skill, but someone that waddles around a lawn and swats little white balls occasionally for megabucks does tend to make me a tad envious. At least with a tennis player you can pour them off the court into a bucket at the end of a game so I guess they’ve earned their dough, as well as most of them of both sexes (no I’m not bi) are eye candy (Elena D )