This Morning star Craig Doyle absolutely wowed the judges during his quarter-final heat on Celebrity MasterChef, producing dishes that were proclaimed ‘perfect’.
The 53-year-old TV presenter handled the heat in the kitchen alongside fellow contestants Ian ‘H’ Watkins from Steps, 48, and 50-year-old radio DJ and presenter Edith Bowman.
In fact, he did so well – sailing through to place in the semi-final – that fans have demanded he take up a new role on This Morning.
The popular ITV programme often features different regular segments, including a cooking one with a vast array of celebrity chef guests like Gino D’Acampo, Phil Vickery and Clodagh McKenna.
However, following his triumphant turn on MasterChef on Friday night, some viewers were ready to see Craig in the kitchen on This Morning too.
‘They could use Craig Doyle as the chef on This Morning when he’s presenting and save a few quid,’ joked Greg Phillips on X.
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Fan Pat O’Shea also praised the Irishman as ‘brilliant’, while @mostlystupid chimed in: ‘Must admit – Craig’s ace on Celebrity MasterChef at the moment.’
‘Given CraigDoyle is a #ThisMorming host who watches chefs cook every day – I expected him to be good on #CelebrityMasterChef #MasterChefUK,’ pointed out Ryan Glendenning, before adding: ‘He’s doing brilliantly.’
Tim Bolton also called the broadcaster a ‘frontrunner already’.
Craig admitted he was pushing it with the two ambitious dishes he selected, seeing as he’d never managed to cook them in under two hours before, and only had 75 minutes.
As he plated up his starter of black pudding potato croquettes, crispy sage leaves, pan fried apples and apple and cinnamon sauce, the TV star admitted: ‘That was 30 seconds away from disaster, literally 30 seconds away from absolute chaos.’
However, he wowed the panel of celebrity judges – former finalists Kitty Scott-Claus and Joe Swash, and Irish author and 2020 Celebrity MasterChef winner Riyadh Khalaf.
Kitty Sott-Claus groaned over the dish and enthused that ‘every single bite is the best’, while Joe admitted of the croquettes that he ‘could have eaten another five or six of them’.
‘I’m lost for words – it is perfect!’ exclaimed Riyadh, while the show’s presenters and main judges Gregg Wallce and John Torode were also full of praise, calling the flavour combinations ‘a marriage made in heaven’.
Despite confessing to ‘shaking with adrenaline’, Craig then successfully served up venison steak with port poached plumbs, shredded bacon brussels sprouts and a celeriac and blue cheese bake for his main course.
This time around, Kitty insisted that ‘hands down, this is perfection for me’, while Joe called it stunning and Riyadh added: ‘I would be very happy if I was served this in a restaurant.’
John was also delighted with the taste and all the surprises, as Gregg said: ‘For an amateur celebrity cook, this guy is showing some skill here!’
At the end of the show, it was revealed that Craig would be joined in the semi-final by H after the new chef, who has only been cooking for two weeks, impresses the judges with his well-cooked steak and ‘stodgy’ chocolate and marmalade brioche bread and butter pudding.
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Celebrity MasterChef continues on Tuesday at 8pm on BBC One.
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